A&P nightmare!!!

Nurses General Nursing

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I need some advice on what to do. I just started a summer A&P class and just wrapped up the 2nd week. I am wondering if I should drop it and here's why.

The teacher is very condesending and has no problems espousing her political and other views before the whole class. She doesn't foster a positive learning environment.

The first night of class, the was very upfront in telling my class of 20 that she predicted half of us to drop or quit in the first 3 weeks. She went on to say that the class was too big and that we should be prepared to teach ourselves because unless the class thins out, we would not be getting much attention. Not only that, on the first 3 nights of class, she has gone on and on about telling us how we can still get our money back if we drop the course now.

Her grading method is a total departure from the other teachers at the college. She doesn't seem to want to see us succeed like the other teachers we have had. I feel that our first quiz was set up to weed out students - I, as well as 2/3 of the class didn't pass. Apparently, we were not specific enough in our answers. After we got our quizzes back, the teacher said, "It's only going to get harder! You can still back out of the class."

I find this very frustrating as I am a very good student who wants to learn. What kind of teaching method is this? I appreciate it when an instructor is upfront about the level of difficulty of a class, but this lady seems to be out for blood! I was so excited about taking this course and now I dread going. What's worse is that she is scheduled to teach the class in Fall, too! I was hoping there would be a way to test out by taking a Clep or something, but, no such luck.

There are 10 weeks left and I am unsure If I should stick it out or regroup and take it in the Fall. Any advice would be appreciated!

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AHH! That sounds really terrible ... if you schedule allows I'd drop & research professors to find one that is better for next semester. If you're getting a really bad vibe from her, it may be the best choice. The first time I took A&P I had a really BAD professor that made everything sooooooo hard, I dropped & took it w/ a professor with a really good reputation and it was GREAT and I learned so much and believe or not it was fun! If you schedule doesn't allow, you'll just have to stick it out, BUT if you can drop and start over. That's my two cents ; )

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Not trying to scare you off, but it sounds like this lady is trying to prepare you for nursing school. Most of the stuff you just discussed happened to us our first semester of nursing school.

In order to succeed you have to have a sponge brain and VERY thick skin. Stick with it, study your butt off, and do the very best you can. I only wish my A&P instructor had not been so nice. I was in NO way prepared for what was ahead of me in the nursing program. And get used to teaching yourself this stuff!!! Our nursing instructors told us 1st day that they are class room facilitators not teachers. They provide the information you need to pass, but do not hold themselves at all responsible for teaching it to you!

I know this sounds very negative, but at the CC I attend it's the way it is. And from what I have read here, it's that way in most ADN programs. There is only so much that can be squeezed into 4 semesters and believe me, they cram in everything they can as fast as they can!!! :bugeyes:

Hang in there, remember it's only a few weeks. Good thing about A&P is you can memorize all that stuff!!! Not much critical thinking involved.

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Who needs that? I'd probably take her advice and go drop, then report the bullying tactics she uses to her supervisor. Tenure or no tenure.

I don't believe in coddling students but I don't believe in abusing them, either.

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I'm getting ready to take ANP 102. At our school their are lots of teachers for ANP 101 but only one for ANP 102. Her reputation sounds a lot like your teacher! My academic advisor told me that she is supposed to make the class hard to weed out people before nursing school. I'm really freaking about this class. I did fine with ANP 101 but know I'm so nervous about ANP 102. Keep in touch.

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Specializes in MICU/SICU.

That ol' "Half of you will fail", or, "A third of you will fail" line from teachers is as old as the hills. I know people up to their 70s who were fed that line, in everything from trade schools, private colleges, to universities, and in between. This poor souls who are "professors" can only feel good about themselves by bullying other students and instilling fear in them. She probably goes home to a frozen Lean Cuisine dinner and the lifetime network. Alone. Don't let yourself be bullied. Stay in! Good luck

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Nurse2BStacey - you did make some great points.

I agree that it is not productive for an instructor to hold their student's hands. I realize that alot of my time will be spend studying and teaching myself concepts. I have no problem with that. I do, however, have a problem when a teacher seems unwilling to explain A&P concepts but has no problem wasting the class' time with her religious-like rants about environmentalism.

I found out that she will be teaching in Fall, so unfortunately, there is no way to avoid her. Summer session for A&P is 12 weeks and I would just have four more weeks (16 total) to learn the material in Fall.

Perhaps grinning and bearing it is for the best-even if my GPA tanks as a result!

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her approach sounds discouraging,

so there is a choice for you to make fairly soon -

either find another course with a different facilitator,

take it somewhere else (if you took it as a distance

learning course you would be doing it all yourself anyway),

or decide now to do well in the course in which you are enrolled.

You can do it.

all the best to you.

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Specializes in critical care transport.

There's no bones about it. A&P is hard. I had a very difficult AP1 instructor, I had to self teach a lot, spend time in lap, go over slides in the library. He acted like he didn't wanna be there. We memorized insertion and origination points on muscles in addition to the actions they made (Uhhhh.. as a nurse, who cares beyond the basics? Show me some organ stuff, man!)

AP2 was much better, still a lot of memorization, but a good teacher.

I don't know what to tell you, honestly. It sucks teaching yourself, but you can do it.

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Specializes in MICU/SICU.

Here's a rather cavalier idea: I'm sure there's people who record her lectures, no? And aren't the recorders all out on the desks? In other words, the instructor is being RECORDED, WITH her knowledge, right? How about a nice audio file sent to the department head? With all the garbage you say she says? The law says you can't voice-record people without their knowledge, but here it is!

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Please don't think I was suggesting that this instructors behavior is acceptable. It is so NOT ok, but it is what it is! And unforturnatly there is not a lot we can do about. Believe me - what does not kill us makes us stronger. And once you are through this class, you will be stronger!!!

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Specializes in MICU/SICU.

Buddiage, that's ridiculous, having to learn origin and insertion points of muscles. That I had to learn for my state license in massage therapy, which is the only instance I can see where that is useful. Really. That's silly.

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