Update on the Crazy Life
...over time, coerced self-sacrifice causes any society to self-destruct.
-Ayn Rand
How are ya?
Holding up. Relieved that at least there is now a destination - a structure to this semester. I got my loan processed, too, which is a plus.
Whatcha been doin'?
Ah. School mostly. Leisure? Well, there's nothing like buying a cheap but fantastic audiobook to pass the time while commuting to clinicals and class. I've finished Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (the audiobook), and made a good start on a variety of texts: Principles of Radiographic Imaging: An Art and a Science by Carlton and Adler, a bit of In Search of the Edge of Time: Black Holes, White Holes, Wormholes by John Gribbin, and lastly, a great deal of Phantoms in the Brain by Ramachandran. Ah, but I need more great audiobooks. With the amount of driving I do, it's the easiest to juggle.
So, I've have my hands full with a teacher who, while not entirely dreadful, handled the summer class in the worst possible manner, given the situation. A teacher must, above all, maintain order in the class. She did not. Now, my diagnostic imaging class has its faults. Faults I've had to face head on. And by golly, there's strength in numbers, so the confrontational nature of my classmates is enhanced when you pile them in one room together.
The teacher was doomed from the start, really, when she came in pristine and full of a breezy arrogance that was tangible even when looking away. So, you don't like our coursework, lady. That's fine with me, but when you're citing a book that I can't see, and I'm almost positive you have some facts wrong, it makes me uneasy. I want to check your premises, but I am unable to do so. Luckily, I'm pretty goddamn smart when it comes to this subject, so I ignore your mistakes. It's like watching a train wreck when you get defensive over every question asked. Hate to break it to you, but asking questions is part of a normal classroom routine. They should ask questions. And just because they're asking doesn't mean they are trying to offend you by doubting your explanation. They just want further explanation. When you're teaching exposure principles - principles built on physics and application - you HAVE to be clear, concise, and direct. If you're wishy-washy, it comes out muddled and the students wind up less confident than they were when they knew nothing.
But she's gone now. This morning was a surprise. Here it is, our finals are scheduled for next week, and the Dean of Health Sciences addresses our class regarding the "learning deficit" that many of us have been reporting (among other more personal issues). Bam. She passes out an assessment. It's not for a grade, she says. It's just an assessment - a paper covering everything possible in the course and then some. Too bad the majority of the material wasn't covered in class. I listen to everyone freaking around me, shrug, and wing it.
Afterwards, our department director (whom I adore) comes in and announces she will be taking over the class. Finals are DELAYED until further notice. (Great, I wanted a break between summer and fall semester!)Also, we're evidently going to have all of the labs we should have been having (the ones our previous teacher replaced with rambling lectures) next Thursday. She passes out our assessments after the announcements and proceeds to go over every question that the class majority missed.
Most everyone scored low, but I made a 90, so I feel pretty good. At least, maybe relearning a 10 week course in a week and a half won't be as bad for me as it will for the others. It is a bit stressful to have to change all the grid ratios that the previous teacher presented in error. *sighs*
Ah. Such is the life.
-Ayn Rand
How are ya?
Holding up. Relieved that at least there is now a destination - a structure to this semester. I got my loan processed, too, which is a plus.
Whatcha been doin'?
Ah. School mostly. Leisure? Well, there's nothing like buying a cheap but fantastic audiobook to pass the time while commuting to clinicals and class. I've finished Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (the audiobook), and made a good start on a variety of texts: Principles of Radiographic Imaging: An Art and a Science by Carlton and Adler, a bit of In Search of the Edge of Time: Black Holes, White Holes, Wormholes by John Gribbin, and lastly, a great deal of Phantoms in the Brain by Ramachandran. Ah, but I need more great audiobooks. With the amount of driving I do, it's the easiest to juggle.
So, I've have my hands full with a teacher who, while not entirely dreadful, handled the summer class in the worst possible manner, given the situation. A teacher must, above all, maintain order in the class. She did not. Now, my diagnostic imaging class has its faults. Faults I've had to face head on. And by golly, there's strength in numbers, so the confrontational nature of my classmates is enhanced when you pile them in one room together.
The teacher was doomed from the start, really, when she came in pristine and full of a breezy arrogance that was tangible even when looking away. So, you don't like our coursework, lady. That's fine with me, but when you're citing a book that I can't see, and I'm almost positive you have some facts wrong, it makes me uneasy. I want to check your premises, but I am unable to do so. Luckily, I'm pretty goddamn smart when it comes to this subject, so I ignore your mistakes. It's like watching a train wreck when you get defensive over every question asked. Hate to break it to you, but asking questions is part of a normal classroom routine. They should ask questions. And just because they're asking doesn't mean they are trying to offend you by doubting your explanation. They just want further explanation. When you're teaching exposure principles - principles built on physics and application - you HAVE to be clear, concise, and direct. If you're wishy-washy, it comes out muddled and the students wind up less confident than they were when they knew nothing.
But she's gone now. This morning was a surprise. Here it is, our finals are scheduled for next week, and the Dean of Health Sciences addresses our class regarding the "learning deficit" that many of us have been reporting (among other more personal issues). Bam. She passes out an assessment. It's not for a grade, she says. It's just an assessment - a paper covering everything possible in the course and then some. Too bad the majority of the material wasn't covered in class. I listen to everyone freaking around me, shrug, and wing it.
Afterwards, our department director (whom I adore) comes in and announces she will be taking over the class. Finals are DELAYED until further notice. (Great, I wanted a break between summer and fall semester!)Also, we're evidently going to have all of the labs we should have been having (the ones our previous teacher replaced with rambling lectures) next Thursday. She passes out our assessments after the announcements and proceeds to go over every question that the class majority missed.
Most everyone scored low, but I made a 90, so I feel pretty good. At least, maybe relearning a 10 week course in a week and a half won't be as bad for me as it will for the others. It is a bit stressful to have to change all the grid ratios that the previous teacher presented in error. *sighs*
Ah. Such is the life.