Can a teacher do this?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Ok so I had a midterm yesterday. I have been studying for a little over two weeks straight for this example. I would go over the material she has posted online (she likes to do everything on power int) she also just does her lectures based on the power point. She gives us a little extra info during the class but nothing more then a page of notes. So I went over the stuff she gave us, I used the practice quiz online over and over and looked a things online and bit of the text book. I went into the test feeling pretty good and confidant I knew the material. When I got the test I was shocked to discover that the questions were in far more detail that she went in class. It was beyond the notes she gave us... We had several questions that ask you to put things in particulate order.... Like lots of them which I found strange because we didn't have much time.I'm aware this probably sounds like I'm whining but, I found myself rushing through the test because I was running out of time. I had to guess on so many questions because I couldn't read them all. I finished two minutes before she said pencils down. When I looked up, there was probably 30 or 40 % of the class that still hadn't finished. I asked other people what they thought and they thought the test was outrageous as well... I guess I could be whining but I keep thinking if I'm paying good money for tuition, and not being out in a situation she I'm being taught material I'm going to be tested on... It doesn't seem fair!Can anything be done about this?

Specializes in Emergency, ICU.
wow clearly no one on the board can read what I actually said.

No, you clearly don't get what everyone is trying to tell you.

You cannot read the textbook "a bit" in nursing school and certainly not in A&P. This is the meat of your knowledge, so you need to buckle up and know that book in and out.

I still can conjure up the graphics in my A&P book when I think of certain biological functions, like my textbook's depiction of the coagulation cascade or myocardial muscle contractions.

I'm sure if you read your class syllabus in detail, you will find what chapters you need to be reading before each lecture.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

Yes, the teacher can do that, and no there isn't anything you can do about it other than change your study habits and be better prepared for the next challenge. We all understand you were handed a setback and were caught off guard. It happens, and it is frustrating. You have our condolences, we have all been there. What you are failing to appreciate is that we do comprehend, and we are still holding you accountable, and not the teacher. You need to change up your preparation if you want to be successful next go round.

OR-If you want to start over, make a new thread and we can all promise to vilify the teacher and take your side unconditionally. You may still do poorly on the next exam and we will not have really done you any favors, but if that is the outcome you prefer I suppose we could go that route...

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

It is true that you, as an adult learner, are responsible for your learning. You are responsible for the grade you earned on the test. Period.

That said, the teacher is the facilitator of learning in the classroom environment.

I would be interested to know how well the class as a whole performed on this exam and content material. If the entire class performed poorly, then the teacher is not being very effective as a facilitator of learning and needs to reassess her teaching methods.

It is never fair to students to test at a level that is higher than what is addressed in the lecture. For instance, if the teacher has application-level questions on the exam, then the teacher needs to give examples of application (and perhaps some practice application questions) during the lecture.

And, with reams and reams of material to go over, the student needs to be given some sort of direction as to what is most important. An effective facilitator of learning will give students that direction and will also provide some sort of study guide or review to help them effectively study for the test.

I would advise you to be proactive as an adult learner and make an appointment to see your professor for a one-on-one session in her office. During this time, ask your teacher what is the best method to study for her exams.

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An effective facilitator of learning will give students that direction and will also provide some sort of study guide or review to help them effectively study for the test.

I would advise you to be proactive as an adult learner and make an appointment to see your professor for a one-on-one session in her office. During this time, ask your teacher what is the best method to study for her exams.

Exactly. Talk with your professor about it. I've heard many people complain about a professor's teaching or tests but never actually go and talk to the professor to ask for help. My professors have always made it clear from Day One what is expected of us. Some have said that test questions will come from the text and not from lecture, and others have said that they will not test on anything they have not taken the time to explain in class. I'm sorry that your professor wasn't up front with you, but now is the time to go and talk to your professor, ask for help, and change your study habits to adjust.

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Our fundamentals teacher regularly issues exams that make the whole class collectively go "*****?? We never even talked about that!" And when we had our class reps (who meet with the instructors once a month as our liasons) speak with her about it, we were given the reply that a lot of people here have said to you...that she is able to cover maybe 25% of what's in the book during class and the rest is up to us to know and read for ourselves. They put out a syllabus with reading assignments for a reason, and I DO the reading...I read the whole chapter, as painfully long as they sometimes are, before AND AFTER a lecture. It's the people in my class who just gloss over the textbook stuff or don't read it at all who are floundering.

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Hey gang, I wanted to thank everyone for their responses, even the ones that came of cold, believe me I get it. *sighI really don't mind constructive criticism just some responses didn't seem to help, and I was kind of wondering why someone would say that to someone if they knew and had gone brought the same experience.I realized considering the circumstances I am being a moron for not going over the text book more. I am aware there can only be so much coverage in a class.However my frustration with this situation is NOT because we didn't cover the material in class but she didn't direct us in what we needed to review. Like I said I'm more than willing to do be work but if I am not informed of what I need to know how can one possibly do well especially since there is so much material?When I started this course I was freaking out because I wasn't doing well no matter how hard I tried in the practice quizzes we have access to. I emailed her asking how I can do well in this course and her reply was, unless I'm asking a direct question she isn't going to help me. The. Informed me to go talk to a ta.The material is very hard and all I wanted is a fair chance.... I don't think I will end up passing this class because all we have are 2 midterms and 1 final and no other work to help raise the mark and I'm not so sure I will be able to recover. Time to suck it up and try again I suppose. Just wish I didn't feel so hopeless after all the hard work.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

You are still stuck on the fact that "she didn't direct you in what you needed to review". People have told you over and over in this thread that YOU need to be responsible for knowing it all, your instructor is NOT going to tell you what you need to review because she expects you to review it all. Ergo, ALL of it is fair game on the exam. Yes, there IS a lot of material. Yes, this IS a lot to know in nursing. All of which you are responsible for learning about.

I'm sorry you think that not all of the responses you received were not helpful, but if seems to me that you are still not getting what 99% of the posters were (and still are) trying to tell you. How this can still be the instructors fault eludes me.

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well personally a lot of instructors have been doing this lately. They just stand up there lecture with powerpoints and students copy down everything and just study the powerpoints and ignore the readings assigned and complain. Always read what is assigned because majority of the questions are from there and explain the lectures in more detail where it will help you understand your test questions better. In the end its always the students responsiblity to read the required material, I bet half of your classmates have just studied the powerpoint and thats why they felt like that. overall just use the powerpoints to guide you in the right directions of what to study and you will be fine.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

When you write the NCLEX do you think it will be based on just what your instructor put on her power points? No. It will be based on all of it.

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However my frustration with this situation is NOT because we didn't cover the material in class but she didn't direct us in what we needed to review. Like I said I'm more than willing to do be work but if I am not informed of what I need to know how can one possibly do well especially since there is so much material?

You got a course syllabus at the beginning of the course, right? With all the readings for the semester listed, by the days they're assigned? That's how you know what you need to know and need to review for exams.

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What is it you feel we are missing?

That it's the teachers fault, she did nothing wrong, etc.

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Before you said it I guessed this might be AP. this is my hell right now. The only study guide I get is "the start of chapter x to the end of chapter x" So 350 pages and anything is fair game?! Okie gotcha. So I live at my kitchen table. I study on my lunch break and my 2 15 minute breaks. I have put in 100s of hours (1) bc my prof only reads ppt and does very little instruction and (2) I need to not just be able to regurgitate it but also need to really understand it. So I am, in essence, teaching myself Ap (w the help of YouTube!). Sucks but what other choice is there? All that to say, I get you - it's frustrating as hell. I'd kill for a study guide! But I know there won't be one coming so I keep trucking. You can do this, OP, just over study. Study so hard you could teach the class. And when all else fails, be glad there are only a few weeks left in the semester!!

Ps: I have a bachelors and part of a masters. I have been a perpetual student, I feel like. Professors like this make me want to pull my hair out!!!! There are many many out there that are awesome and give guidance and this one you have now will make you appreciate the awesome ones even more :) good luck!

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