thru a croc darkly

[nuncstans]

I don't blame students for not knowing things. Basic grammar, major genocides, how to dress themselves. What drives me absolutely crazy is their attitude of automatic disinterest bordering on scorn for anything they don't already know

Comments

[nuncstans]

sure

[nuncstans]

GOD that was depressing. And also something I think about every day. And I wonder why I can't always buck up.

[pomo_drunkard]

These occasional missives that you post go a long way in reinforcing my decision to leave university without pursuing my dream of becoming a professor.

[nuncstans]

Well...

I really can't think of something to say to that, other than COWARD. Seriously, come to the land where students think you're their employee because they're paying for college. Gotta love capitalism.

[hunterxtc]

Good to see you back posting again! So what was this difficult text that the students had such a hard time with? And these are still undergrads...? Is this a first year Lit class?

Do you have a nice office or is it a little box of a place that I see so many profs have?

[nuncstans]

Yes, it's a first-year lit class and yes they're very much undergrads. It's actually a nice office though.

[enemyalien]

nice offices are great! Despite the fact I'm still an ABD "lecturer" peon, I'm thrilled that I have my own office, with windows, air conditioning, office computer and printer, bookshelves which actually fit most of my crap, etc. etc

[astronomick]

Once upon a time, before I came to New York and didn’t get around to leaving, I was starting graduate school and thinking about what I would do in these kinds of situations. There was a part of me that desired to really make students work or else send them down screaming. I personally appreciated some professors who were like that, but these days it seems like such an approach wouldn’t do anyone any good, and would possibly get the professor sent to tyrant jail. On the flip side I figured I’d just have an anything goes attitude, where I would concentrate on whoever actually did want to learn and hand out cookies or something to everyone else. So many students feel like they are only in a class because they are forced to be. They need this college degree to earn the bucks that will allow them to participate in the American Way. Because that’s their right, to enjoy the spoils of the American Way. No matter what other ways might exist, or how this particular Way came about in the first place, or what consequences arise form its Pursuit

[nuncstans]

Right, and that's sort of my problem with this whole situation. I pretty much belonged to the anything-goes school of teaching in the past, traumatized as I was by mean, controlling teachers who were working out their issues on the world around them. [DO I HEAR GUM? IS EVERYONE LAUGHING AT ME?]

But there comes a time when it's like, what the fuck am I doing here? Did the King hire me as a tutor for the princess? because I wasn't aware that a college degree had become a pure business investment of $x per year for 4 years after which you automatically had more cultural capital. I thought there was at least a semblance of work involved.

[nuncstans]

Seriously. I was scared of teachers.

[mjmj]

Your English teachers must have loved you (no, not because of your fear -- because of your writing).