How to handle student frustration

Does the following exchange sound familiar:

Student to teacher:  "Just tell me what you want [fill-in assignment]!"

Teacher back to student:  "I want you to learn something!"

The popular blog columnist ProfHacker at the Chronicle of Higher Ed advises that when students express this sort of frustration with the teacher, we should consider whether something about our teaching has contributed to it.  Monsieur ProfHacker has devised a list of questions to help teachers with self-reflection.  You can read them here.

(jbl).