<p>Confessions</a> of a Harvardholic: Blame it on the TFs</p>
<p>Blame it on the TFs</p>
<p>It's the most wonderful time of the year- the season of holidays, winter vacations, and Harvard course evaluations!</p>
<p>As I reflect on the past few semesters of college, I can't help but think that my overall academic experience has been far from superb. Not that I haven't done well on my transcript (which I suppose is the typical yardstick), but I had such high intellectual expectations upon entering Harvard, that only a couple courses really came through for me substantively. And I don't think that I'm the only one who feels slightly disappointed. Maybe it's because junior tutorials have yet to kick in, or that many of my intellectual interests align with that of the student body majority (Social Studies, Government, Economics- the 3 largest concentrations), but I think that it's fair to say that teaching fellows can make or break one's class experience...and with the TFs at Harvard, it's hit or miss.</p>
<p>A friend of mine from a top tiered liberal arts college, recently teased me about Harvard's reliance on TFs. He joked, "That's what you get for choosing the top brand name university." And admittedly, there is legitimacy to his remark. I remember being warned back in the days of college visiting that Harvard undergrads were simply put, not the center of the university's attention. Unlike at smaller colleges where the college is all that really matters (and oftentimes, all that exists), many professors at Harvard are primarily graduate school teachers- the undergraduate courses which they teach are purely asked of them, not so much of a personal passion.</p>
<p>Even if the professor is genuinely passionate about educating undergrad students, more often than not he or she is entirely inaccessible; professors wield an army of TFs or tutorial leaders to do the real work- formulate essay prompts, organize exams, grade assignments, and lead discussions in smaller sections (translation: actually teach the class). As such, for many of our Core courses and concentration-required lectures, we have the lovely opportunity to work closely with TFs. Sadly, this frequently involves an adverse effect on the quality of our education.</p>
<p>Of course, TF selection is supposedly a competitive and rigorous process, especially in today's age when money is hard to come by. But how does that explain the TFs and tutorial leaders that can barely speak English, don't know how to promote dialogue, or seriously lack a firm grasp of the course material/curriculum? There's a critical distinction between one's understanding of course material and one's capacity to coherently articulate it. There's a difference between being able to lecture at students versus leading a discussion between students. And yet department administrators often dismiss these nuanced particularities.</p>
<p>Yes, there are certain TFs with the perfect balance of all of the above and thankfully, I've been lucky enough to have a couple of these teachers. But then again, there are grad students being hired as TFs despite limited to zero past teaching experience. Some TFs are teaching courses in fields that they have no previous knowledge in. Consequently, you have Gov. PhD candidates specializing in Latin America teaching about Africa, Ec. teachers with such thick accents that they're incomprehensible, and tutorial leaders who are too stubborn to listen to students' opinions (or are overly open that they don't correct/clarify contradictory interpretations).</p>
<p>I'm not so naive to think that we can all have fabulous, life-changing teachers. But as students, we have the responsibility to change the academic settings that make us unhappy. So if you grudgingly think that your TF is boring, incompetent, etc. then step in and push the discussion along yourself. And let's be honest, TFs aren't exactly facing the easiest of circumstances with us overcommitted, busy Harvard students. Consider some of the lecture courses for which half of us don't show up to class and most of the time, we're not doing the assigned readings. We do the minimal work possible to get an A.</p>
<p>I suppose then, with students only attending sections in order to get a passing grade, it shouldn't be surprising that class discussions aren't always enthralling and captivating; in other words, TFs are often confronted with frustrated, disinterested students that certainly don't make their lives of teaching any easier. My point is, although we may be stuck with incompetent and unqualified TFs here and there, we might as well make the most of it, i.e. immerse yourself into the aspects of the course that don't make you frustrated as hell! Hopefully, the course material...</p>