I just need to vent this and get a little sympathy. Thanks for listening, and I apologize if this language offends anyone, but...
my A&P Lab T.A. totally SUCKS!
I am doing quite well memorizing the names of the structures and stuff, but in the lab practical, trying to identifying the structures on the bones, I didn't do so well. I lay part of the blame for this on the teaching assistant for my class.
It seems to me that part of a teacher's job is to...er, teach. In other words, take the material and organize it or develop it in some way that makes it easier to understand and learn. My TA just photocopies the illustrations from the lab book, projects them as Powerpoint illustrations, and points out the labeled structures: "And this is the scapula. Here is the acromion process." Excuse me, but I can figure that out myself from the book! What I need from the TA is insight into how to differentiate between a tubercle and a tuberosity, for example. In fact, when I asked him for this, specifically, in class, he replied, "It's just one of those things you have to memorize." Say WHAT?!
Furthermore, this TA doesn't give any type of lab assignments -- nothing to integrate the in-lab experience with the book learning. It's basically just an "open lab" session every week. I have tried asking him questions in the lab, but instead of showing me HOW to figure out the answer, he just gives me the answer outright. That doesn't help me learn the material.
I am very frustrated with this situation. Because of my work schedule, I can't go to any of the other lab sessions (with different and better TAs), so I am stuck with this guy. It's not that I'm afraid I'll fail the class (I won't); it's that I really WANT and NEED to learn this stuff, and I'm not. I am learning as much as I can on my own, but if I could learn it all myself, there'd be no use in having a CLASS, would there?
You might expect that the graduate student assigned to teach an A&P lab would be involved in some sort of research involving the human structure, wouldn't you. Well, at my school, you'd be wrong. The TA for this class is an ECOLOGY student, writing his dissertation on some sort of microbial ecology. Why does the university assign someone with no interest in A&P to teach the lab for this very important class? I feel all he's interested in is taking home his paycheck. I'm not sure what the university is interested in, that they would foist this guy upon us poor student schmucks.
Sorry for the long rant, but this has really been bugging me. I feel I'm being cheated out of a big part of my pre-nursing knowledge. I am putting everything I have into this class, but I need some support from my teachers. It's especially frustrating to ask for very specific help and be told, basically, "You're on your own."
I want to stress that I don't expect the teacher to do my learning for me. Not at all. As I said, I am studying very hard and made an A on the A&P lecture test, and I do very well on the lab quizzes. But I need some help organizing the terminology and relating it to the physical elements in the lab. I think I should be able to rely on my teacher for help with this.
Thank you for listening. I feel better now and, hopefully, will be able to sleep better tonight!
Specializes in Freelance Writer, 'the nurse who knows content'.
Thanks to everyone for their words of empathy and advice. I appreciate it.
I disagree with those who read my post as a refusal to take responsibility for my own learning. That is not the case at all. However, learning is a "team" pursuit, and instructors are part of that team. No student should settle for instructors who refuse to be part of the learning team.
I say this from the position of one who has taught and served as an administrator in academe. I also say this as someone who consulted various science professors on campus to discover if my feelings about my TA were unreasonable. They said my expectations were not unreasonable and that I should complain to the biology department, which I will once the semester ends.
Consider this: on the first lab practical exam, I scored a 79. Not very good by my personal standards. However, the MEAN score on the practical was 36. Does this say the majority of the 91 students who took the test were lazy and refusing to take responsibility for their learning? No. It says the instructors are doing an extremely poor job at facilitating learning in the class.
I have decided to buy some anatomy flashcards, continue doing well on the class tests, and not worry very much about the lab. I have to adopt this attitude for academic survival. It saddens me, though, because I really WANT to learn this material better, and the only way to do that is through the labs. At the very least, I certainly feel this lab isn't preparing me for my future work as an RN and, later, an NP or CRNA. And isn't preparing the student the main goal of education? Apparently not at my university.
I did not read your post as a refusal to take responsibility. I shared my mindset as 'anything the instructor brings to the table is bonus and me being responsible to learn the material' as an alternative way of looking at the situation to reduce stress. Is it right? No. Is it how it should be? No. Is it the way it is? Yes.
Perhaps I have a different viewpoint because before returning to college I was self-employed as a business owner for almost 10 years. When you are self-employed, nobody explains anything to you. You figure out everything yourself. Perhaps thats why despite the Algebra-instructor-from-hell I am delighted that I can go for tutoring at my college. I am delighted that my textbook came with a CD-ROM that I can self-teach somewhat with.
It's just a different perspective. Thing is, we will have varying degrees of instructors from fabulous to horrid. In the end unless you withdraw from the class, it's on you.
Also, even with excellent professors there is a high withdraw/fail rate in
A&P. It serves as a weeder class to skim out those who cannot or will not be successful in nursing/medicine/allied health.
I know I probably sound like a hard a$$. Really, I'm not. I wince at some of the descriptions regarding your prof. So I do have sympathy. But if this is the worst prof you will have in college, you are doing great.
Your A&P TA may not be good at anatomy, which is probably why he/she isn't a very good teacher. Check out the A&P threads in this forum, the first page of both of them have TONS of links that help. Google picture search for pictures of all the different bones. I've always used lab as a resource more than a learn all place.
It is really unfortunate that your instructor can't even answer questions for you.
Thanks to everyone for their words of empathy and advice. I appreciate it.
I disagree with those who read my post as a refusal to take responsibility for my own learning. That is not the case at all. However, learning is a "team" pursuit, and instructors are part of that team. No student should settle for instructors who refuse to be part of the learning team.
I say this from the position of one who has taught and served as an administrator in academe. I also say this as someone who consulted various science professors on campus to discover if my feelings about my TA were unreasonable. They said my expectations were not unreasonable and that I should complain to the biology department, which I will once the semester ends.
Consider this: on the first lab practical exam, I scored a 79. Not very good by my personal standards. However, the MEAN score on the practical was 36. Does this say the majority of the 91 students who took the test were lazy and refusing to take responsibility for their learning? No. It says the instructors are doing an extremely poor job at facilitating learning in the class.
I have decided to buy some anatomy flashcards, continue doing well on the class tests, and not worry very much about the lab. I have to adopt this attitude for academic survival. It saddens me, though, because I really WANT to learn this material better, and the only way to do that is through the labs. At the very least, I certainly feel this lab isn't preparing me for my future work as an RN and, later, an NP or CRNA. And isn't preparing the student the main goal of education? Apparently not at my university.
I don't think we were saying you aren't taking responsibility for your learning. I think a lot of us have had similar experiences and are just saying that it is fairly common and that you just have to find a way to make it work. the supplemental resources really helped us, also finding a few students who are doing well in lab and working with them is always a good idea. Our nursing program has a lot of "self-pacing" involved so i think we were being prepared for that. We may not always agree with the teaching method but it is what we've got. Just remember. This too shall pass! It is only a year and you will make it through!
You might also check to see if your textbook has a website. Mine has one with animations, reviews, illustrations, and quizzes.
I can't imagine having an instructor who cannot explain the concepts other than to just read the text out loud. Actually, I can. I had one in high school English. What a frustrating year.
I'm feeling very grateful for my A & P instuctor right now. She knows how to explain things in a way that is easy to understand and doesn't mind if we ask questions as long as we demonstrate that we're motivated and keeping up our end of the bargain by studying and learning on our own as well.
Elizabeth Hanes, BSN, RN
14 Articles; 297 Posts
Thanks to everyone for their words of empathy and advice. I appreciate it.
I disagree with those who read my post as a refusal to take responsibility for my own learning. That is not the case at all. However, learning is a "team" pursuit, and instructors are part of that team. No student should settle for instructors who refuse to be part of the learning team.
I say this from the position of one who has taught and served as an administrator in academe. I also say this as someone who consulted various science professors on campus to discover if my feelings about my TA were unreasonable. They said my expectations were not unreasonable and that I should complain to the biology department, which I will once the semester ends.
Consider this: on the first lab practical exam, I scored a 79. Not very good by my personal standards. However, the MEAN score on the practical was 36. Does this say the majority of the 91 students who took the test were lazy and refusing to take responsibility for their learning? No. It says the instructors are doing an extremely poor job at facilitating learning in the class.
I have decided to buy some anatomy flashcards, continue doing well on the class tests, and not worry very much about the lab. I have to adopt this attitude for academic survival. It saddens me, though, because I really WANT to learn this material better, and the only way to do that is through the labs. At the very least, I certainly feel this lab isn't preparing me for my future work as an RN and, later, an NP or CRNA. And isn't preparing the student the main goal of education? Apparently not at my university.