Nightmare Teachers/Lecturers

[clapham_gull]

I doing a bit of self education outside of work at the moment at University and have just had a marvelously frosty enchange with an academic.

I've got to do an essay and have been browsing around the website of a Romanian professor who is a leader in his field and made an enquiry on his website about buying some one of his books.

( Just after, I found his Wikipedia entry and it noted that the man is "difficult", although further research on the web found that to be the underestimate...)

I got an email back from the site and after a couple of mails I realised I was talking to the man himself.

After a few exchanges he concluded..

- I'm not intelligent enough to even contemplate the subject in hand

- If I do, don't bother reading ANYTHING else on the subject apart from his stuff because it's worthless. He is the only person on the planet who understands it, apart from one other person (who agrees that he is the only one who understands it..)

- The fact that I am studying is "better than nothing", but 95% of the stuff I will be being taught "is crap"




Anyone else have experience of similar teachers / lecturers ?

 

[bigc]

What was his name?

I had a Romanian lecturer like that but I don't think he is a professor.

 

[El Presidente]

Anyone else have experience of similar teachers / lecturers ?

I have those experiences every day!

 

[strings]

Yup, Lecturers basically get paid to argue with other people in journals/books - teaching for most of them is an annoying aside. Many academics will try and put their interpretation of things across as gospel and refuse to acknowledge the opposing, yet equally valid, points of others.

 

[El Presidente]

Many academics will try and put their interpretation of things across as gospel and refuse to acknowledge the views of opposing, yet equally valid, points of others.

It's a bit like NSC then

 

[sir danny cullip]

I have a really issue with lecturers looking down their noses at students, really pisses me off! Not sure if it's just my field but you would think all the academics have travelled to the third world doing good deeds or held top positions in city firms (something creditworthy) rather than sitting in their offices all day drinking coffee and bitching about other academic's views.

 

[strings]

I have a really issue with lecturers looking down their noses at students, really pisses me off!

I have noticed that undergraduates are just seen as annoying little shits (even the 86 year old undergraduate at the back of the lecture that looks half-dead). Postgraduate students are OK, as long as they pretend to have read all their lecturers books. If you want proper respect from a lecturer you need a doctorate, fact.

The same goes for anybody who works in a non-Academic function at a University, they look at you down their noses, unless you are in a management role.

 

[sir danny cullip]

If you want proper respect from a lecturer you need a doctorate, fact.

The same goes for anybody who works in a non-Academic function at a University, they look at you down their noses, unless you are in a management role.

Luckily I don't want either respect from them or to do a doctorate...can think of better ways to spend the next three hundred years!!

Support staff are pretty similar actually, seem to think theyre the dog bollocks. No need for it really just makes everyone a bit narky.

 

[strings]

Luckily I don't want either respect from them or to do a doctorate...can think of better ways to spend the next three hundred years!!

Support staff are pretty similar actually, seem to think theyre the dog bollocks. No need for it really just makes everyone a bit narky.

 

[sir danny cullip]

which bit of that offended/depressed you?

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Luckily I don't want either respect from them or to do a doctorate...can think of better ways to spend the next three hundred years!!

Support staff are pretty similar actually, seem to think theyre the dog bollocks. No need for it really just makes everyone a bit narky.

Hmmm.... don't think any of my students have described me the way teachers have been described here... but maybe they do it behind my back..... oh well.

When at uni one of my best friends was a girl from a catholic family who was having an affair with a married man. She came one morning to lectures in tears as she had just found out she was pregnant. The lecturer, seeing her tears called out in front of 20 students... 'Don't worry dear, take some valium! It worked for me when I lost my breast!'

 

[strings]

I work as an administrator in a University. Although I cannot really argue with your point about support staff, because for the most part you are right!

 

[brightonlass2009]

None of our teachers/lecturers look down on us, but one of them effectively told us that our degree it useless.
He was telling us about something completely irrelevent to Politics, and then stated
'Oh well it's not as if you're going to use this degree is it.'

Bloody charming.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Well, you know what they say -

Those who can do , Those who can't te.......

*ducks and runs for cover*

 

[El Presidente]

I've been lecturing at Uni for 6 years, and 14 years in the private sector. The majority are hard working (ish) and take a pride in their job, but there is a noticeable minority who are a disgrace to the profession. That is probably true of all jobs though, we probably all have work colleagues who take the piss when it comes to giving support to those who need it.

All of my students have my mobile phone number, facebook details, email, to make access and availability easier. I've set up a website for them on which I put up vidcast solutions to past exam questions, tutorials, and so on. I referee their football matches on a Wednesday afternoon and get called all the names under the sun, and give back too. I try to negotiate discounts with publishers for book prices, as many students are operating under financial hardship. Some of us do care, it should be all of us though.

I'm really sorry to hear that you are being treated so shabbily, I would recommend you either speak to the student union, or write to the Dean (and copy also to the vice chancellor). They take these things seriously, especially with student numbers falling over the next few years due to demographics.

Some students don't help themselves too, but again it is a minority who give the majority a bad name.

 

[El Presidente]

Well, you know what they say -

Those who can do , Those who can't te.......

*ducks and runs for cover*

....and those that can't teach...........lecture

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

....and those that can't teach...........lecture

aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh... that's why I don't lecture.....

 

[withdeanwombat]

And the moral is: Don't meddle with your intellectual superiors.

 

[Notters]

What are you studying Clapham? I haven't had any problems with mine...

 

[fatbadger]

The majority are hard working (ish) and take a pride in their job, but there is a noticeable minority who are a disgrace to the profession. ... Some students don't help themselves too, but again it is a minority who give the majority a bad name.

Spot on, on both counts.