Mini test 3 - 3

03 Office Hours

Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.

W: Hi, Professor Mathis.

M: Sheila! Thanks for coming in. I don’t expect this to take long, so don’t worry.

W: Um, OK. I’m sorry, but do you mind if I ask why you asked me to come?

M: Have a seat. Look, the reason I wanted to talk to you is because I’m a bit concerned about your performance in our discussion section. I didn’t want to put you on the spot in front of the class, and that’s why I asked to speak to you privately.

W: Oh.

M: Sheila, you’ve been a great student so far. You’re always prepared when you come to class, and your essays are a delight to read. But in discussions, you never say anything.

W: It’s just that, I don’t know, it’s just so nerve-racking for me. Honestly, I would really like to, but whenever I want to contribute something, it just sounds so dumb in my head. Or someone else says it first.

M: I thought it might be something like that. The problem is this: participation is mandatory, and it accounts for twenty percent of your final grade. Maybe there’s something we can do to make you feel more comfortable.

W: Like what?

M: Well, first off, have some confidence in your intelligence. You really don’t have to worry that the things you say sound dumb. I assure you, they’re not, and I think you’d find that the other students would appreciate your unique perspective.

W: I guess so. It’s not just that, though. There’s just something about speaking in front of people that makes me really nervous.

I feel as though I get so caught up trying to calm myself down that I really can’t even come up with anything to say.

M: The solution to that is easy. Here’s what you do when you come into class just sit down and listen. Don’t think about what you should say or when you said say it. Just listen. If you do that, you’ll find that you’ll form natural reactions to them, and that’s what you’ll express when it’s your turn to talk. Does that make sense?

M: It does, actually. And, to be honest, I’ve never really tried that.

M: Good. I would really hate for your final grade to be dragged down by your participation, especially since I know that you must have many interesting things to contribute.

Also, I guess the whole situation just made me question my abilities as a facilitator.

W: No, it’s not that at all… well, can maybe give you a suggestion?

M: Of course!

W: Well, I think it’s been much easier for me to participate when you’ve handed out a list of questions as a guide, instead of just letting everybody rattle off about a random topic.

M: Hmm, you know, I can see where you’re coming from with that. I’ll think about doing that more often. Well anyway, I hope I’ve been able to help you.

W: You have. And I promise that I’ll make more of an effort to participant from now on.

11) What does the professor imply about the student’s academic ability?

12) What can be inferred about the student’s participation in class?

13) What does the student imply when she says this:

No, it’s not that at all… well, can maybe give you a suggestion?

14) Based on information from the conversation, indicate which of the suggestions below were given by the professor. Place a checkmark in the correct box.

15) What will the student probably do next?