Horrible Professor!

[phoenixnim]

I was curious if anyone else has dealt with this and what you did about it?

I just finished my Chem pre-req with the worst and hardest teacher. He never actually "taught" anything. Just threw a bunch of notes on the board. Things we did not learn and that were not part of our lectures, labs etc consistently showed up on our exams.

More than half of my class actually signed a petition to the Dean of Sciences at my school (and it would have been more of the class had I had enough time to talk to more people). And the only response we got was that she would discuss it with him.

It is incredibly frustrating that I studied my butt off and I had an A- the whole semester until the last two tests where more questions showed up that were not part of our curriculum, equalling an entire grade difference. I'm pretty sure I will end with a B or B+ average for the class. Which I would happily accept if it was my fault for not knowing the material.

But given that my entire class of 30 students all got the same 3 questions wrong on the last test, and we all met after our final and agreed on several questions on that test that we never saw before... that has to say more about the teacher, not us, I would think.

We've all gone to tutoring, and honestly that is the only way I have the grades I do. But there really is no way to prepare for a test that consistently has trick and new questions that were not part of the curriculum on it.

My program does accept a B, but it's the principle. Anyone ever have something like this happen to them?

[Medic/RN2B]

Yea one of my classes this semester was on campus but it was on Saturdays and it was an hour and a half drive one way :/ ...I feel your pain. Im proud of myself though that I didnt go insane with my full course load and a bouncing 3 year old boy running around lol. Problem is there is no Saturday micro classes..haha. I guess we live and learn. Still just frustrated because I wasted 16 weeks for nothing really....

[Alisonisayoshi, LVN]

I understand this frustration and that education is not free but technically, you are being taught. You may not like the way you are being taught or that your instructor doesn't cover everything in the book but that's part of. It wasn't like that in high school, it sure isn't going to be like that in college.

As I stated, I understand that I should, as a responsible student, use ALL tools I am equipped with. I will reiterate that one of those tools is a teacher who teaches. I may not always like the way an instructor teaches, but I have a right to be dissatisfied when they don't teach at all. The OP does too.

The problem in higher education is that no one really stands up and says anything about it. We are all programmed to think if we fail or fail to achieve its all on us. It's not. It's really not. Crappy instructors exist. In a consumer environment we have a right to say something, and get a real response.

I really hope you never have to experience an instructor who simply does not teach subject matter, refuses to answer questions, and the bemoans more than half their class failing. I've been in that position. I went to the Dean of Instruction at my school, and that adjunct professor no longer instructs at my school. She was that bad. I had an A in the class, because I came in knowing the subject matter, I complained because it seemed wrong to me that others did not have that advantage.

[Medic/RN2B]

As I stated, I understand that I should, as a responsible student, use ALL tools I am equipped with. I will reiterate that one of those tools is a teacher who teaches. I may not always like the way an instructor teaches, but I have a right to be dissatisfied when they don't teach at all. The OP does too.

The problem in higher education is that no one really stands up and says anything about it. We are all programmed to think if we fail or fail to achieve its all on us. It's not. It's really not. Crappy instructors exist. In a consumer environment we have a right to say something, and get a real response.

I really hope you never have to experience an instructor who simply does not teach subject matter, refuses to answer questions, and the bemoans more than half their class failing. I've been in that position. I went to the Dean of Instruction at my school, and that adjunct professor no longer instructs at my school. She was that bad. I had an A in the class, because I came in knowing the subject matter, I complained because it seemed wrong to me that others did not have that advantage.

Very nicely said and agree 100%

[WranglerRN]

I may not always like the way an instructor teaches, but I have a right to be dissatisfied when they don't teach at all. The OP does too.

.

I, too, very much agree with this statement. As older students, we have experienced real life unfairness in all its glory and can honestly and unbiasedly say that bad teachers ARE to blame when they don't do what THEY are supposed to, which is teach. If students aren't learning, it IS the teacher's fault. As adults, we know our expectations and do what we need to do to fulfill them. Education, for the sake of a grade, is a two-way street. We should not be ashamed or afraid to speak up about people who perform poorly at their jobs. We know we have to suck it up. Complaining about it is not a bad thing. It's usually how things in the world change!

[samist]

When there is a tenure system, good luck with that. All teachers, good, bad, and down right atrocious hide behind tenure especially when they've done wrong. Most institutions will cover for them. Good luck.

[phoenixnim]

As I stated, I understand that I should, as a responsible student, use ALL tools I am equipped with. I will reiterate that one of those tools is a teacher who teaches. I may not always like the way an instructor teaches, but I have a right to be dissatisfied when they don't teach at all. The OP does too.

The problem in higher education is that no one really stands up and says anything about it. We are all programmed to think if we fail or fail to achieve its all on us. It's not. It's really not. Crappy instructors exist. In a consumer environment we have a right to say something, and get a real response.

I really hope you never have to experience an instructor who simply does not teach subject matter, refuses to answer questions, and the bemoans more than half their class failing. I've been in that position. I went to the Dean of Instruction at my school, and that adjunct professor no longer instructs at my school. She was that bad. I had an A in the class, because I came in knowing the subject matter, I complained because it seemed wrong to me that others did not have that advantage.

Exactly this. Thank you for your understanding.

I'm not sure when and where it happened that students forgot that they are indeed consumers and also have an obligation to give feedback to the school on how THEY are doing.

My class mates and I certainly did not hold back on our teacher evaluations surveys.

I certainly do not expect to be spoon fed anything. I wouldn't accept it even if it was. I want to make sure I KNOW the material so I can utilize it as I know it becomes a foundation for learning more on top of it.

As I said, I'm a single Mom... so I have A LOT riding on how well I do in school because that will affect me succeeding in this career change, and bottom line, that will affect my children. So I work hard FOR THEM. I think anyone with kids will understand what this means and how much of a drive kids can be. I WILL NOT fail them.

I am sacrificing a lot by going to school (time, money, time with my kids, etc.), and am putting a lot on the line... so yes, I have every right to be upset about an unfair teacher who refused to do his job to his best ability.

[l33tnewb11]

Thanks for sharing... but I DID that. I also went to tutoring. I even googled things I did get wrong so I would know what it was. And sometimes even the almighty internet could not help with some of the crap he threw on tests. I'm not an idiot nor a poor student, so I don't appreciate the assumption.

You obviously weren't thorough enough then. Gen chem is basic math and basic chemistry concepts. Any information you need is in the book. It is not complicated.

[Alisonisayoshi, LVN]

You obviously weren't thorough enough then. Gen chem is basic math and basic chemistry concepts. Any information you need is in the book. It is not complicated.

Here is the problem, just because one student may not find it complicated doesn't mean another will not be baffled. In my gen chem we have baffled students. My professor works with them. He TEACHES them because that's his job. It's what he's being paid to do. My instructor creates an environment conducive to learning the material.

To say "it's in the book" isn't always true. For example, we had several conversion factors that were not in my text, my instructor TAUGHT them instead. Specific Heat was not covered in my text, my instructor taught it. He said its on the TEAS so if you are going into nursing you need to know it so he covered it. That's being taught, what you state is self teaching, which is important in college, but should not be the only form of instruction.

[samist]

Here is the problem, just because one student may not find it complicated doesn't mean another will not be baffled. In my gen chem we have baffled students. My professor works with them. He TEACHES them because that's his job. It's what he's being paid to do. My instructor creates an environment conducive to learning the material.

To say "it's in the book" isn't always true. For example, we had several conversion factors that were not in my text, my instructor TAUGHT them instead. Specific Heat was not covered in my text, my instructor taught it. He said its on the TEAS so if you are going into nursing you need to know it so he covered it. That's being taught, what you state is self teaching, which is important in college, but should not be the only form of instruction.

Ignore him. He's a physics/math person, also pretty presumptuous.

[l33tnewb11]

Its either taught in lecture or its in the text...that's what I meant when I said its not complicated.

[l33tnewb11]

I should be ignored because I studied physics and math? If anything I think that my comments merritt some credibility when refeting to the sciences

[samist]

I should be ignored because I studied physics and math? If anything I think that my comments merritt some credibility when refeting to the sciences

I said to ignore you because you were being presumptuous. Yes since you are a math/physics person you can comment, but since you are good at it you assumed the student didn't do their part. What some might forget is that since are all built differently, think differently, and study differently; not all of the textbooks are written the same way in terms of the material. Also not all teachers, teach the same.

I'm great at biology, absolutely loved it. Some of my classmates are not the same and no matter how the teacher teaches (in my school absolute lack of it) or what is written in the text required or provided, they don't as well or understand it as other students do. I'm definitely not a chemistry person, my teacher was awful never taught and the textbook was garbage. We saw questions on our exams not covered in class, textbook, assignments, or labs.