Okay all, I need some help. I'm in my last year of the ACNP program and received feedback on a paper that I did. I'm very particular about my papers, APA format, and such, and have always made A's on them. I'm okay with not making an A if its fairly evaluated.
My problem is that our associate instructor, who is a doctoral student herself, graded my paper. This is her first semester as being a co-teacher. I was quite upset when she gave me my paper back because it didn't seem fair. The points that she took off didn't seem to match up with the notations within the paper of what I had done wrong. She wanted me to talk with her about it after class, and needless to say, we ended up on the verge of argument over "Level of Headings" and I wasn't going to argue with her... especially in front of my lead instructor. When I'm frustrated, I get teary-eyed, so Im sure she heard it in my voice when I said, "You know... it's fine... I just want to go home. Thanks for going over my paper with me."
So I left and headed home, cooled off, and read back over my paper. Come to find out, she was incorrect on several things she counted off for. I emailed her (not the lead instructor out of respect for the new instructor and not calling her out in front of the lead teacher), I apologized for getting so upset and explained that I am a perfectionist and had had a very rough week (which I had). I also mentioned that after talking with her, I had a better understanding regarding a portion of my grade, but still had concerns. I listed the questionable things that she counted off for and gave reference for each one and why I thought it was correct.
I told her that it was hard not to seek clarification on these things since I had information backing me up and would appreciate her taking them into consideration. She emailed me back and said that "We will have a reply next week sometime." So, she probably forwarded it to the lead instructor, which is fine which I had told her it would be in the first email.
My concern is that she is coming to my clinical site for final evaluation tomorrow and that she may be my clinical instructor for the remainder of the year. Tomorrow, my plan is to act like nothing happened and not bring it up. I almost wish that I hadn't questioned her about any of it, but its a whole letter grade difference... and she WAS wrong... and she IS learning... right?
hey webster... well, i ended up getting a reply yesterday and she went back and made comments on every statement that i noted (the things that i thought she marked inappropriately on my paper, with legitimate resources saying that i was "right" in the first place) arguing why she was either right, that she "needs to read up on this more," or some other bs that was obviously made up... and then proceeded to say that she forgot to take off 3other points!!
and she cc'd this to the main instructor!
how she can sleep at night is beyond me. *lol* i just cannot believe this! ya know? obviously it is a no-win situation for me unless i took it above her... which i simply do not have the energy for anymore. the semester is over next friday... i know that i am right and that she is being immature. also, i can see her true colors now. i am very disappointed because up until now, i thought she was going to make a decent instructor. come to find out... she's been teaching for 5 years. coulda fooled me! *lol* several of us in the class thought this was her first semester... if that tells you anything.
overall, it really sucks... but i feel like i have to be the better person here. i will not bring it up again unless the lead instructor approaches me about it.:angryfire
there is always the end of the semester faculty evaluation. i know these never seem to have any impact. i do know there are department chairs who do review course evaluations, including comments. they tend to respond more to constructive comments than personal attacks. if the numbers are low and a lot of comments somebody may pay attention.
Hey Webster... well, I ended up getting a reply yesterday and she went back and made comments on every statement that I noted (the things that I thought she marked inappropriately on my paper, with legitimate resources saying that I was "right" in the first place) arguing why she was either right, that she "needs to read up on this more," or some other BS that was obviously made up... and THEN proceeded to say that she forgot to take off 3other points!!
AND SHE CC'd THIS TO THE MAIN INSTRUCTOR!
How she can sleep at night is beyond me. *LOL* I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! Ya know? Obviously it is a No-Win situation for me unless I took it above her... which I simply do not have the energy for anymore. The semester is over next Friday... I know that I am right and that she is being immature. Also, I can see her true colors now. I am very disappointed because up until now, I thought she was going to make a decent instructor. Come to find out... she's been teaching for 5 years. COULDA FOOLED ME! *lol* Several of us in the class thought this was her first semester... if that tells you anything.
Overall, it really sucks... but I feel like I have to be the better person here. I will not bring it up again unless the lead instructor approaches me about it.:angryfire
Don't say a word. They are in a position to really screw your life up. Just wait until they can't touch you (ie after graduation). Then, in a place crowded with peers, tell that teacher what an idiot she is and how ignorant she made herself look treating all of you like children. Then, tell her you are posting the paper with her comments on the web so all the nurses, NPs, teachers, and everyone else can see what an idiot she is.
Sound bitter? I don't think so when they make stupid decisions like that can really screw up peoples' lives and put their families at risk in doing so all because they think "and" is more important than "but" in an APA paper. I hope I see a lawsuit one day against someone like this.
don't say a word. they are in a position to really screw your life up. just wait until they can't touch you (ie after graduation). then, in a place crowded with peers, tell that teacher what an idiot she is and how ignorant she made herself look treating all of you like children. then, tell her you are posting the paper with her comments on the web so all the nurses, nps, teachers, and everyone else can see what an idiot she is.
sound bitter? i don't think so when they make stupid decisions like that can really screw up peoples' lives and put their families at risk in doing so all because they think "and" is more important than "but" in an apa paper. i hope i see a lawsuit one day against someone like this.
i can support don't say a word, it is your choice. acting bitter only lowers yourself to a different level. daisy, the tone of your op is not of a person who would allow this type of response. keep your standards high and graduate, make the role of fnp respectable, not dragged into the gutter as others would suggest.
there is always the end of the semester faculty evaluation. i know these never seem to have any impact. i do know there are department chairs who do review course evaluations, including comments. they tend to respond more to constructive comments than personal attacks. if the numbers are low and a lot of comments somebody may pay attention.
hey prairie,
i've already determined that this will go on her evaluation next week. what really sucks is that her mistakes may cost me an a in the course, depending on how i do on the test next friday. that is the main reason i would say anything... but even so, she could make my life hell if i end up having her as another teaching assistant in the next two semesters. i'm too close now to have her ruining things for me. and believe me... i've always been one to get the last word... so this is very difficult. :)
as for constructive comments, i am great at being tactful and i'm very effective in getting my point across without sounding as if it is a "personal attack."
Don't say a word. They are in a position to really screw your life up. Just wait until they can't touch you (ie after graduation). Then, in a place crowded with peers, tell that teacher what an idiot she is and how ignorant she made herself look treating all of you like children. Then, tell her you are posting the paper with her comments on the web so all the nurses, NPs, teachers, and everyone else can see what an idiot she is.
Sound bitter? I don't think so when they make stupid decisions like that can really screw up peoples' lives and put their families at risk in doing so all because they think "and" is more important than "but" in an APA paper. I hope I see a lawsuit one day against someone like this.
Hey cg,
I have been through this stage of anger as well... and thought the same thing: that they have too much influence on my performance right now that I can't risk going any further with this problem. After receiving my final grades in December, I will send an email to the director (who is the lead instructor now) and remind her of what a horrid thing my instructor has done, and will forward it on to the dean to let them know what kind of instructor they have working for them.
I found out today that this instructor is horrible with her BSN students and "bashes" them all the time instead of "building" them up.
And you know cg, it's not so much the "but" and the "and" of the paper that's the problem... its that if you ARE going to have a hissy fit about it and take off points for it (and COST SOMEONE A LETTER GRADE) because YOU THINK its "wrong," you had BETTER have some info to back it up... otherwise, the student will prove you wrong every time.
Problem in this case? I knew more than the instructor and it pissed her off so she took it out on me by reducing my grade... and not clarifying the questions I had.
If you have it in black and white, there's not much she can do about it.
But what's so bad... its been done. That's the biggest part of the problem... she has the "power of the pen" and that's what has been my dilemma. She's obviously taken my questioning personally and not going to let me "win"... despite me giving her all of the hard evidence that I could to show that I was right in the first place.
She hasn't heard the end of me yet... I just have to pick my timing carefully, as cg mentioned, because she could make my last two semesters pure hell.
But, if it is brought up in the future, to "outside" parties, you're right... I have everything in black and white. It is all saved to my computer and printed out in hard copy.
But what's so bad... its been done. That's the biggest part of the problem... she has the "power of the pen" and that's what has been my dilemma. She's obviously taken my questioning personally and not going to let me "win"... despite me giving her all of the hard evidence that I could to show that I was right in the first place.
She hasn't heard the end of me yet... I just have to pick my timing carefully, as cg mentioned, because she could make my last two semesters pure hell.
But, if it is brought up in the future, to "outside" parties, you're right... I have everything in black and white. It is all saved to my computer and printed out in hard copy.
Sometimes you have to pick your fights. I had the same problem in PA school. One of our instructors hadn't touched a patient in 10 years. The lecture was straight out of the book (as written in 1980). The instructor was wrong. I made the decision to learn the material that I needed not the material for the test. In the end the person that graduates at the bottom of the class has the same title as the person that graduates first. Unless you want to go on for a PhD the grade doesnt really matter. In the end you will be successful at what you are doing and the instructor will simply be bitter, lonely and trying to teach what she doesn't know.
I have been through this stage of anger as well... and thought the same thing: that they have too much influence on my performance right now that I can't risk going any further with this problem. After receiving my final grades in December, I will send an email to the director (who is the lead instructor now) and remind her of what a horrid thing my instructor has done, and will forward it on to the dean to let them know what kind of instructor they have working for them.
I found out today that this instructor is horrible with her BSN students and "bashes" them all the time instead of "building" them up.
And you know cg, it's not so much the "but" and the "and" of the paper that's the problem... its that if you ARE going to have a hissy fit about it and take off points for it (and COST SOMEONE A LETTER GRADE) because YOU THINK its "wrong," you had BETTER have some info to back it up... otherwise, the student will prove you wrong every time.
Problem in this case? I knew more than the instructor and it pissed her off so she took it out on me by reducing my grade... and not clarifying the questions I had.
But that's the thing that drives me crazy about it; you will always know more than the instructor in that instance because the instructor in that instance (if they are smart and experienced) will say, "you know, they may be right, and I may want to watch my orifice because if I act arrogant and narcossictic at this point, I'm going to look like an idiot". But most of them won't because they don't have the capacity to do so. If you admit you know nothing and someone else knows everything, then you are smarter than most of your peers. Good luck.
I also am an NP as well as an adjunct in a BSN program. It seems to me that you have handled yourself very professionally, the only addition that I would recommend at this point is to meet with the lead instructor. Explain everything calmly and explain that you are confused, explain that you are following the APA format "by the book" but yet it is incorrect according to the instructor and that in order for you to learn and better understand you need guidance. See if the lead instructor has the "nerve" to stand up and be a quality instructor. As for cgfnp, I have been an FNP for a year now and work in a Prijmary Care and Cardiolgy group, being the only male in my class and only the second male to graduate from my program, I feel that I learned a great deal and was extremely well prepared for my position. I am well respected as an NP and treated as a peer. I curently work with 2 PA's that come to me for guidance and answers. I have initiated programs that can best be put in place secondary to my nursing background. You get out of any program what you put into it!
I understand the thing about picking your battles, but seriously, what if you do draw this instructor for the next two semesters. You'll have papers due. They'll need to be done in APA format. What then, will she take points off for the same "mistakes"?
This is why I think you need to bring this to the lead instructor. You've been very professional about this whole issue, but it's potentially more than just this one paper that we're talking about here.
If it was me, if I was sure that she could only affect one paper, I might bite the bullet after the discussions and let her save face, but this is not about face-saving nor is education supposed to be a political process; it's about learning materials and skills germane to the stated program.
I also am an NP as well as an adjunct in a BSN program. It seems to me that you have handled yourself very professionally, the only addition that I would recommend at this point is to meet with the lead instructor. Explain everything calmly and explain that you are confused, explain that you are following the APA format "by the book" but yet it is incorrect according to the instructor and that in order for you to learn and better understand you need guidance. See if the lead instructor has the "nerve" to stand up and be a quality instructor. As for cgfnp, I have been an FNP for a year now and work in a Prijmary Care and Cardiolgy group, being the only male in my class and only the second male to graduate from my program, I feel that I learned a great deal and was extremely well prepared for my position. I am well respected as an NP and treated as a peer. I curently work with 2 PA's that come to me for guidance and answers. I have initiated programs that can best be put in place secondary to my nursing background. You get out of any program what you put into it!
I knew someone would bring the old "get out what you put in" routine. And for the most part, that's true. You do run across an occasional broken pop machine.
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prairienp
315 Posts
there is always the end of the semester faculty evaluation. i know these never seem to have any impact. i do know there are department chairs who do review course evaluations, including comments. they tend to respond more to constructive comments than personal attacks. if the numbers are low and a lot of comments somebody may pay attention.