<p>When one of mine called for advice when a prof (well actually a grad student instructor) gave this sort of speech, I merely suggested a section or class change. That solved the problem. A lot of colleges have course shopping periods for this very reason.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Anything other than a positive experience, I would opt out. If the prof has enuf kids opting out of class, he may change his approach, or find himself out of a job.</p>
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<p>I guess there has to be some people in this world who just prefer to avoid a challenge. </p>
<p>Seriously, life is full of less than positive experiences that become more so upon reflection. I just feel there is much to be learned from adversity. I simply don’t get the reasoning of the above position. Am I honestly supposed to believe that if there are enough quitters in this world, the world would be a better place?</p>
<p>Just reviewed the OP statement and following posts. Professor stated several facts. Expect a test you can’t answer all or even most questions on. That reminds me of my freshman honors chemistry back when- great to not have a ceiling on tested knowledge and humbling to realize how much there is to know. A low curve doesn’t mean those low scores will mean low grades. And pointing out to freshmen they shouldn’t expect their HS background to yield high grades when so many others have better, college, writing backgrounds is a good warning. No wonder this professor gets high ratings. A student has to calm down and not jumble all of the information together. An abrupt awakening to the realities of college on the first day of classes but better than discovering it when taking the test or getting the first paper back. No reason for other students and the professor to have to slow down to coddle incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>"or find himself out of a job. "</p>
<p>That’s rich. Most faculty have tenure and are nearly bulletproof. If he is bringing in enough research money to fund his lab the last thing he has to worry about is his job. This is not some pre-school where they care what the parents think. The reality is it’s easier to replace a student than a good science faculty member that speaks English.</p>
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<p>I had a professor about whom my friends warned me: he graded by class standing, and only seniors could get As. I couldn’t believe someone would grade like this, I knew I was at the top of my class, and I knew I could do the work, so I took the class anyway. The first exam was an essay exam. He had graded them all before the class period was over. It was easy to do, as all he had to do was determine whether a student was a sophomore, a junior or a senior. I was a sophomore, so I got a C. After I got my paper back, I compared my exam to a junior friend’s exam; I had answered every question correctly. I asked for a meeting with the teacher, showed him how I had answered the questions correctly, and was handed a B (when I deserved an A). Grades mattered; I was planning to go to law school. </p>
<p>I should have dropped the class.</p>
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<p>Agreed. Each of my 5Ds has had at least one prof who fits this description.</p>
<p>Mod–life is too short. There are lots of opportunities for free adversity, you don’t need to be paying $50,000 for hatin’ life.</p>
<p>Barrons- If enuf people opt out of his class, the university will find another place for him. Maybe research, maybe teaching just isn’t his thing.</p>
<p>No, each class has only so many seats and most intro levels fill fast. His class will fill each year because you might not get into another class–if they even have one. And as many said, such an approach is not that uncommon. Many engineering deans greet their freshmen that way. Go rent “Paper Chase”. It’s all an old story.</p>
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Yeah, well, some of those law professors are crusty old characters who demand the best and really force their students to give their best. Others are just obnoxious jerks who take advantage of their protected situation to feed their sadistic need to humiliate people. You may not be able to tell which a particular prof is on the first day, but it becomes clear eventually.</p>
<p>I must be very dense.</p>
<p>What I don’t understand is why a parent is involved with her daughter’s academic experiences at college. I understand “listening” to one’s D about her first day experience, but I don’t understand going even one micron beyond that.</p>
<p>Are you a parent? If so, have you not spoken to your son and/or daughter about their college experiences past the first day? Really?</p>
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<p>If you read my initial post, the urge to call was circumvented by venting on this forum. (actually clarified in a subsequent posting) Wouldn’t the fact that one is active on CC qualify as having gone a micron past just ‘listening’ to our students? Or maybe an open forum is the wrong place to admit to an initial emotional response. I will need to re-evaluate my position - thanks for highlighting the issue.</p>
<p>^^
Yes I’m a parent. And I’m a great listener, and an occasional adviser. But I don’t act on what I learn regarding the anecdotal academic details of the last years of high school and certainly of college – to the point of reaching opinions about teachers and courses that are so strong that I’m ready to do “something” on CC or with the school administration or with the teacher/professor.</p>
<p>Understanding and working out academic issues is what young adults need to learn to work out on their own.</p>
<p>I suggest that she talk to some upperclassmembers who’ve taken the professor’s course and ask them what they learned in the course.</p>
<p>There are some teachers who are very tough, but who are very serious about teaching students what they are supposed to learn in the course. Such profs don’t give easy As for breathing in class. They expect students to learn grammar, and to think critically. Those professors don’t give easy As for ungrammatical b.s.</p>
<p>Wow, everyone is so eager to jump on the bad professor or evil high school teacher. If D is at a solid university my guess is she is surrounded by other very talented students. A “C” in a class means “average”. Being average among a group of talented college students is nothing to look down on. How can everyone be above average at a top school?</p>
<p>As far as AP classes go (I am an AP teacher) students do indeed do rather poorly on the first few exams. This isn’t because “I can"t teach” or because I want to “scare the students”. It’s because the material is at a higher level than what they’re used to. As people who work in a profession that “cares about kids” (and you thought we were just in it for the fat pay check and the tenure) we explain this to them at the beginning so that they know what to expect. When you are pushing a student to reach a new level there are going to be a few rough spots. Students will work to level you expect–after a few “lower than desired” test scores, the kids begin to listen a little harder to how you’re telling them to prepare and begin to analyze things at a deeper level. I always tell the kids that we will go back to their first few tests(I keep them) right before the AP Exam and they will be amazed at how far they have come. I have never had a class not laugh when reviewing those tests (the ones that caused tears and contact from concerned parents)–they always say they can’t believe they were “so dumb” and that those tests were soooo easy! I can guarantee you they all believe (in retrospect) that the tests were completely fair. </p>
<p>BTW–my school (public) requires all students to take the AP exam and we get nearly 100% passing rate with mostly 4’s and 5’s. Those “nice teachers” you all speak of often don’t require more of their students than they already bring to the table–kids feel good, the grades are good, and the teachers NEVER get parent complaints. Oh–the AP scores, just what you would think (mostly 1’s and 2’s, a few 3’s, and a couple of 4’s and 5’s for the naturally gifted). What do the parents say about that-“Oh that test was really hard but my D really learned a lot.”</p>
<p>Teaching seems to be the only profession where other people seem to think it is OK to “give an opinion” on how the job should be done. Do you call the dentist when you don’t like the number of cavities your child has, your banker when the interest rate is too low, the police chief to tell on the officer who pulled you over for something you thought was silly, etc…? Next time you think to complain, think if you would be doing it if the teacher were giving your child an A.</p>
<p>"Yeah, well, some of those law professors are crusty old characters who demand the best and really force their students to give their best. Others are just obnoxious jerks who take advantage of their protected situation to feed their sadistic need to humiliate people. You may not be able to tell which a particular prof is on the first day, but it becomes clear eventually. "</p>
<p>All I say is substitute bosses and you get the same answers. Life ain’t all roses and always fair. Learn to adapt to any situation. Usually crying to the higher ups makes you look like the weakest link and marks you forever as a crybaby. Might as well quit right then. Look at Don Draper. Many times he’s pretty much of an ass to his underlings but nobody is firing Don Draper.</p>
<p>I would have dropped it, like a brick. Type 1 is error safer than Type 2 error, or something like that,</p>
<p>I think there are two issues at play here, a teacher who threw down the gauntlet the first day and whether someone is a good teacher.</p>
<p>The fact that he threw down the gauntlet the first day doesn’t factor one way or the other with me because I’ve seen both. I’ve seen teachers who were like this on the first day and turned out to be bad teachers and teachers who began the first day like this and turned out to be tough teachers but good.</p>
<p>From what dietz has been able to learn this is a teacher who will be tough but good.</p>
<p>As I said, there will always be some people who will take the side of the obnoxious jerk–as if being exposed to obnoxious jerks will toughen you up and help you deal with real life.
While I recognize that life isn’t fair, I think that teachers, bosses, and other authority figures should do their best to be fair, and if they don’t, they don’t deserve respect.</p>