Results of the Student Note Prompt

The students were far less critical of their peer's work than they were of the substitute teacher's. No surprise there. Most students were hesitant to remark on the notes, either because they may have been one of the authors or because they knew the authors or because they suspected one of the authors was in the room. Student solidarity against teachers trumps almost any desire to demonstrate academic prowess. I was able to coax out some obvious commentary but usually that commentary was delivered deadpan, empty of the blood lust evident as they circled and pummeled the teacher's note. The defense of the student notes is best illustrated by my exchange with one young man who sits in the desk closest to the screen and my normal lecture territory.
"But Mr. Rice, everybody writes like that."
"No they don't"
"Yes they do."
"Not everbody."
"Yeah huh."
"Dude, how old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"How old am I?'
"I don't know, old."
"I'm 45 and I'm here to tell you not everybody writes like that. I'm also here to tell you that if you insist on using chat shorthand, misspelling simple words, and fumbling your sentence construction outside the small world you now inhabit you will be considered . . . class?"
"AN IDIOT."
"Thank you class."