How not to teach
Dude. Okay, there's this class I'm taking this semester - psycholinguistics/sociolinguistics, and I think that from the beginning the teacher decided he didn't really want to have to do much, since he's not getting his contract renewed for the Fall.
In a way, I don't blame him, since he's gotten dicked around by the department: they didn't tell him he wasn't being kept on until everyone already pretty much knew, since they were interviewing other candidates for the position, and they never told him why he wasn't being kept. There are certain things I really like about him - he makes sure his students get involved in professional organizations, provides really good, current supplemental readings for his classes, and is a really good mediator when students have problems with bureaucracy or other issues in the program.
However, last semester, the two classes I took from him were probably 80% group work, which I hate. I don't believe that students should have to teach each other, for reasons which should be obvious, but are being contested in a lot of trendy educational literature (collaborative learning, etc.). This semester is even worse. The first day of class, he passed around a sign-up sheet and told us to sign up for which dates we wanted to teach class. The students are teaching the entire class, which is not really what I'm paying for. I suppose it's teaching experience, but I'd prefer to be teaching people who know less than I do, and I'd like to be taught by someone who knows more than I do. I know, I'm old-fashioned that way.
Even so, that's not what's really irritating me. From the beginning of the semester, the schedule was set for who was teaching when. Naturally, I planned out my April 25th class several weeks ago, complete with an outline and PowerPoint presentation (okay, not PowerPoint, but Word. Still). Today, April 10th, I get an email from the instructor notifying me that I will be team-teaching with someone else, and we should get together so we can figure out how to do it. Well, pardon the slut* out of me, but couldn't I have been told this sooner? Before I did all the work, perhaps?
*note: I haven't read** the rules for posting, so I'm not sure whether or not I'm allowed to use profanity.
**Yes, I'm aware that I probably signed something saying that I did.
In a way, I don't blame him, since he's gotten dicked around by the department: they didn't tell him he wasn't being kept on until everyone already pretty much knew, since they were interviewing other candidates for the position, and they never told him why he wasn't being kept. There are certain things I really like about him - he makes sure his students get involved in professional organizations, provides really good, current supplemental readings for his classes, and is a really good mediator when students have problems with bureaucracy or other issues in the program.
However, last semester, the two classes I took from him were probably 80% group work, which I hate. I don't believe that students should have to teach each other, for reasons which should be obvious, but are being contested in a lot of trendy educational literature (collaborative learning, etc.). This semester is even worse. The first day of class, he passed around a sign-up sheet and told us to sign up for which dates we wanted to teach class. The students are teaching the entire class, which is not really what I'm paying for. I suppose it's teaching experience, but I'd prefer to be teaching people who know less than I do, and I'd like to be taught by someone who knows more than I do. I know, I'm old-fashioned that way.
Even so, that's not what's really irritating me. From the beginning of the semester, the schedule was set for who was teaching when. Naturally, I planned out my April 25th class several weeks ago, complete with an outline and PowerPoint presentation (okay, not PowerPoint, but Word. Still). Today, April 10th, I get an email from the instructor notifying me that I will be team-teaching with someone else, and we should get together so we can figure out how to do it. Well, pardon the slut* out of me, but couldn't I have been told this sooner? Before I did all the work, perhaps?
*note: I haven't read** the rules for posting, so I'm not sure whether or not I'm allowed to use profanity.
**Yes, I'm aware that I probably signed something saying that I did.
posted by jessica rabbit at 10:32 PM
1 Comments:
Good to know. I wish you would stop bringing, er, THAT up, though.
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