TITLE: Entry for December 07, 2005, math, I hate math
DATE: 12/07/2005 21:10:52
STATUS: publish
BODY:
I started a new math class, Algebra, and it started out okay. We had a sub the first 2 days, then we got our new teacher. He was a professor at IPFW in electrical engineering.... sounds credible.... He was never oriented into the school and doesn't really know how to teach math. He's very good at it, but will put problems on the board and do some of the work in his head. I'm a step by step person, especially with things I don't or do very well. It was so frustrating I started to self teach... Till I got toward the end of the 2nd chapter. I'm stuck there and the one time I did ask for help, he got frustrated and snapped at me.
I enlisted the help of a work buddy (who tested out of her math classes) and we spent all 40 minutes of my lunch break working on 2 (yes 2) problems. I came into class yesterday and told him I didn't understand this formula.
--I missed Monday because Gavin has pink eye and I had to get him to the Dr's... (that's another blog later on)
Anyway, so he tells me he can't be calling people all over the state of Indiana when we miss class, blah blah blah. I know he didn't call (someone from the college is required to call if you miss class and don't call in) because I have caller ID and I had no messages.
So I can tell he's getting frustrated because I 'just don't get it' and he says "these are simple formulas, if you don't understand these formulas then maybe you shouldn't be in this class." Oh and this is in front of the entire class... I was so mad. (If I understood the formulas then maybe I wouldn't need the class!!) The girl that sat next to me could tell I was spitting nails, so she suggested we talk to the Dean. (2 other times people had talked with the math department chair) So what started out as 2 of us talking to the dean ended up being over 6 of us! He called in the DC and we had a little talk. Said it would improve today.
Today's story (sorry I know this is a long blog, I don't think anyone reads them anymore anyways) I sit in class, still behind on 2.6 and he goes off to 3.something in the book. I skipped that section I was stuck on and started working on the new stuff to get caught up. Luckily they were somewhat unrelated. (I'm sure I'll need the 2.6 info in the near future) at one of the breaks I asked him if I could have my homework back because he passed it back out and I didn't get any. He had 1 paper of the 7 I turned in.
So later on I asked him how many points I had in the class and he said I was at 83%. I was like holey cow!! I know my grade wasn't that low!! I only missed 2 problems on the quiz, I should have been pretty high. So I asked him why it was at 83% & he said it was because I didn't turn in my homework. I was like yes I did, I've turned it all in!! I told him I would do it over and return it in and he said he didn't want me to do that because he had too many papers to shuffle as it was. I told him I didn't want to get counted against me for not doing something I did very well do. (I usually do more homework than required because I need the practice!) I told the Dean yesterday I thought he was going to lose some of our papers.... looks like my prediction was true.
So anyways I was so frustrated because I'm not learning anything and am wasting my gas to go to school I was nearly in tears. One of the girls pulled me into the hallway to get me a breather. I told her maybe I should drop the class and retake it later because I didn't want to ruin my GPA. (I have a 4.0 GPA right now and that's HARD WORK) My plan was to work through the book & get tutoring before I got back in the class so I would know what was going on. Just then the DC walked by and told me that tomorrow was going to be different. We were getting a new instructor. (turns out I wasn't the only one considering dropping out, there were at least 2 others and I think a couple may already have)
He said everything from the time this new teacher came in, points, homework, etc, was going to be wiped clean. We would start from where we left off and if we didn't get through the syllabus, then we didn't get through. I told him as long as I learn something rather than nothing.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Marky G
DATE: 12/08/2005 13:47:09
Like I know what a syllabus is! Is it how silly kids get to school?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: FrogMar
DATE: 12/17/2005 17:46:57
I know what a syllabus is .. it is a class preview ... tells you what is expected of you to get a good grade in the class. All good teachers hand one out in college. If you don't like the teacher though it's a bummer. Sorry you had to go through it but lucky a lot of the kids felt just like you so it made it easier to get the bum out!! Math is always hard after first grade! Good luck helping Gavin when he comes home with his math homework for the first time!!!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Tommyzgrrl96
DATE: 01/18/2006 16:40:31
wow, that teacher is not very good! I'm glad you are getting a new one! Good luck!
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