I'm a no-bull**** person...(rant)

[molested_cow]

When it comes to things that I care about, like my profession, I am a no-bull**** person.

That said, I took the worst job I've ever come across. College professor(worked as a designer before this).

Back when I was in college (only about 13 years ago), our work load was 3 times more than my current students. I only missed one class because it was the last day of the semester, I handed in all of my assignments and my instructor said I didn't have to come. I was not late for a single class. Overall GPA was 3.74. I didn't do it for awards or merits. I did it because I expected myself to put in the absolute best that I can(since the tuition was ridiculous).

It's barely half a semester since I took this job and here are some of the crap I have to deal with already:

Students constantly having to be reminded to write their names on their assignments.
Students who won't do what I "strongly suggested (research methods and what to research)" and come to me the night before presentation day saying she/he can't figure out what to design.
Students having breakfast in class.
Students having lunch in class.
Students having afternoon snack in class.
Students sending one representative to negotiate a later dead line for their assignment ON THE SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL.
Students who don't ask questions ( I gave them plenty chances to) and return with assignments that are utter crap. Imagine having to grade 73 copies of crap each week.
Told student to write an essay, came back with some scribbled notes.
Last week, I gave a test that is supposed to be easy. All questions were directly from the lecture notes. Of which, there were exercises that I gave to them for practice weeks prior, and 75% of the students had no idea what they were doing.
This means they had the chance to do the test before the test, and had the chance to ask me questions if they had problems. I practically gave them answers but they were to damn stupid to even realize it.

And I teach in the so-called best design school in the country. If the world is to come to an end, it's us, not mother nature.

Why do I commute 1h15min on the subway each way daily to do this? It pays only 1/4 of my old job. I don't know, I just find myself taking the least comfortable and most torturous path every time.


Edit: I spent a year teaching elementary school kids in the rural part of the country before this and it was so much more fulfilling. At least they learn to write their names on their assignments the first time.

 

[runnah]

You are feeling the effects of the "Me me me" generation.

Rampant in anyone under 30 these days. Lazy, think their **** don't stink and expect to be rewarded for little to no effort. Now imagine trying to hire any of these "professionals" for a position!

p.s. I am 32.

 

[IByte]

Probably you're inner moo-moo cow is trying to tell to place back standards in lol..can't believe this coming from a college.

I don't think anything has changed, just more distractions.

 

[tirediron]

...
Students constantly having to be reminded to write their names on their assignments. No name, no way to give a mark.
Students who won't do what I "strongly suggested (research methods and what to research)" and come to me the night before presentation day saying she/he can't figure out what to design. You can't figure out what mark to give other than 'F'.
Students having breakfast in class. There's no eating in my classroom. Please leave. Come back tomorrow.
Students having lunch in class. There's no eating in my classroom. Please leave. Come back tomorrow
Students having afternoon snack in class.There's no eating in my classroom. Please leave. Try again tomorrow
Students sending one representative to negotiate a later dead line for their assignment ON THE SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL. The deadline is the deadline. School is not a democracy.
Students who don't ask questions ( I gave them plenty chances to) and return with assignments that are utter crap. Imagine having to grade 73 copies of crap each week. Is it really that difficult to write 'F' 73 times?
Told student to write an essay, came back with some scribbled notes. See previous.
Last week, I gave a test that is supposed to be easy. All questions were directly from the lecture notes. Of which, there were exercises that I gave to them for practice weeks prior, and 75% of the students had no idea what they were doing. Their tough luck.
This means they had the chance to do the test before the test, and had the chance to ask me questions if they had problems. I practically gave them answers but they were to damn stupid to even realize it. Don't sweat it. If they're lazy and can't be bothered, why should you?

I don't mean to sound rude, but I would submit that the problem really lies with you. The students feel that you're the type of person who will accomodate these behaviours. I would suggest at the start of your next class, lay out the rules and adhere to them. Those who wish to play their own reindeer games can do it elsewhere, and if they don't receive a high enough mark. Oh well...

 

[robbins.photo]

When it comes to things that I care about, like my profession, I am a no-bull**** person.

That said, I took the worst job I've ever come across. College professor(worked as a designer before this).

Back when I was in college (only about 13 years ago), our work load was 3 times more than my current students. I only missed one class because it was the last day of the semester, I handed in all of my assignments and my instructor said I didn't have to come. I was not late for a single class. Overall GPA was 3.74. I didn't do it for awards or merits. I did it because I expected myself to put in the absolute best that I can(since the tuition was ridiculous).

It's barely half a semester since I took this job and here are some of the crap I have to deal with already:

Students constantly having to be reminded to write their names on their assignments.
Students who won't do what I "strongly suggested (research methods and what to research)" and come to me the night before presentation day saying she/he can't figure out what to design.
Students having breakfast in class.
Students having lunch in class.
Students having afternoon snack in class.
Students sending one representative to negotiate a later dead line for their assignment ON THE SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL.
Students who don't ask questions ( I gave them plenty chances to) and return with assignments that are utter crap. Imagine having to grade 73 copies of crap each week.
Told student to write an essay, came back with some scribbled notes.
Last week, I gave a test that is supposed to be easy. All questions were directly from the lecture notes. Of which, there were exercises that I gave to them for practice weeks prior, and 75% of the students had no idea what they were doing.
This means they had the chance to do the test before the test, and had the chance to ask me questions if they had problems. I practically gave them answers but they were to damn stupid to even realize it.

And I teach in the so-called best design school in the country. If the world is to come to an end, it's us, not mother nature.

Why do I commute 1h15min on the subway each way daily to do this? It pays only 1/4 of my old job. I don't know, I just find myself taking the least comfortable and most torturous path every time.


Edit: I spent a year teaching elementary school kids in the rural part of the country before this and it was so much more fulfilling. At least they learn to write their names on their assignments the first time.

Ok.. well I guess my thought process is, if you are a no BS person then I'm guessing Academia probably isn't going to be a good fit for you since, at least in my experience, Academics is all about BS.

You are dealing with a generation that believes that school exists to tell them how special and wonderful they are - this is what they got in high school and they fully expect it to continue throughout there academic career. They want trophies just for showing up. Actually they want trophies just because they said the would show up even when they didn't, after all for them it's just the thought that they might show up that should count.

So basically you have a couple of choices here, you can do what most of their teachers have done to this point and let it slide, collect you paycheck and go home. You can go on an arse kicking spree and start flunking most of the little darlings until they finally do pull their heads out, or you can wash your hands of the whole thing and quit.

 

[molested_cow]

runnah, I am one year younger than you.

Yes that's what frustrates me. All these years of educational resources spent on these snobs and they are "unusable".
To be fair, the education system here has failed miserably, and they just implemented a "new system reform" that is even worse than the last one.

 

[runnah]

runnah, I am one year younger than you.

Yes that's what frustrates me. All these years of educational resources spent on these snobs and they are "unusable".
To be fair, the education system here has failed miserably, and they just implemented a "new system reform" that is even worse than the last one.

We had an intern how was in their senior year and they DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO USE MICROSOFT WORD. I mean how does that happen. Just lazy and entitled.

Honestly the kids in the "blue-collar" vocations are 100x better than the "professional" fields. I have 18 year old kids who do the construction type jobs that bust their asses 110% of the time and for the most part are sharper than most college grads.

 

[480sparky]

You are feeling the effects of the "Me me me" generation. ...........

I call 'em the Entitled Generation. They feel they're entitled to everything without having to work or pay for it. Mommy still cuts their meat for them, daddy buys 'em a car when they're 16, and all music and software should be free.

 

[tirediron]

You can go on an arse kicking spree and start flunking most of the little darlings until they finally do pull their heads out, or you can wash your hands of the whole thing and quit.

I vote for this option!

 

[runnah]

You can go on an arse kicking spree and start flunking most of the little darlings until they finally do pull their heads out, or you can wash your hands of the whole thing and quit.

I vote for this option!

This is all good until you get angry well-off parents calling the dean and asking how dare a teacher flunk their little genius offspring.

 

[molested_cow]

I don't mean to sound rude, but I would submit that the problem really lies with you. The students feel that you're the type of person who will accomodate these behaviours. I would suggest at the start of your next class, lay out the rules and adhere to them. Those who wish to play their own reindeer games can do it elsewhere, and if they don't receive a high enough mark. Oh well...[/COLOR]

First of all, this is college, not elementary school. When I was talking about this with a friend and he's all about compassion and patience, telling me to make things clear and stuff. The problem is, since when is eating in class ok? High school? Middle school? Elementary school? Why should I even have to lay these rules out? I did tell them the rules each time, but they surprise me with more ridiculous behaviors. It's like a never ending game, and one you can't win. If I have to treat them like high school or elementary school kids, then they should just go back to high school or elementary school.

Simply giving Fs like I don't give a crap is like treating the people who treated you badly the same way. It's childish and it doesn't help. For each assignment, I give them a score (we do score system here) and a comment on what the student needs to improve on. It's the next best thing I can do other than a in-person critique because there's no time in class for this. It gets really tiring and disheartening when most of them are bad simply because they don't practice the simple instructions that I gave.

Some do improve, but not enough to make me feel like I am not wasting my time.

 

[molested_cow]

runnah, I am one year younger than you.

Yes that's what frustrates me. All these years of educational resources spent on these snobs and they are "unusable".
To be fair, the education system here has failed miserably, and they just implemented a "new system reform" that is even worse than the last one.

We had an intern how was in their senior year and they DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO USE MICROSOFT WORD. I mean how does that happen. Just lazy and entitled.

Honestly the kids in the "blue-collar" vocations are 100x better than the "professional" fields. I have 18 year old kids who do the construction type jobs that bust their asses 110% of the time and for the most part are sharper than most college grads.

I teach design drafting class. The entire class didn't know they had to use a pair of compasses to draw circles.

Some asked me,"If my compasses only has an attachment for pencils and I want to draw with a pen, what should I do?"
True story. Yes it's fitting because it's scary, like Halloween scary.

 

[The_Traveler]

Before we start looking elsewhere, look at the questions being asked here and how people scramble to provide answers that are easily found in the manual or elsewhere.
If we are party to this entitlement, it is a bit hypocritical to condemn it elsewhere and encourage it here.

 

[kathyt]

When it comes to things that I care about, like my profession, I am a no-bull**** person.

That said, I took the worst job I've ever come across. College professor(worked as a designer before this).

Back when I was in college (only about 13 years ago), our work load was 3 times more than my current students. I only missed one class because it was the last day of the semester, I handed in all of my assignments and my instructor said I didn't have to come. I was not late for a single class. Overall GPA was 3.74. I didn't do it for awards or merits. I did it because I expected myself to put in the absolute best that I can(since the tuition was ridiculous).

It's barely half a semester since I took this job and here are some of the crap I have to deal with already:

Students constantly having to be reminded to write their names on their assignments.
Students who won't do what I "strongly suggested (research methods and what to research)" and come to me the night before presentation day saying she/he can't figure out what to design.
Students having breakfast in class.
Students having lunch in class.
Students having afternoon snack in class.
Students sending one representative to negotiate a later dead line for their assignment ON THE SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL.
Students who don't ask questions ( I gave them plenty chances to) and return with assignments that are utter crap. Imagine having to grade 73 copies of crap each week.
Told student to write an essay, came back with some scribbled notes.
Last week, I gave a test that is supposed to be easy. All questions were directly from the lecture notes. Of which, there were exercises that I gave to them for practice weeks prior, and 75% of the students had no idea what they were doing.
This means they had the chance to do the test before the test, and had the chance to ask me questions if they had problems. I practically gave them answers but they were to damn stupid to even realize it.

And I teach in the so-called best design school in the country. If the world is to come to an end, it's us, not mother nature.

Why do I commute 1h15min on the subway each way daily to do this? It pays only 1/4 of my old job. I don't know, I just find myself taking the least comfortable and most torturous path every time.


Edit: I spent a year teaching elementary school kids in the rural part of the country before this and it was so much more fulfilling. At least they learn to write their names on their assignments the first time.

I completely understand your frustration. So, my first thought is that there is some sort of disconnect somewhere. I think back to some of my most memorable professors, and try to recall why they were so profound to me. It had nothing to do with the subject matter, but it was the way that they connected with me. They demanded respect, and I most certainly gave it right back ten fold. I think some of the rough exteriors we see in this generation is really only one, thin layer deep. We just have to dig down a layer to get to the good stuff.

 

[molested_cow]

This is all good until you get angry well-off parents calling the dean and asking how dare a teacher flunk their little genius offspring.

We get those calls all the time. Like...

Ring ring
Mom,"My daughter is having to carry more and more electronics with her and I think the school should have lockers for their personal belongings so they don't have to lug those heavy things around between classes"
Mom,"It's bad for the back when they sit on the floor to work on their projects. The school should prepare a big work bench in the common area for them" (They have their own work studios and desks already, and we are the only department that offers personal work space on campus).