Do teachers realize that if 3/4 of your class flunks one of your exams....?

Question

that it doesn't mean they don't get the material...it means YOU didn't teach it adequately?

My daughter is a chem major in college, and does very well. She literally spent her entire "break" studying approximately 200 pages of material covering 4 chapters. Now, I don't even pretend to know anything about chemistry....but SHE does, and by the end of the week she was literally in tears wondering how she was ever going to remember it all. The class was given ONE HOUR to do the exam.....3/4 of the class outright failed because they didn't have enough time to finish it. She is devastated. How can this be fair?!

Mind you...this is the same "professor" who does not allow questions during his lectures, OR labs. If the students have a question about ANYTHING, they have to make an appointment to ask it during his "regular office hours". What has happened to TEACHING?? I am paying too much for "production line academics"!

Professors ARE teachers if they have a classful of students.

Answer 1

You're absolutely right in EVERYTHING you say. Please know that we DO realize it means we need to reteach the material. Your daughter's got a bum teacher. I always assumed a lot of what I do as a teacher is common sense, but I'm finding more and more that it really is a gift/skill that not everyone has. You ARE paying too much money in college for them to not actually teach the material. It also seems really stupid and a waste of time to require students to schedule appointments to ask questions during office hours. He'd have way less office hours if he would just answer the questions in class. YOU shouldn't do anything about it. Your daughter, on the other hand, should. I would recommend having her take her concerns to the chair of the department (unless he's it). Make sure she makes it very clear that she works hard and is not expecting handouts or dumbed down material and that she WANTS to learn what is being taught...But it needs to be taught. Even on a college level, people are not simply sponges meant to take in and memorize information. It's the APPLICATION of knowledge that demonstrates one's knowledge. Best wishes!

Answer 2

In addition to what's been said--is your daughter in a large university or a small college? At the university, not only are these 'weeder' classes, but also, the professor probably gets very little "credit" (towards promotion, raises, research, etc.) for teaching these kinds of classes. At large universities, such as the one where I'm a professor, the value is on research, grant-getting, awards, etc. It's no excuse for bad teaching of course, but it's a reality of university life.

At smaller colleges, there is often much more credit given towards teaching, so time and energy is put into making good teachers. My brother is a chem professor at a small college and says he could never return to the large university lifestyle. He likes teaching, and teaching well.

Unlike in K12, college professors require absolutely, and I mean, absolutely no training or experience in teaching to walk in front of a classroom. Many merely imitate the way they were taught, and thus perpetuate some bad methods.

Finally, all that said, part of the college experience is letting your daughter tough it out. It's too bad, but this isn't WalMart. She's not a "customer" -- she is a student who will have good and bad professors. She needs to learn to cope with both, and understand why some classes will be impossibly hard, and others will be easy A's.

No one said life was fair. But, it sure is fun.

Answer 3

Keep in mind that some classes in college settings are still 'weeding out' classes. If it is a survey or starter class, it is possible that there may be 200 students in a class. Maybe the professor is 'forced' to teach the class when he wants to work with his 20-30 'core' (upper level) students. Now its not an excuse, but how much teaching can go on with 200+ in a class? It's more like lecture, solo reading, then test. So if this is the case, it happens.

However, if this is an upper level class, then there is no room for this and maybe a complaint should be filed, or at the very least, the professor needs to be talked to.

Answer 4

When a student (or an entire class of students) fails a test it is not because the teacher failed to teach. No one can put knowledge into someone else's brain. I suspect the problem really lies in the professor not communicating adequately what his expectations are of the students.

If your daughter is really concerned, she should talk about this with the professor (during his office hours, of course). If that doesn't resolve the problems, she should then talk with the department chair. She should also encourage other students in the class to do the same.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that a professor would discourage students from asking intelligent questions during class, and *especially* during lab. If that really is true, his department chair should be made aware of it.

Answer 5

ok...is this a 100 or 200 level class?? especially for chem majors, they put a LOT of "weed out" classes at the beginning...you know, the ones with the huge lecture halls? this is because a lot of kids think they want to be in the sciences, and they realize they can't cut it. not everyone can make it. these courses are at the beginning, and they are put their intentionally....to pressure those who don't belong there to drop out of that major. any science major will tell you...the HARDEST classes are at the beginning...you get NO help, NO teacher contact, nothing! but they are there to insure that only the truly dedicated will make it.

this is college, not high school. going is a CHOICE and a privelage. the teacher is not a teacher, he's/she's a proffesional who is doing their OWN research. they simply teach the class to get use of the labs and grant money. it's the students job to go the extra mile and figure out what he/she is trying to say. this teacher should also have a TA. that's what the TA is for...to answer the questions of the kids who don't get it.

i'm guessing your child is a freshman or sophmore?? mainly because i don't think you'd be writing in if she were older, you sound a little protective (that's a good, supportive thing) and also i don't think she'd be crying if she were in the upper levels, and upper level classes are not like this.

so...either your child isn't cut out for chem, or she'll tough it out and really make it, and the classes WILL get better. but for now, this is how things work.

Answer 6

Boy, some teachers will get mad if you tell that one to them. Imagine it something like this. You have a factory and you have production lines that make teddy bears. One production line makes these mutant 3 armed, two headed bears. The people on the production line say it is not their fault. It is the bears that are the problem. Who do you fire? The bears or the people who are refusing to make them correctly?

I have heard teachers brag that no one can make an A in their class. That is someone bragging about being a bad teacher.

Answer 7

That sounds harsh, but some tests are designed so students will not be able to complete the whole thing. It's like an IQ test. You never get through the whole thing and you never get everything right.

Answer 8

Teacher or professor? Makes a difference you know.

Answer 9

This question would fit much better in the "Higher Education" section. Teachers in college are usually called Professors and teachers in K-12 are called teachers.

Answer 10

Well, they're not getting much of an education in high school anymore, dear. This sounds unfair, but let me tell you what.
That's a life lesson tht's more than substantial- there are bosses who will do the same thign to you.
Better to learn to deal with the real world than be coddled.