Sunday, November 19, 2006

%&#*! Homework!!!!

I am so fed up with this architectural history class that I am going on strike. I am not doing homework all weekend.

That's all I've been doing for the last three weekends: homework. For this ONE class! Because the ditzy little teacher has a Napoleonic complex that has her believing that her class is the only one that matters. And she assigns homework and projects accordingly. We had two large projects due and a test last week. And we have two even larger projects due shortly after Thanksgiving recess.

It's so aggravating because this is the best time of the year to be in Phoenix. Daytime temperatures are in the 70s and 80s. And I have wasted many beautiful weekends compiling data for and creating architectural history notebooks. Well, %&#* that $#!T! I'm taking my family sailing today.

Homework aside, the instructor for this class is such a piece of...work! Our latest assignment is a group project. We have to profile a historic furniture designer. Topics were assigned by drawing little slips of paper with the subject's name on them. When I doubted the spelling of our guy's name, she responded in a snippy, high pitched tone: "Yep! That's the right spelling!" I put my hands on my hips and looked down my nose at her: "Really?" I said in my best skeptical Alexis Carrington voice, "We'll see".

Am I to believe that every single solitary research website is wrong and the Allison Sugarbaker of college instructors is right? I wanted to ask her that, but I was too big of a chicken $#!T. Besides, I have to tolerate this insufferable woman for a few more weeks.

Sort of. According to the spring course catalog, she is teaching the modern architecture class--a class I need for my degree. NOOOOO!!!! I have grappled back and forth as to whether I should take the class. I have decided against it. There are other classes I want to take more, anyway. And if I'm lucky, a different instructor will be teaching that class a few semesters from now.

I'm really looking forward to the end of the semester...especially the part when we get to fill out performance evaluations on our instructors. My mouth is watering just thinking about that one. I plan on commenting about her lack of empathy toward a student who couldn't afford the $100+ textbook (he ended up having to drop the class.) I will comment about her incessant whining about the slowness of the computer (all her lectures are on PowerPoint). I will rant about how slow she is about getting the PowerPoint slides installed onto the student server (we need to study these for the tests). I will gripe about how she's nonchalant about her own mistakes but openly dresses down the class for theirs.

I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, when and if Miss Allison asks me if I'm taking the modern architecture class, I'm going to smile and say: "Not if you're teaching it!"

4 comments:

Ces Adorio said...

Oh Vasl,

It is so distressing to have an awful teacher or someone hellish you are forced to put up with. I just hope that there is some resolution to this problem and perhaps another teacher will teach the required course. I am so sorry to read about your difficulties. Unfortunately I have no words of wisdom. In my experience, I just put up with these types of instructors and hopefully the semester will be over soon.

Anonymous said...

Back home (that's in Manila), we have a term for professors like Allison Sugarbaker - "terror!" Students have mixed feelings "terror" teachers - there are those who are propelled to study harder and there are some who are not motivated to attend class and eventually drops out. My personal take on that is - IF YOU TEACH BE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR STUFF, cause hostility means insecurity.

and to think her last name is SUGARbaker where's the sweetness there???!!!

m.e.

PS: may I say your post (cause of your writing style) made me smile?

PS2: is that a bad thing to say?

PS3:(not the playstation 3) on your comment - Different Effect now that you mentioned it, they kinda look like blown glass, they are balloons lovely colorful balloons... thanks again for visiting.

Ms. Val said...

Ces, thank you. I can't help thinking that she'll tone down the workload for future semesters. She certainly complains about having to grade it all!

Maria, Allison Sugarbaker is a TV character on Designing Women. That's just the best analogy I can offer up in describing this instructor.

I'm glad you enjoyed my writing style on this post. You're easy to please!!!!!

Anonymous said...

lol! ok from now I'll try and watch Designing Women! LOL!