Humor 2/23/98: Comments Received on Course Evaluations

Hey,

This week's humor email comes from Brian Ibbotson, followed by a story
from the Chicken Soup series. Enjoy!

-Josh.
_______________________________________

The Best and Worst Comments Received on Course Evaluations

"This class was a religious experience for me...I had to take it all on
faith."

"Text makes a satisfying 'thud' when dropped on the floor."

"ss is worthwhile because I need it for the degree."

"His blackboard technique puts Rembrandt to shame"

"Textbook is confusing...someone with a knowledge of English should
proofread it."

"Have you ever fallen asleep in one class and awoke in another? That's
the way I felt all term."

"In class I learned I can fudge answers and get away with it." [That's
an excellent lab technique that is learned by all undergrads.]

"The recitation instructor would make a good parking lot attendant.
Tries to tell you where to go, but you can never understand him."

"Text is useless. I use it to kill roaches in my room."

"In class, the syllabus is more important than you are."

"Help! I've fallen asleep and I can't wake up!"

"Problems sets are a decoy to lure you away from potential exam
material."

"Recitation was great. It was so confusing that I forgot who I was,
where I was, and what I was doing--It's a great stress reliever."

"He is one of the best teachers I have had...He is well-organized,
presents good lectures, and creates interest in the subject. I hope my
comments don't hurt his chances of getting tenure."

"I would sit in class and stare out the window at the squirrels.
They've got a cool nest in the tree."

"He teaches like Speedy Gonzalez on a caffeine high."

"Bogus number crunching. My HP is exhausted."

"The absolute value of the TA was less than epsilon." [I guess that
means he's less than an infinitessimally small non-zero value.]

"TA steadily improved throughout the course...I think he started
drinking and it really loosened him up."

"Information was presented like a ruptured fire hose--spraying in all
directions--no way to stop it."

"I never bought the text. My $60 was better spent on the Led Zeppelin
tapes that I used while doing the problem sets"

"What's the quality of the text? 'Text is printed on high quality
paper.'"

"The course was very thorough. What wasn't covered in class was covered
on the final exam."
__________________________________________

The Hand

A Thanksgiving Day editorial in the newspaper told of a school teacher
who asked her class of first-graders to draw a
picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little
these children from poor neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for.
But she knew that most of them would draw pictures of turkeys or tables
with food. The teacher was taken aback with the picture Douglas handed
in...a simple childishly drawn hand.

But whose hand? The class was captivated by the abstract image. "I think
it must be the hand of God that brings us food," said one child. "A
farmer," said another, "because he grows the turkeys." Finally when the
others were at work, the teacher bent over Douglas' desk and asked whose
hand it was. "It's your hand, Teacher," he mumbled.

She recalled that frequently at recess she had taken Douglas, a scrubby
forlorn child, by the hand. She often did that with the children. But it
meant so much to Douglas. Perhaps this was everyone's Thanksgiving, not
for the material things given to us but for the chance, in whatever
small way, to give to others.

By Source Unknown
from Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen