The Adjunct

I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but here we go again!

His class is based on the discussion. He likes student who take part in the class. He is hard on grade the essay. Very strict and high-standard. Don’t expect to get A easily. It is extremely hard!

Things this student admits, whether knowingly or unknowingly:

*An A is possible, it is just extremely hard.

*I have high-standards.

*Students who participate do better than those who don’t.

Again, is a professor who has high-standards really something students need to be warned about? Please contemplate the difference between a professor who is strict and has high-standards, such as myself, and a professor who in unfair in their rules and erratic in their behavior. I had professors like that in college: the sort who were just mean and it was impossible to get an A in their class. That’s not what this student is saying about me, and if it were, I’d take note and change my behavior immediately.

What this student is saying is that I am a real college instructor. Someone who has strict rules and adheres to them. Someone who does not give an A or even a B grade unless a student has worked hard and earned it. Someone who does not allow students to sit and stare during discussion, or be otherwise checked out during class, not without ensuring those students will either not pass or barely pass with a C.

Yet, as I read review after review saying this exact same thing, I feel that I am generating bad will because of my work ethic. I feel that slowly the students are reacting, rebelling against the professor who keeps strict attendance, demands high performance, and isn’t afraid to fail anyone who doesn’t work their ass off in the class.

Should I instead just sit back and enjoy the toboggan ride? Take attendance but not enforce any policy regarding excessive absences? Give everyone who shows up and turns something in a B? Reserve C grades for those that failed? Hand out A grades as though they were gold stars for effort? Show twice as many movies, lecture aimlessly and allow students to put their heads down? Give extra credit to anyone who has an excuse for missing class or for not doing the work?

I just can’t help but feel that my ratemyprofessor.com ranking would be much higher. People would say things like, “He’s really nice and the class is fun! Totally recommend!”

Just in time for my birthday, a couple of really nice comments left about me on that miserable site.

He is a VERY good teacher. Lectures with power& inspiration, because he definitely inspired me. He is very STRICT, but he does that to make sure you get ur work done. Class consists of 3 essays(1/month). Easy Quiz everyday. Short Readings everynight. Tough,yet reasonable grader & has a portfolio at the end of the quarter. 1 novel throughout class.

I actually feel uncomfortable when students start saying I inspire them. I’d rather hear comments that indicate strict but fair, because that is a type of pride I can feel comfortable with. Whenever we get into this “he inspired me” stuff I get uncomfortable. Obviously I am touched and proud to have made some kind of impact in someone’s life, but it puts a weird emphasis and added importance to what is still just my day job.

This class is heavily centered around discussions, so be prepared to share. I recommend taking this class if you are willing to put a lot of effort into writing. Believe me, an A is achievable if you really work hard for it. Lewis is more than willing to give input to rough drafts, so take advantage of that.

What I really like about this comment is the idea that the A can be achieved if YOU put the work into it, and that I am there to offer great help if YOU take advantage of me.

I had a student last quarter who got very angry about her failing grade and insinuated that I hadn’t told her what to do to pass the class. She claimed, at the end of the quarter mind you, that I had never fully explained the concepts she was being expected to demonstrate in her essay, that my lectures were sparse and left her confused. I countered that she never ONCE raised her hand and asked a question. Not once. I also added that she missed many of the key lectures due to her frequent absences and never sought to make up the work. In addition to all this, her essays failed because none of them were even close to the minimum page length (most were less than half of what I asked for) and all of them were incomprehensible attempts at empty summary.

So rarely is the emphasis upon what a student puts into class, and so often it is recriminations against the teacher. When I was in graduate school a fellow candidate responded to my own complaints about the faculty by saying, “These professors can’t teach you anything, but you can learn quite a lot from them if you put in the effort.” Veyr true.

I guess that is why I feel uncomfortable at the idea of my class inspiring someone. Inspire yourself. Show us what you can do.

Hey non-professors, how’d you like to get half a dozen of these fucking things, posted anonymously on the internet for all to see, about you everytime you finish a quarter’s worth of projects at work?

And know that all future clients, as well as your co-workers and boss, read them before working with you?

he is a little awkard…but very nice and you will learn…be prepared to be lectured though..he kind of go offs and likes to ramble…but he is an excellent teacher who helps you improve your writing…very very easy. only a couple of essays and lets you correct it.

Damn it, I don’t like confirmation that I…uh…ramble. That’s going to get stuck in my head while teaching and only cause me to ramble more. Uh…uh…uh…

Ah, the winter solstice! Classes are done, grades are in, and the spirit of the season is upon us at ratemyprofessor.com:

He is helpful and his explanations are clear. willing to stay after class and answer all your questions. One thing is he seldom gives high grades. I got a C in his class but I think I really learnt a lot from it. Think twice before you take his class

Think twice before taking a class where the professor is helpful and his explanations are clear? Think twice before taking a class where you will learn a lot? If you got a C, then maybe the fault is not mine.

Students just want an easy A. What really drives me to despair is that they acknowledge that the class is teaching them things, and that I am performing my job well, but they don’t value it.

A new comment was left about me on ratemyprofessor.com:

This class is a challenge so u better be ready to work hard. He is a very hard grader and wants near perfection on essays. He tends to ramble and say “uh” about 50 times, but he is helpful. You have to work hard to get a good grade, if u do mediocre work u will get a C

“The class is a challenge so u better be ready to work hard.” Given the rest of the student’s comment, I feel this is meant to convey a negative aspect of the class, but I am very happy to hear that my class is a challenge and that my students need to work hard. “He is a very hard grader and wants near perfection on essays.” Again, I am proud that I am not an easy grader who doesn’t expect great work and great effort from students. An easy grader who accepts any piece of shit essay is who we need less of at college, not more of.

I’d also like to respond to the following: “You have to work hard to get a good grade, if u do mediocre work u will get a C.” Why shouldn’t you have to work hard to get a good grade? I understand frustration from students at working hard just to pass, but this student seems annoyed that hard work is expected in order to get a good grade. If students who do mediocre work in my class are indeed getting a C, then I really have fucked up, and I’m sorry. Mediocre work should get a D, not a C. I know this student intended to convey that mediocre work should score higher than a C, but I am forced to respond by making my criteria for passing more strict.

Oh, and finally: “He tends to ramble and say “uh” about 50 times, but he is helpful.” So the fact that I am actually a helpful teacher is countered, with apparent equality, by the fact I say uh a lot. Do you know who else says uh a lot? The president. Why? Because he’s fucking smart and wants to make sure the words he is using are the absolute best to convey the often complex thoughts he is trying to express.

You know who doesn’t…uh…care if you do…uh…mediocre work? Uh…uh…McDonald’s.

A new comment was left about me on ratemyprofessor.com:

Got me interested in writing again. A very caring and thorough person, more importantly, very passionate in his occupation because it rubs off onto his students. … Class involvement definitely brings insights about literature. VERY PASSIONATE!

I’m not a fan of the site, and you’ll hear a critique from me about it eventually, but it is nice every now and then to hear you’re doing a good job.