I really don't hate my students, honestly. I just don't understand why most of them are in college. And I can't really say that things have changed much since I was in college. In fact, because I'm trying to be honest, I have to confess that I was one of those do-nothing, lackluster, class-skipping, excuse-making morons. How I got into graduate school in the first place is one of the great mysteries of my life.
I really don't hate my students. I love teaching statistics, and statistics is my primary responsibility. I love giving lectures. I love having a captive audience for 80 minutes twice a week. Some of my students even enjoy my class. But most of them don't. They hate statistics. They resent the idea of statistics. They feel betrayed that a major program carefully selected to avoid any real science or math requirements forces them to take my class. Therefore, they hate me.
I'm not a terrible instructor. Really, I'm a good instructor. Of course there are a lot of ways I could improve, but I work very hard at my teaching. I try to find really cool data sets to work examples with, involving sex whenever possible. If I can't find a data set about sex, I look for other juicy topics. Race, religion, drugs, paranormal events, violence. As far as my students seem to be concerned, I might as well not bother. "Stick to the examples provided in the textbook, Professor, and let us out early." On one teaching evaluation, someone wrote, "Don't try to explain everything. Just give me the formulas."
Why are these kids in college? How many psychology and sociology majors do we really need?
Sunday, February 27, 2005
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3 comments:
Dear Professor-
I was a lazy slacker student as an undergrad, too. So much so that I finally slipped away from academia for nearly a decade. After years of dead-end jobs, and generally having the world kick the shit out of me, I went back to school a very motivated undergrad, and went on to be a successful graduate student, a successful post-doc and now a successful professional scientist.
I'm not certain what would have happened to me had I schlepped through college the first time. I can say that your students truly don't know how good they have it, with someone who gives a damn whether they get things or not.
I have taught chemistry as an adjunct a few semesters, and I was truly ready to shake the dust off my shoes and never re-enter a classroom. One or two kids got something, though. So I'll sign up for another hitch, glad that I have the safety valve of my industrial job if it gets too much for me. I'm glad there are people like you still plugging away, if only for the one or two motivated students you get.
The reality is that today's students have been brainwashed/programmed into thinking that without a college degree one will be subject to working as a gas-station attendant or plummer or some other supposedly dreadful job.
The truth is that a college education cannot replace, or even, in most cases, inspire, intellectual curiosity. Because one "has to" go these days, it seems - else you'll be unemployable!, scream the media - going to college has become a rote, standard part of growing up, whether or not in actuality it represents a good investment. (In most cases I'd say no.)
This is especially true of liberal arts at the four-year undergraduate university level. It's basically an extension of high school for those not yet ready or able to enter the so-called "real world."
But if you are going to spend four years learning, at least make it count. Perhaps that's the source of your frustration?
I am not a big fan of statistics. Honestly, I have no idea why I'm not a fan of statistics as I have never taken any statistic classes... Anyway, I just wanted to say that a class that used sex examples would definitely be a class worth taking (even if it was statistics :P )
~S
p.s. I thought you might be amused by this. http://www.inklingmagazine.com/articles/the-calculus-of-saying-i-love-you/
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