These threads reminded me of the worst professor I've ever had.
She waltzes into class on the first day "Blah blah blah, here's the syllabus, blah blah, papers, blah. And if you can't turn in your paper on time, don't bother coming back."
So, first day of class and I'm panicking about a paper I haven't even been assigned yet. A paper that not only counts for so much of my grade that I cannot pass the class without it, but that I can't even turn in if it's so much as an hour late. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect full credit for a late paper without extenuating circumstances, but most professors will give you a reduced grade, or let you do some kind of extra credit. And I'm really, really bad at writing papers. If I can get them written in time, I usually wind up with A's, but I can never get them written in time.
She's also completely unapproachable. Her office hours were few and far between, and the only way we were allowed to contact her was to leave a voicemail on her school line. No email. Period. She refused to use a computer at all.
Class proceeds as normal for a couple of weeks, and I liked the subject enough that I almost enjoyed it despite the fact that I was freaking out over a paper that I didn't have enough information about to get a head start on, and I was too scared to approach the professor to ask about.
Then I show up for class one day, and she's not there. No sub, either, just a note on the door saying class has been canceled for the day. Fantastic. My only class that day canceled. I just wasted a trip and the bus fare. It would have been so easy to send out an email to the class, I know the professors have that option, but no, she won't touch a computer.
The next class period I show up, and it's the same deal, just a note. Wonderful.
And again.
Then she's there for a day. No explanation for her absence, not to mention an apology for wasting our time.
Then she's gone again. At this point I am really pissed at her, because if I, as a student, had missed that many classes I would have been dropped.
The next class period I get to class, and there's no note on the door. Huzzah! Maybe I can actually get the education my parents are paying for. There are seven or eight of us in there, waiting, for about fifteen minutes, 'till someone says "Y'know, she's fifteen minutes late, and none of our classmates have come in for a while, I'm gonna go check the door."
Sure enough, there was now a note there saying class had once again been canceled. Great, so the guy who put the note up couldn't be arsed to stick give us a heads up? Asshole.
As I recall she missed about half the semester before I dropped that class. I don't know why I waited that long.
In hindsight, I wish I'd made some kind of formal complaint. It's one thing if I don't get an education because I fuck about. It's another thing entirely if it's because my teacher does it.
She waltzes into class on the first day "Blah blah blah, here's the syllabus, blah blah, papers, blah. And if you can't turn in your paper on time, don't bother coming back."
So, first day of class and I'm panicking about a paper I haven't even been assigned yet. A paper that not only counts for so much of my grade that I cannot pass the class without it, but that I can't even turn in if it's so much as an hour late. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect full credit for a late paper without extenuating circumstances, but most professors will give you a reduced grade, or let you do some kind of extra credit. And I'm really, really bad at writing papers. If I can get them written in time, I usually wind up with A's, but I can never get them written in time.
She's also completely unapproachable. Her office hours were few and far between, and the only way we were allowed to contact her was to leave a voicemail on her school line. No email. Period. She refused to use a computer at all.
Class proceeds as normal for a couple of weeks, and I liked the subject enough that I almost enjoyed it despite the fact that I was freaking out over a paper that I didn't have enough information about to get a head start on, and I was too scared to approach the professor to ask about.
Then I show up for class one day, and she's not there. No sub, either, just a note on the door saying class has been canceled for the day. Fantastic. My only class that day canceled. I just wasted a trip and the bus fare. It would have been so easy to send out an email to the class, I know the professors have that option, but no, she won't touch a computer.
The next class period I show up, and it's the same deal, just a note. Wonderful.
And again.
Then she's there for a day. No explanation for her absence, not to mention an apology for wasting our time.
Then she's gone again. At this point I am really pissed at her, because if I, as a student, had missed that many classes I would have been dropped.
The next class period I get to class, and there's no note on the door. Huzzah! Maybe I can actually get the education my parents are paying for. There are seven or eight of us in there, waiting, for about fifteen minutes, 'till someone says "Y'know, she's fifteen minutes late, and none of our classmates have come in for a while, I'm gonna go check the door."
Sure enough, there was now a note there saying class had once again been canceled. Great, so the guy who put the note up couldn't be arsed to stick give us a heads up? Asshole.
As I recall she missed about half the semester before I dropped that class. I don't know why I waited that long.
In hindsight, I wish I'd made some kind of formal complaint. It's one thing if I don't get an education because I fuck about. It's another thing entirely if it's because my teacher does it.
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