There's a student at work - new student this semester. There's something about him, he just rubs me the wrong way. Seems very "tightly wound" and just has a negative vibe about him.
He's an older "non traditional" student. I'd say he's around 40 years old. He's never been nasty or anything, just... off putting. It's difficult to say what it is, he just has this bad aura vibe. I've mentioned before that the students we serve in the testing center are those who have accommodations for testing through disability services, otherwise they would test with their classmates in the classroom.
So this guy has a crap ton of accommodations. One of them is that he can take breaks without it counting against the time allowed for the test - a common accommodation for people who are on some sort of medication schedule or a diabetic who might need a snack or someone with anxiety who just needs to walk away for a bit, etc.
So he came in for his first test with us last week. He pulls out his pack of cigarettes and lighter to have at the ready if/when he wants to take a break. We just looked at this because he should know that his breaks-allowed accommodation doesn't mean he can leave the building in the middle of a test. In addition, the entire campus is a "no tobacco or vaping" campus, so what was his plan?
Apparently, he did pop out for a smoke break at some point. I had left by then as my shift was ending just as he'd showed up thinking, "thankfully, I'm out!". The next day, I asked my coworkers what happened, and they said that Boss said, "just let him go", because I'm not the only one who is uncomfortable with the guy, and no one wanted to be the messenger.
Other than that guy, most of the students are very pleasant and appreciative. Without the accommodations, many probably wouldn't be in school. Honestly, I don't always agree with some of the accommodations allowed for certain classes, but figure it will all sort out in the working world... maybe.
And I've mentioned "Ben", the student with cerebal palsy for whom I scribe for calculus quizzes and exams. He's a nice kid, with a fun sense of humor. He plans to be a biomedical engineer.
He's never once asked for nor expected a smoke break.
So I like my part-time test center job well enough at this season of my life. I guess my favorite thing is the people we meet.
And my least favorite thing is the people we meet.
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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:
5. Tell us your favorite thing about your job.
6 comments:
When I was a Girl Scout Leader working with some fun ladies, we used to joke that Scouts would be great without the kids. Some days teaching felt like that, too.
Yep, when I get that vibe, I just stay as far away as possible. I have learned to listen to my gut. Like my dog, Izzy would do when you think about it. She would do an under-the-breath growl. Then I knew she didn't like that person and most often no one else heard it. Then I stayed clear of that person. She was smarter than me so I listened. L0L
Marty, Ha! So true.
Peggy, I think dogs have a 6th sense about these things. This guy even has the effect on all us humans. I'll be careful to keep my growl in check.
I was a software trainer for years and felt the same way: the greatest joy and the least pleasant part of the job was the clients.
John, I'd bet anyone involved with "customer service" in any capacity would agree.
We are all, mostly, on the same page with regard to dealing with people in our various professions.
At times, I look back on days of enjoyment, other times, I check for any full moon activity on the calendar.
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