I'm having so much fun in Calc III learning about wectors:jimlad:
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I'm having so much fun in Calc III learning about wectors:jimlad:
My freshman year I had to help my English prof. look over an essay. she didnt even know english well enough to teach anything in the states. was very frustrating but had a few gymnastics girls in class so I never switched classes. :biggrin:
The reason this continues is because students do not understand their role in the process. Point being, students are customers and bring in revenue, just as the researchers do.
Students need to act like customers. If you don't like the product, tell them. Go to the university president if necessary. Ask for your money back. Seems crazy, but if everyone sits on their hands and does nothing, their revenue source will continue to come in and nothing will change. Be a thorn in their side.
Most kids at that age are somewhat passive because they don't really understand how the world works. Take my advice - be a ***** until you get satisfaction.
When I was working at ISU I had to spend an entire week taping the interviews that they do for international students "auditioning" to be T.A.'s. It's actually a really interesting process: they had 5 minutes to give a lecture over basic material for the major they would be a T.A. for. Then they had 3 minutes of Q&A from the three "judges" in the room to determine comprehension of questions. It seemed that they would pass about 1 student per every 4 applicants (be lucky you don't have one of the other three). I understand that it may be frustrating to sit through a class with a hard to understand T.A., but if the T.A. is at least comprehendible then cut them some slack - this is their job. Most don't want to be a T.A. and are using the experience as a stepping stone to a research position or a faculty position, but I will say that they do take the T.A. position very seriously if they can get it.
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Originally Posted by 3GenClone
i really don't mind ta's, it is just this one in particular. I know people come here for a better life, i know this is a job they have to do to pursue their career, BUT this one is excruciatingly non qualified.
2 out of the 3 classes she has showed up late. She is missing 2 of this weeks classes and having another person teach. She messes up a LOT and erases, and skips then backtracks even though she wrote it down on her paper she stares at all the time. That with the very minimal english she has is throwing everyone off.
We had another teacher come in to teach the class today, spoke very little english as well, but he did everything in an orderly and methodical fashion that he made the section look EXTREMELY easy. Every example problem he asked us to try out from the book I answered about 30 seconds each question.
So I know for a fact it is not me that can't comprehend this material, it is the teacher who can't teach. The sub today was a tease because as much as im trying to get straight a's this semester, the permanent teacher is without a doubt going to hurt my chances a lot.
Students pay to be here to learn. I'm not paying 10k this semester alone to be taught by someone unqualified to do their job. I'm not trying to be such a *****, but my future is on the line. She can teach a class that is more reading based.
Wow, is this thread still going? Drop your class, get a teacher who can speak..... end of thread.....
Some things never change. As a 34 yr old student in 1980, I was going to considerable trouble and expense with a full time job and little children to try to finish my BS. Like you, I enrolled in Calc (required for my major). Like you I drew a foreign instructor who spoke not a word that could be understood by the class. So, I hired a tutor. At my first meeting with the tutor, I learned that he was a Pakistani who also could not speak english. How I made it through that course I will never know. Professors ***** about athletics and the large salaries of coaches, and protest anything within 400 yards of religious that might be included in athletics. All the while they work on research and getting published and hire people who cannot communicate to teach for them. They do have the patent for this, though. At least 50% of the time when I call an 800 number, I get someone I can't understand. It is maddening. Report it to the dean and encourage all your classmates to do the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc936
I really think the big issue is the Prof - whose responsibility it is to present the class, doesn't care. In most cases these are students on fellowships, very proficient with the subject matter but incompetent with the language. The prof has to have someone run the class and he is not forced to put someone in there who can speak the language. The only remedy is to go to the dean of the dept, dean of students - and I would write an email to the Prez, Geoffrey. He seems like a good guy and would probably appreciate knowing about this - and would probably do something.Quote:
Originally Posted by aeroclone
Yep, I suggest finding a small, teaching oriented college. I've done coursework at community colleges, small colleges, large public universities like ISU, and elite ivy universities. The Harvards and Yales care about teaching as little as ISU does. Schools like Upper Iowa, Grinnell etc might be a good fit for you. I agree that students need to act like buyers. Be aware of what you are buying, before you buy. ISU has different strengths than does Grinnell. And it seems you value the Grinnell style more.
It's like going to a dentist for a heart condition...
This is why I dropped Calc this morning. When you're taking an exam and can't even read the questions cause it's in partial English then you're already doomed to fail. This school is becoming increasingly frustrating.
I'd at least go to small claims court to get my tuition back, right before I notified the media what I was doing. Who knows where it could lead on a slow news day.
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Originally Posted by usedcarguy
Though, the news is anything but slow right now :-(. However, when it does slow down I have a lot that the media should know about at ISU. This school makes me sick, it's not the school I went to five years ago when I was getting my first degree. Really has lowered it's standards.
Man, that sucks. I think it has been a long time since there has been a majority of English as a first language TAs.