Rant-demonium
Only a few more days 'till exams start. I've decided to rant. What are you going to do about it? That's what I thought.
None of the teachers do as much work as they need to. Or, rather, as much work as we need them to. Apathy and laziness are now the fool's gold pillars supporting the institution of public schools, and quite frankly they need to be, at the very least, repainted.
...
I have no idea what I just meant by that, so I'll move on. In Chemistry, as I said before, the teachers didn't feel like teaching some portions of the curriculum, but we'll still have those questions on the exam, they just won't be counted. And this is a county exam. This is something that MCPS, idiotic as their plans usually are, felt like everyone needed to know. Quite frankly, I know we at Whitman are very privileged and overall do better on tests and things of that nature. However, that doesn't make us exempt from doing the work like everybody else. It seems the official policy of Whitman's science department is to hand out books, then never assign readings or problems. I've had 3 straight semesters of this, and even though I know my life is hectic enough, it would be nice to not have to wait until a test to see if I understand something. My teacher told us today that there used to be too much rush and activity in the curriculum. But I'LL TAKE THAT ANYDAY over not doing anything and constantly being on the edge of a grade.
Also, what's up with the history department. Most of the teachers (including both of mine for my 2 classes) are really good, yet when it comes to crunch time, we got nothing. We didn't review at all in AP US, and AP NSL was just a do-it-yourself packet. They should put such good teachers to use. And Spanish class doesn't even have a review packet this year. They practically haven't written the exam. So alls we have is a loosely defined idea of what will be covered. And English has been doing the absolute minimum. Of course, I've come to expect that of Ms. Essers.
5 Comments:
Wait... what?! Essers the absolute minimum?! Eric, she's done review. That's more than any other English teaher I've ever had. The fact that she worked on Grammer is a miracle in and of itself being as to the fact that none of the other teachers in whitman do. About the Chemistry thing, probably the reason that the didn't bother teaching it was because it's not worth it. Do you really think that you need to know how to name acids? Perhaps the reason they didn't teach whatever it was, was because it was inane, pointless, or stupid. And finally: My NSL teacher gave us a full week of review, don't be so quick to judge the entire department. Maybe it's just that your teachers blow hm? You ever think about it that way? Eric, I feel like you're ranting needs refining. You generalize everything, it's never "Mr. Jarkatokovsky, my bloborty teacher, was too stupid to program in any review and forgot to print a review packet, and now I fear I'll fail!" it's always "Because Mr. Jarkatokovsky, my bloborty teacher, was too stupid to program in any review and forgot to print a review packet, I condem the entirety of the MCPS PROGRAM! FOOLS! FOOLS ONE AND ALL!"
Actually, my ranting is more than what you say. I take ideas that I've culled from many points of experience and then make generalizations, using the most poignant example. My sister's AP Bio teacher, her Chem teacher, my H. Bio teacher, and (to a lesser extent) her APES teacher were all bad. And they all still are teaching. I was wrong about Essers, though. We've done more in some of my previous classes (how's that for using your own exp. to make generalizations, Kit?), but in retrospect and in comparison to other dept.s, she did a decent job.
Eric... haven't you ever exaggeratted a point or how "bad" a teacher is when you complain to your parents and/or siblings? Even if you haven't, I'm sure that your sister is guilty of it, and you can't really cite someone else's experience as your own evidence. Especially something as insubstantial as what could very well have been a passing comment (and to suggest that they should have been fired for the crime of bad teaching? for shame!). And please don't act so high and mighty about some of your English teachers doing more. Note how that quote went: "That's more than any other English teaher I've ever had." It was not: "That's more than any other English teacher that you, I, or anybody else has ever had."
I guess what I really have an issue with is that you sound so condecending... "in retrospect and in comparison to other dept.s, she did a decent job." Although I'm sure this isn't the way you're trying to sound (or maybe you are, who am I to judge?), it does feel like you look at your teachers like they're dirt. "...were all bad. And they all still are teaching." What are you suggesting? That because someone didn't teach the way that your sister didn't like they should be fired? It's not even your testimony and you act like you're better! An example on my end is that a lot of people don't like the way Ms. O'Donoghue teaches. They feel like she "moves too fast," or "doesn't review enough." I get an A in her class and I feel like I learn from her "brand" of teaching better than any other way. It's a different kind of teaching, and some people like it, some don't. Are you going to hate the same teachers? Maybe, maybe not, but don't act high and mighty based on insubstantial facts.
--Kit
P.S.
Please don't hate me, I was just trying to provide you with another perspective.
I don't hate you, I'm just seething with rage that will be unleashed....someday...*evil chuckle*. No, just kidding, I'm not going to kill you or anything*. I do enjoy the different perspective, though. And as for evidence, I'd prefer not to disclose my sister's or my grades or any of the other personal details relating to the teachers I gripe about. I know it seems superficial, but I'm not quite as candid and open online as you are, Kit.
"I'm not going to kill you or anything*"
Where's the disclaimer?! I want to know what the star is! (and just as a side note I really do want to know... that's like me saying: "I love you*!" *any love actual or implied is subject to a 90 day trial period before use, if this should succeed then subject may presume actual love or dump you. no guarantees or warrantees.)
Okay, really quickly stop for one second and say nothing about your sister. It's all third party data and 100% uncheckable (Besides, what does posting a grade prove? I've gotten a C in a class where other people were getting A's, what does it prove?). Second of all who said anything about superficial? I'm saying that you seem to be condescending. Or if you need some other big words to throw around: arrogant, disdainful, egotistic, lofty, lordly, patronizing, smart ass, snobbish, snooty, supercilious, superior, uppish, uppity. My point is that you're talking down. You act like you're so much better. Even in your replies to me! "I'm not quite as candid and open online as you are, Kit." You act like I'm a whore to the internet! And why?! For the love of god why?! What have I done that makes you feel like I'm being overly open to the world? Hell I keep 90% of my personal info to myself. What have I revealed to the world that makes me more candid? Especially, as you imply, personal information? There's a difference between backing up and argument and being overly candid. I don't think I've crossed that line yet, but you haven't backed up your argument, you've just said something along the lines of: "I could back up my argument, but I choose instead to argue with kit."
Certainly, you could just respond with: "I feel like I should leave names andpersonal details out of this, so I'm not going to say anything more about my teachers." But I still feel like you should say something along the lines of: "Well, to date, my teach has lost X number of speeches that I turned in and gave me an F when I blamed her/him. I also think that he/she isn't teaching very well considering the fact that no one in our class got above a C on the last test. Blah blah blah complain complain..." You see what I mean? I feel like you've condemmed everyone without saying "well I only know it to have been this teacher, but..." Right off the bat from the beginning of this rant: "None of the teachers do as much work as they need to. Or, rather, as much work as we need them to." It doesn't explicitly or implicitly imply just your teachers, you imply every teacher on the planet. I feel like you say "I'm less lazy and therefore better than ALL of these teachers. I mean, don't they ignore everything but there work from sun up to sunrise for that puny paycheck public school teachers get?" And another time I feel like you're implying that MCPS is the problem and not your teachers is: "We didn't review at all in AP US, and AP NSL was just a do-it-yourself packet. They should put such good teachers to use." But at the same time it's another one of those situations where maybe it's just that your teacher doesn't have the time because they've got a social life. I dunno, this rant just made me mad. There's a lot of things that I feel like maybe you were letting some inner monolouge out and didn't think it through before posting.
Post a Comment
<< Home