Education Rant

[birdgirl78]

Sorry in advance for those of you not interested in the current teaching of undergraduate English.
Feel free to skip this entry.

Those of you who know me IRL know that I'm a pretty laid-back teacher.  I want my students to do well; I want them to feel that they 'run' the classroom (although that is, to some extent, an illusion); I want them to make

Comments

[theidolhands]

Well, I loved reading YOUR philosophy and I do find this sort of thing interesting -- as education is essential to us all and our lives long if we're fortunate.

I will be back to read the rest when I get a moment; glad you got it out.

oh dear

[theidolhands]

Unprofessional, overly emotional, and delusional. I wonder, does she have children of her own?

I'm glad you allowed us to read quotes because I might have thought a person was exaggerating upon mere description -- her words speak for themselves.

However, I will tell you that her attitude would be PERFECT for two-year colleges advertised on TV. I'm amazed/impressed that anyone would actually review and lower a grade in the educational system (at this point) -- particularly if deserved. Your suggestion however, a grade-free environment is good. Again though, challenging people is important if you actually want them to develop.

You know, you can't argue with a fool, they are always right. What you wrote was beautiful, it's worthy of passing along to parties who'd appreciate it.

Re: oh dear

[birdgirl78]

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this and reply.

I definitely recognize the need to let the angry crazies speak for themselves LOL. Really, when I was reading her email and her blog, I thought "She's already contradicting her own arguments, and histrionics are just going to make this worse." It also helps that in using her words, I don't have to try to reduce her argument (and potentially misinterpret it).

There are places where people with that attitude can usefully work, but when she signed a contract at Indiana University, she agreed to play by their rules.

She does have a child, and her blog strangely mixes her child-rearing theories with uni education theories. I can't possibly be the only one who thinks there is a HUGE difference between the way 18 month-olds learn and the way 18 year-olds learn.

Thank you so very much for your positivity and kind words.
*huggles*

[birdgirl78]

I consider myself a student advocate, and I'm pretty sure most of my students do as well, if their comments on evaluation forms are to be taken seriously. But there is a limit. And she's actually doing them an active disservice by perpetuating the stereotype that it's the student's worth that is being valued rather than his/her writing

[trishtrash]

Ooh, great rant, with good cause.

Such grading will give the students a false sense of what to expect in a Uni classroom

IKR. (that, right there, is not 'A' work, *grins*)

Students are not going to stretch themselves to their best possible work if a) they don't feel they're earning the grades and b) there isn't a university-wide standard, or any sense of context to them.

What gives this woman away is that she seems to have made no attempt to show that her entire class worked to 'A' grade standard, (surely there's another member of staff who could have adjudicated?), merely whining that she didn't get to give them out and share the fluffiness and delusion with everyone.

[birdgirl78]

Thank you so much for sticking with me and reading through all this. I also love that she didn't try to argue for any standards of the "A-level" writing her class did. Apparently, she's been in this battle all term. The creative writing program runs its teaching pods differently from the composition unit. She was meeting (in her class) with the 2 creative writing directors when the problem first came up

[trishtrash]

You're clearly a far more professional teacher than this woman, despite your self-deprecation; your off-limit topic list makes perfect sense in the teaching/grading arena.

I *totally* judged her writing--and it was mediocre. *blush*

I did think her email sounded like something one of her students should be scolded for writing... far too emotional for the degree of respect she was expecting from the directors of the programme/whoever else was downgrading the work.

[birdgirl78]

awwww thank you!

She obviously didn't think about the genre of her email...or maybe she did, but thought that the emotion would be more effective. I don't know, but everyone seems to be officially keeping quiet on this subject (though we are all chatting amongst ourselves). So maybe it will all blow over soon. *crossing fingers*

Thank you for your kind compliments and, even more, for your continued friendship.
Birdie luffs Trish

[kendokamel]

Oh, my...

[birdgirl78]

I know, right?
Apparently the students are not the only ones who are, as akashiver would say, delicate and unique snowflakes.
*snort*

[ukelelerose]

Wow. This makes me a) glad to be out of organized education, and b) very annoyed. What a horrible thing to do to your students and the reading public. The last thing the world needs is more overinflated fiction artistes.

[birdgirl78]

LOL Yeah, I was discussing this with another woman in my Department (did you ever meet Vanessa?), and we decided that this was the graduate student level of "You don't understand my kids' ART!!!" Complete with flouncing off. *snort*

I didn't include the first part of the 'inappropriate grading' email exchange: apparently the director asked her to come in to discuss the situation and she replied that she didn't want to come to a meeting "unless it was positive." WTF??? I just about rolled laughing there.

Aaaaah, academe....

btw, how are you? Going to be in Btown any time soon?

[ukelelerose]

I don't believe I have met her.

I'm doing okay. More than okay, actually, despite work. I was almost in B'town last week, to take the hubby to work after he totalled his car, but he joined a carpool.

I need to get down there soon to go to Bloomingfoods.

[birdgirl78]

You'll quite like Vanessa...I have to figure out a way to get the two of you together in one space. She wants to raise chickens as well, and I think her partner wants a mini-cow...can't remember exactly.

More than okay? That *is* exciting! I'm very glad to hear that 'cause I know how stressed you've been lately.

I'm sorry to hear about hubby's car! He was uninjured, though, right?

Do let me know when you're coming down...I could do with a Bloomingfoods run. I so rarely go because I'm really making an effort to stick to the cheap stuff and there is so much temptation there, but I do need a couple of things....

*huggles*