Subtract the name calling, Kid’s complaints boild down to:
(a) the prof cancelled class twice. Whe don’t know why. Maybe he was sick the first time and his son died the second time. We don’t know, and presumably neither does Kid C.
(b) the prof put questions on the test he hadn’t gone over in class. Don’t get me started. Kid C is completely wrong on this one. The teacher is fully entitled to expect students to do the reading and answer original questions. He’s under no obligation to “teach to the test,” and spoon feed the students.
It sounds like you had some unqualified instructors. I guess you went to college before the dot com bubble burst, and they must have had trouble hiring computer programmers to teach computer programming. Having taught technology courses, I sympathize. I used to wring my hands at the things other teachers were telling students they could and couldn’t do. It seems some teachers, when they don’t know, just make shit up. I’m with you on this one.
Actually, the really sad thing is I went to college after the bubble burst (2000-2005*); you’d think that it would mean there were tons of knowledgable and qualified people laid off from real-world jobs who’d love to teach.
From about 2000-2003 or so, the CompSci dept at my uni was in complete shambles. The department chair ignored 99% of the freshmen/sophomore complaints because every year they get tons of complaints that boil down to “This teacher SUCKS! He like, makes us do a lot of programs and they take FOREVER!” It was only when people hit their junior year (after they got through most of the attrition classes and had proved their mettle) that they took complaints seriously. They started turning around in 2004 (especially compared to the joke the dept was in 2001/2) and was pretty damn decent in my last year. Y’know, when I’ve already got most of the classes done so it didn’t help me at all.
I was annoyed that they didn’t take action sooner, but I do agree that there are many, many, many students who complain because they have to :: gasp :: do work.** The problem is that the students who have real complaints get lost in the shuffle because of this.
5 years because I was studying for two degrees. I now have a BS in Computer Science and a BS in Humanities. It makes many people’s heads explode when I tell them I have a Bachelor of Science in (essentially) Liberal Arts.
** My GOD, Computer Science seems to draw a ton of people who think that it’ll be a cake walk and then get pissed off that they have to spend more than 10 minutes on any given assignment. Granted, I hated that it was hard, but that’s because I’m lazy. I still did the work and got it done and didn’t complain.
When you’re claiming that they are allowed to actually impede learning because they are “trying to do their job”, you’re damned straight I consider that debatable material.
Your “hard but fair” example is fine. You abject dismissal of all valid complains, like here, shows that really, you’re doing nothing more than taking out the opportunity to lash out like an angsty teenager against those students who offended you so.
What criticism? What did I dodge? I wonder if we’re posting to the same thread. I never said anything to you about whatever it is you’re upset about. But if it mollifies you, I accept your criticism and will try to be a better citizen.
