Fostering independence or the cult of the individual?

I just found this draft post from 2012....
I will post it  - because for me, the most poignant part is the juggling early years motherhood and full time work - I can still feel the exhaustion as I write - no wonder I didn't post for another 2 years. Some things just get put on hold


enjoy my half point and distracted observations .....

Yes, it is 5am. Baby woke at 3.30 and after a bottle, calpol, cry, dad getting up to sooth and put back to sleep I couldn't return to slumber.  something to do with the alarm set for 5.30 anyway.
I've been thinking about a phrase that my good friend GL-G uses often in her teaching "the cult of the individual" used to describe final year students who are so wrapped up in their goals to succeed and their busy lives that they often miss a message given out to a large group. Whilst apparently part of a homgenous group of students the individual only picks out the message that she/he feels is relevant at that current time. In real terms this means that you may give a message or direction to a group, either in person to a class or via ( a much loved by universities) a VLE site, such a weblearn.  The student sifts the message to only hear part, and once their situation changes will then email with the question again.  when asked were they in the lecture or have they check the website, set answer is yes but I didn't see / hear the information.  this may also be followed by a hollow apology.  My point here, is not to complain about the students and not even to suggest that they check the website etc,but more about why are they not picking up points that are raised by their lecturer?
1.  distractions -mobile phones, ipads etc
2.  confidence, either lack of, or misguided to think that they know this already OR they aren't the ones that are going to do this well enough to engage with the rest of the class.
3. self centred and individualistic - may seem like a harsh observation, however I have increasingly overheard phrases such as "it's my degree and I've got to put myself first." "no one else is going to look out for me"

draw your own conclusions (2014)