how to deal with a bad teacher?

<p>I</p>

<p>I’m in a tough situation right now so I’m hoping someone can help. There is this teacher who is one of the most uncaring, meanest person I have ever met. He always seems to be in a bad mood and constantly talks down to students. He yells at you if you ask a question (I mean literally yell at you). He’s extremely unhelpful and appears to be annoyed or angry if you don’t understand something. This guy rushes through the material, which makes it difficult to learn it. I’ve went to his office several times but continues to raise his voice and doesn’t seem to care at all. He makes students feel stupid whenever they ask for clarification. One time I asked him to explain something he talked about right after class ended, and he just looked at me with such an angry expression and raised his voice at me like I <em>*ed him off or something. He immediately walked out the door without making sure I understood what he was saying and giving me a chance to ask him any more questions. I really think he has some kind of mental problem. A lot of students I’ve talked to say he’s an a</em>*hole. One time he said to the whole class “I’ll break your knee caps if any oif you confuse Newton’s 1st and 3nd laws again!” He’s made several statements like this before. </p>

<p>On ratemyprofessor.com he has over 40 ratings and everyone of them has rated him very poorly (all blue faces) and have negative comments. So apparently I’m not the only one who thinks he’s a bad teacher. In fact, I never met a worse teacher in my whole life, ever. This is the hardest class I am taking. I really want to do well in the class, but it’s hard when the teacher doesn’t help. </p>

<p>I’m seriously considering withdrawing, but I hope I won’t have to resort to that because I don’t want to get a w on my transcript and I sincerely want to learn the subject, which is a requirement for my major. He really sucks at teaching. I and many other students didn’t do well on the 1st test, but he doesn’t seem to care whether he is teaching the material well and clearly. What do you think I do? I really want to succeed in the class and learn the subject but he is very harsh and unhelpful. This guy should seriously be fired. I’m thinking about going to his office again but I’m afraid he’ll just yell at me with his condescending attitude. I’m honestly very shocked by his behavior. Anyway, what would you do if you were in my situation?</p>

<p>You're going to get more than 1 bad college professor. This is completely normal and should be expected so don't complain too much about it. You can do better than all the other students in the class and the curve should give you a good grade. He can't fail everyone. If you're not capable of that, try to buddy up with someone doing well in the class and work with him/her. If you're not very social, then try to get books from the library on the material and learn it yourself. If that doesn't work, go to the tutoring center or ask TAs for help. If that doesn't work, then you might have to drop the class and take it again with another professor. That's the most direct and no nonsense answer I can think of.</p>

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This is completely normal and should be expected so don't complain too much about it.

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<p>I don't know what college you attend, but such behavior is unacceptable here, and I am shocked that students regard it as normal at other schools.</p>

<p>The threat of violence is enough to lodge a complaint...if you are afraid of being hurt for even asking a question students need to say something</p>

<p>Are you allowed to record lectures? If so, start doing it</p>

<p>This guy is a bully</p>

<p>In the meantime, start a study group to help each other out...it can do wonders</p>

<p>A bad teacher is not normal or good. Make an appt NOW to the dean of the college, and take some people with you. If you complain before the class is over it does a few things. It lets them send someone to observe the class, or replace the instructor (it is possible people have complained in the past and he was warned to shape up). And it stops them from dismissing your complaint as "sour grapes" over a low grade. Taking others with you shows that it isn't just you having an issue here.</p>

<p>Nogarder is on to something, though. As opposed to a history course that can emphasize whatever the prof thinks is important, in science classes the material is the same no matter where it is taught (eg. laws of motion, torque, etc). So invest $20 and buy a book called the "Physics Problem Solver" which has hundreds of worked examples on all the topics in 1st year physics. Read your assigned chapter and try to understand it, then turn to the section in the Problem Solver dealing with the topic and start working on problems with the answer covered. If you get it wrong then study the answer, cover it back up, and repeat until you get them right. You should be spending 3 hours outside of class for every hour inside class. Spend 2 of those hours doing problems from this book and I guarantee you that you'll learn the material and be able to answer any test question.</p>

<p>I've never had a professor as bad as the one described by the OP, but I have had some pretty bad professors. I attend a highly ranked school and I can say that bad professors exist everywhere.</p>

<p>What school are you at?</p>

<p>He refuses to curve at all. Yet he doesn’t seem to care that more than half the class is failing. There are no TAs I can go to for help. I have been going to the tutoring center quite frequently and that does help a bit. I even gotten some books for self-study since his lectures are useless. I’ll also get the book recommended to me (thanks mikemac). But it’s not so much that he doesn’t teach well that bothers me (I wouldn’t be even complaining about him if that was the only problem), it’s the way he treats his students. </p>

<p>I think people are afraid to say anything. He doesn’t hesitate to take points off your exam if you question him. The students I’ve talked to say they’re scared that he may grade even more harshly. Most of us are very intimated by him. It’s kind of ironic because he doesn’t look very intimidating by his appearance – he’s just a short, old, balding man – but he has very big temper and a tendency to bark at anyone. I really have a hard time seeing his behavior as “normal.” Why should it be expected for a teacher to constantly yell at, insult, and humiliate his students? </p>

<p>In all my years of schooling, I never encountered a problem with a teacher before, but this guy is a different story. He seems to hate being asked a question. I’m paying for his salary so I expect him to teach me and answer my questions clearly and act in a professional manner. I feel like I wasted my money since I have to basically teach myself everything, but it wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t so mean and hostile. Overall, I think the way he presents himself and treats students is just plain wrong.</p>

<p>Next time you should check with ratemyprofessors prior to signing up for the class. Surely administration will notice tht there is one required class that seems to be empty semester after semester.</p>

<p>I actually did go to the site before I registered and was well aware of the ratings. I would have definitely taken someone else if I could. But he was the only one teaching this particular class this semester since it is out of sequence (I was suppose to take it last semester but all the classes were filled), so I had absolutely no other choice but to take him. Everyone else I’ve spoken to also say that they would never had taken this teacher if they could have taken someone else.</p>

<p>First, always stare them dead in the eye when they talk to you, show them you are not afraid of them.
Second, get their respect, question their ideas and show them you are thinking.
Third, never ever obviously show that you hate them, dont cus or back talk to them.
Fourth, talk ONLY when you need to, let him tlak all he wants.</p>

<p>If all fails...</p>

<p>say he molested you.</p>

<p>OP, please think of dropping off a note to the department head. Also, do not use the argument that you are personally paying his wages...prof's hate that student as consumer mentality.</p>