can we have an honest discussion about foreign profs?

nurse2be13 · Jun 24, 2013

You can't be serious.

priorities2 · Jun 24, 2013

Just as not all American professors use the same teaching style, not all foreign professors do, either. Give each individual a chance before deciding you dislike them all... otherwise it's called prejudice.

On another note: I once had a professor who seemed to grade us based on our major. At the time, mine was psychology. There was a girl in my class whose major was supply chain management... this prof was clearly very bitter about the fact that she was lecturing as an adjunct with a PhD in humanities. She seemed to grade super hard on those with "applied, useful" major. I got lucky, having psych as my major - though it was still difficult to succeed in her class (she only gave out 3 A's and I got one of the them). She was generally tough. I went to her office hours, learned how she thought, what she expected to a T, and managed to greatly "improve" (in her eyes) my writing over the course of the semester. What I'm saying is... it doesn't matter if the prof has an accent. Each class has its own challenges. You need to be the mature one, take responsibility for the Cs you get, and do whatever it takes to succeed in a class with a prof who has an accent. Clearly you know how to use the internet... try looking up explanations online or at the library.

DoeRN · Jun 24, 2013

I had a Japanese professor for A&P 1 and 2 and received A+ in both. And he had a very thick accent.

Maybe it's your view of foreign professors that is hindering your grades.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

richardgecko · Jun 24, 2013

Just as not all American professors use the same teaching style, not all foreign professors do, either. Give each individual a chance before deciding you dislike them all... otherwise it's called prejudice.
On another note: I once had a professor who seemed to grade us based on our major. At the time, mine was psychology. There was a girl in my class whose major was supply chain management... this prof was clearly very bitter about the fact that she was lecturing as an adjunct with a PhD in humanities. She seemed to grade super hard on those with "applied, useful" major. I got lucky, having psych as my major - though it was still difficult to succeed in her class (she only gave out 3 A's and I got one of the them). She was generally tough. I went to her office hours, learned how she thought, what she expected to a T, and managed to greatly "improve" (in her eyes) my writing over the course of the semester. What I'm saying is... it doesn't matter if the prof has an accent. Each class has its own challenges. You need to be the mature one, take responsibility for the Cs you get, and do whatever it takes to succeed in a class with a prof who has an accent. Clearly you know how to use the internet... try looking up explanations online or at the library.

I take responsibility for the grades I earned, which is why I was sure to say I 'earned' them.

As I said before, it has little to do with their accent and more to do w/ the fact that they just read the slides.

pbco · Jun 24, 2013

I finished my first semester of nursing this past spring & I had two foreign profs, one for pharmacology & one for intro to med surg - arguably the hardest classes of 1st semester. One prof was Indian and the other Chinese.
I earned a c in both classes...
But in pathophysiology, health assessment & clinicals, I earned As. I had American profs in all three courses.
This is a recurring issue for me throughout my college career. I excel when I have American professors but I struggle when I have foreign profs. In microbiology, my prof. was Japanese & had a thick accent. I passed his class with a low C. I had an American lab professor for the lab component & I earned an A.
I feel as though in the classes that I have foreign profs, they don't lecture as well. It has little to do with the accent & more to do with the way they lecture. They just read the slides...I can do that on my own! And I dont like being read to AT ALL. My American professors are more engaging & approach lecturing differently. Anyone else run into this issue?

I am a 30-something Filipino ex-pre nursing student who'll be starting a Georgia nursing program in the fall. With only 7 years of US residency, I never had American instructors back in the Philippines, but nevertheless have recognized only competent instructors, regardless of their nationalities.

My first med micro prof was a brilliant American researcher, who read pages and pages of slides, who's class I just had to drop along with 75% of the class. But a Korean prof held a full house with raving reviews.

This said, regard all instructors as the professionals which they are: Some suck at teaching, while some inspire. "Instructor review" websites have become an invaluable tool for me in picking the best instructor in my school.

zoe92 · Jun 24, 2013

It is much more common now to have a foreign professor. There were multiple ones at the community college I attended. If you don't find them engaging, you have to find a way to engage yourself and still learn the material.

If you truly believed you earned these grades, it would not matter what ethnicity the professor was.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jun 24, 2013

I will admit that ANYONE who reads slides to me is not teaching. Waste of my time. But accents tend to make me listen better.

I had a great algebra instructor from Iran. He used to develop problems and write notes to himself in Arabic on the chalkboard, knowing we could not read them. But he had a way of explaining that was truly a gift. He later told me he preferred to teach the people who were headed to nursing school because he felt he had the same analytical thinking style as they did, but no one has ever accused me of being analytical (!) so I still maintain he was a talented teacher. Hope you find a way to work with the instructors you have. Maybe having a private conversation with them would be an opportunity to let them know how off-putting it is to have things read to an adult. Good luck.

Stephalump · Jun 24, 2013

I will admit that ANYONE who reads slides to me is not teaching. Waste of my time. But accents tend to make me listen better.

Ugh, professors who read directly from the PPs make me want to poke my eyes out with a hot fire poker. I'm an intelligent woman - I can go home and read to myself 3xs faster if that's all you're going to bring to the table.

But our professors decided to combat the class-skipping by making their PPs "fill in the blank." So while they're still just reading to me, I have to be there to get a word or two from every page. Gah.

EdenK · Jun 24, 2013

I have had many foreign teaches and never really had a problem. I realized you can not blame a teacher for how you do in classes. Especially since this is nursing, I'm pretty sure the information is the same no matter where you go. Just as one of my teachers told me " If you think you can just come to class , listen and pass you are mistaken. You have to go home and read the text book, do practice questions,etc"

ixchel · Jun 24, 2013

Maybe it's because most of my prereqs were online so I had to self-teach, but I could not imagine ever feeling my grade was the professor's fault. This is college. Real school. Not being able to hear clearly through an accent can definitely be a barrier to learning, but if they really are reading from the slides, you're not missing anything. The student is responsible for learning content. Maybe the professor is responsible for teaching it, but they are not penalized with the lower grade when the student doesn't succeed.

I know that we often times turn to the interwebs for anonymous tips and advice, many times admitting things we wouldn't admit in real life. I'm not sure if you are realizing this or not, but your OP is coming across dangerously close to being racist. Know that I am not calling YOU racist. I don't know you at all, and you could be a wonderful person with a giant heart accepting of all people on this planet and Mars. Step back for a moment and consider what you are saying.

I recommend getting some one-on-one with these instructors as soon as you recognize you are struggling and not a moment later. That really is the best way to get to the source of your struggles on an individual basis.

mclennan, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2013

Haha! I had the exact OPPOSITE problem when I was in NS. I had a older female Pakistani prof for A&P 1. Her accent was thick as pea soup - but she was funny, stern, fair, and determined that we learn the material. She had no problem tossing people out for their phones ringing or for being late one time too many. She was always available for questions via email or office hours. I got an A. Whiners in her class failed. Period.

For A&P 2, I had the school darling, a 30 -something American white male jock professor who half the female students were in love with. He flirted, ran around the classroom, shouted, told jokes and put on a big show like he was Bill Nye the Science Guy. I found him to be really obnoxious. Every class I sat there wanting to choke him. He never replied to emails or was around to answer questions. I got an A in his class too.

I also had a Serbian microbiology lab prof. Thick accent, a very old man. Very slow. He was sliding into dementia, it was obvious. The student TA would pass out paper handouts, tell us what we were doing, and he would shuffle around in his filthy white coat, looking over our shoulders as we peered into microscopes, and say stuff. I could never understand him. He was once a very respected professor in his home country, and a sweetheart. I also aced that lab AND the class.

So. School is what you make it. You will pass as many classes as YOU decide to. Quit blaming what country the professors are from or what accent they have. EVERYONE is racist to some extent, but peekaboo! Yours is showing.