Well, it's time to shake things up a little.

No, not here on Xanga--you all know I'm incapable of that.  

I'm talking about my graduate level Stats class which meets tomorrow night for the final time this semester. 

The students are expecting: 1) To get a final lecture on regression procedures, 2) Turn in their project, and 3) Get a final exam. 

Instead, I'm going to 1) Give them a summary in-class exercise on regression (students: *boo*) , 2) Make them present their projects impromptu instead of merely turning them in for grading (students:*hiss* and *double-boo*) , 3) Give them the "actual" final test as a spot token oral quiz (no or only minimal grade point impact) without telling them up front that it was to be the final test or that I'm weighing the quiz as a participation instrument only (students: *eyes of dagger-glare* *tears of disbelief* and *promises to hiss and boo on my grave*) , and as the coup de grace, 4) Give them all the option of taking an actual final or doubling up their midterm grade.  Tough one.  Seeing that all 8 of them got *A*'s on the midterm, that could be a real tough one to decide (students: *eyes of dagger-glare melt in plowshares of awakening affection*  *tears of disbelief are muted with heart murmurs of relief*) , and, of course, 5) Wish them all a happy remaining summer vacation and watch them dance out of class in merriment with the realization that they successfully survived the dreaded Stats requirement.

Am I revealing my hand here?  Could possibly some of my students be monitoring my blog?  And, if so, will this stated intent of mine let the students maneuver effortlessly to seize the day with ludicrous advantage? 

If so, I have two further questions for them to ponder: 1) How much confidence (statistical or otherwise) do you have in my predictability based on this blog? and 2) Do you feel lucky? (to be read with a Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry intonation)