Yesterday was the first meeting of the course section I am teaching for the semester. I'm always excited for that first day - meeting my students and setting expectations for the course are both so important. In my mind, I had made sure everyone would be prepared; the syllabus had been posted for more than two weeks so that students would know what text and materials would be needed. I sent out an announcement almost two weeks before the first class asking the students to look over the syllabus and let me know if they had any questions. I posted the presentation I would be using for class about two weeks ahead of time as well so students would know what to expect and in case any of the students wanted to use it as a note-taking guide. I planned activities that would build a sense of community in the classroom while also delving right into the content. After all, each class meeting is scheduled for about three hours; I just couldn't see not utilizing that time, even on the first day!
Class began just as I had hoped it would. Introductions helped us get to know each other without spending too much time. We went over the syllabus utilizing poetry to summarize the main points. And when it came time to delve into the material.....
Only a handful of students (less than five in a class of just over 30) had a copy of the textbook. All the rest of my activities counted on them having access to the text. My frustration was clear to the students as I placed my copy of the text down none too gently and sighed. Then one spoke up:
"We didn't know if we would actually use the text, so we were waiting to buy it."
In that moment, my frustration changed focus from the students who hadn't bought the text to the system they are working their way through. As a student myself, there have been many times that I have bought a text, never to crack it open for the purposes of the class it was purchased for. I had merely accepted it as part of being a student. But I was neglecting to remember something that makes me different from many of my students: I am not (currently) struggling financially. I can just hop online and order whatever texts my professors assign and, if I don't use them for class, I either sell them to someone else or keep them for my own reference if they will be useful.
This is not the case for many of my students. Some are nontraditional students; parents with small children, career changers, people who have left their full-time job in order to further their education and embark on a career they are passionate about. To ask them to buy a book that they will not actually use regularly for the class is taking away money they could use to support their family and themselves.
When I said that we would use the text for my class in nearly every class meeting, strudents said "Thank you!" Buying the books is not a problem; they are students and expect to need such materials. But when those materials are barely or never used, it causes the frustration that led to my own first-day angst.
My point? As a college instructor and hopefully, in the future, a professor, I must keep in mind the financial impact of the materials I ask my students to purchase and make sure that those materials are actually used. If this were the norm, students would be more likely to come to class that first day with the text(s) in hand and ready to dive into the material.
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