Thick Accented Professors

[HurricaneKatt]

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So I have always looked forward to taking Genetics and was super excited to finally be taking it! 🙂 However, I have a neo-nazi teacher, who is also Asian with a REALLY REALLY thick accent. I really wanted to get a lot out of this class, but I admittedly have a lot of trouble understanding even slight Eastern accents, including Oiental and Russian accents. On top of that, she does not like teaching (she hates it actually) and expects us to come in, sit down and stare ahead and listen like zombies, and leave. We are not even allowed to ask questions!!!! 😱 I ALWAYS ask questions in class because it helps me understand and remember things, and I like to Learn how stuff applies. All of my professors respond really well and even get excited and go off on tangents about some scientific research or another. Personally, this is how I learn best - I am interested in the topic and want to know more. I think that professors should enjoy the topic too.
Here is part of the syllabus (underlining and stuff is all done by the prof, red obviously by me):
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is essential to perform well in this course. Class attendance is expected and students may be force dropped for non-attendance as stated in the catalog.

It is the student’s responsibility to prove attendance. Students must attend on time and write own name on attendance check sheet. Forgetting writing name is an unacceptable excuse. It is not allowed to write other person’s name. Instructor can recognize each person’s handwriting and distinguish each other. Writing other person’s name is recognized as cheating, and punishment, including being expelled from the course, may be given. Expelled for something as silly as writing down another name? !What if you both come in together and one of you signs the two in so that the other can grab seats?



If I miss class (not that I want to but still) that is my problem - I paid for it so it is my loss not yours.


STUDENT DECORUM:
Talking during lecture is not tolerated. Walking around is not tolerated either. what if I have to pee? First time offenders will be given a gentle reminder and asked to desist either during or after lecture: repeat offenders will be automatically referred to the UAA Dean of Students (Dr. Bruce Shultz).

Eating during lecture is not permitted.

Students who have questions should come in office hours, instead of interrupting lectures. Only quick questions are permitted, but if they are not quick questions, instructor will request to come in office hours. That is my favorite part. 🙄


Be prepared before coming in office hours. It is not acceptable to teach whole chapter during office hours.
Regardless of any reasons, instructor will not give a special lecture for students who missed lecture. Ok for these two, reasonable - but it is kind of a prik thing to say it - it is already implied.

Regarding genetics lab (BIOL A252L), students must contact lab instructor(s) for questions. I will not answer to the questions regarding lab.


Okay, so I can't understand her accent, I can't ask questions, I can't even get up to go to the bathroom or eat food (when you go straight from class to class all day you tend to get hungry right around lunchtime)...! sorry about the long post I needed to A vent and B ask for advice on how I can study since she tests from lecture and not really the book but I can't understand her or ask questions To understand...

 

[JaggerPlate]

So I have always looked forward to taking Genetics and was super excited to finally be taking it! 🙂 However, I have a neo-nazi teacher, who is also Asian with a REALLY REALLY thick accent. I really wanted to get a lot out of this class, but I admittedly have a lot of trouble understanding even slight Eastern accents, including Oiental and Russian accents. On top of that, she does not like teaching (she hates it actually) and expects us to come in, sit down and stare ahead and listen like zombies, and leave. We are not even allowed to ask questions!!!! 😱 I ALWAYS ask questions in class because it helps me understand and remember things, and I like to Learn how stuff applies. All of my professors respond really well and even get excited and go off on tangents about some scientific research or another. Personally, this is how I learn best - I am interested in the topic and want to know more. I think that professors should enjoy the topic too.
Here is part of the syllabus (underlining and stuff is all done by the prof, red obviously by me):
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is essential to perform well in this course. Class attendance is expected and students may be force dropped for non-attendance as stated in the catalog.

It is the student’s responsibility to prove attendance. Students must attend on time and write own name on attendance check sheet. Forgetting writing name is an unacceptable excuse. It is not allowed to write other person’s name. Instructor can recognize each person’s handwriting and distinguish each other. Writing other person’s name is recognized as cheating, and punishment, including being expelled from the course, may be given. Expelled for something as silly as writing down another name? !What if you both come in together and one of you signs the two in so that the other can grab seats?



If I miss class (not that I want to but still) that is my problem - I paid for it so it is my loss not yours.


STUDENT DECORUM:
Talking during lecture is not tolerated. Walking around is not tolerated either. what if I have to pee? First time offenders will be given a gentle reminder and asked to desist either during or after lecture: repeat offenders will be automatically referred to the UAA Dean of Students (Dr. Bruce Shultz).

Eating during lecture is not permitted.

Students who have questions should come in office hours, instead of interrupting lectures. Only quick questions are permitted, but if they are not quick questions, instructor will request to come in office hours. That is my favorite part. 🙄


Be prepared before coming in office hours. It is not acceptable to teach whole chapter during office hours.
Regardless of any reasons, instructor will not give a special lecture for students who missed lecture. Ok for these two, reasonable - but it is kind of a prik thing to say it - it is already implied.

Regarding genetics lab (BIOL A252L), students must contact lab instructor(s) for questions. I will not answer to the questions regarding lab.


Okay, so I can't understand her accent, I can't ask questions, I can't even get up to go to the bathroom or eat food (when you go straight from class to class all day you tend to get hungry right around lunchtime)...! sorry about the long post I needed to A vent and B ask for advice on how I can study since she tests from lecture and not really the book but I can't understand her or ask questions To understand...

That's absurd. These sound like rules substitute teachers give elementary school kids. This professor sounds brand new and should treat the students as adults. I've NEVERRR seen a teach who discouraged asking questions. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a teacher who didn't state the first day of class to always ask questions. What type of college do you attend? Small/private??

 

[Med Addict]

If I miss class (not that I want to but still) that is my problem - I paid for it so it is my loss not yours.

Professors will sometimes force students to attend their class in the hopes that they will get a better evaluation at the end of the quarter. They think that if they force students to come to class, even if the lectures are useless, they will somehow get a better evaluation. So your solution is, if you cannot drop the class, then give her a very critical evaluation when the quarter ends and when professor evaluations are due.

And one more quick question, can't you just drop that class and take it when another professor is teaching? I did that all the time, infact, I took up a minor to fill in the gaps when I didn't like the biology professors or classes that were given for a particular quarter.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

That's absurd. These sound like rules substitute teachers give elementary school kids. This professor sounds brand new and should treat the students as adults. I've NEVERRR seen a teach who discouraged asking questions. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a teactype of college do you attend? Small/private??

I go to University of Alaska Anchorage. It is pretty small but I wouldn't call it tiny really. She is NOT new and has been teaching for a while I think. She hates teaching though so I don't know why she does it.

And to Med Addict I can't drop it because A there unfortunately isn't a class I can sub in for it and I do want to graduate on time and B primarily, she is the only genetics professor. I might be waiting around for years for a new one to be hired. And she already gets bad evals from all the students. That and the Add/Drop deadline is over. It is too late regardless.

​

 

[Kaustikos]

So I have always looked forward to taking Genetics and was super excited to finally be taking it! 🙂 However, I have a neo-nazi teacher, who is also Asian with a REALLY REALLY thick accent. I really wanted to get a lot out of this class, but I admittedly have a lot of trouble understanding even slight Eastern accents, including Oiental and Russian accents. On top of that, she does not like teaching (she hates it actually) and expects us to come in, sit down and stare ahead and listen like zombies, and leave. We are not even allowed to ask questions!!!! 😱 I ALWAYS ask questions in class because it helps me understand and remember things, and I like to Learn how stuff applies. All of my professors respond really well and even get excited and go off on tangents about some scientific research or another. Personally, this is how I learn best - I am interested in the topic and want to know more. I think that professors should enjoy the topic too.
Here is part of the syllabus (underlining and stuff is all done by the prof, red obviously by me):
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is essential to perform well in this course. Class attendance is expected and students may be force dropped for non-attendance as stated in the catalog.

It is the student’s responsibility to prove attendance. Students must attend on time and write own name on attendance check sheet. Forgetting writing name is an unacceptable excuse. It is not allowed to write other person’s name. Instructor can recognize each person’s handwriting and distinguish each other. Writing other person’s name is recognized as cheating, and punishment, including being expelled from the course, may be given. Expelled for something as silly as writing down another name? !What if you both come in together and one of you signs the two in so that the other can grab seats?



If I miss class (not that I want to but still) that is my problem - I paid for it so it is my loss not yours.


STUDENT DECORUM:
Talking during lecture is not tolerated. Walking around is not tolerated either. what if I have to pee? First time offenders will be given a gentle reminder and asked to desist either during or after lecture: repeat offenders will be automatically referred to the UAA Dean of Students (Dr. Bruce Shultz).

Eating during lecture is not permitted.

Students who have questions should come in office hours, instead of interrupting lectures. Only quick questions are permitted, but if they are not quick questions, instructor will request to come in office hours. That is my favorite part. 🙄


Be prepared before coming in office hours. It is not acceptable to teach whole chapter during office hours.
Regardless of any reasons, instructor will not give a special lecture for students who missed lecture. Ok for these two, reasonable - but it is kind of a prik thing to say it - it is already implied.

Regarding genetics lab (BIOL A252L), students must contact lab instructor(s) for questions. I will not answer to the questions regarding lab.


Okay, so I can't understand her accent, I can't ask questions, I can't even get up to go to the bathroom or eat food (when you go straight from class to class all day you tend to get hungry right around lunchtime)...! sorry about the long post I needed to A vent and B ask for advice on how I can study since she tests from lecture and not really the book but I can't understand her or ask questions To understand...

I hate to say it, but it sounds like you're making mountains out of anthills. Asking quick questions makes sense. She probably has dealt with enough undergrads wasting class time asking questions that are meant for either after class or office hours and she doesn't want to deal with it anymore.

It is rude to leave in the middle of lecture unless it's an emergency. Get used to it? I mean, it seems like you got the wrong vibe out of this person and should maybe calm down. I wouldn't like people leaving to go to the bathroom either....it's rude. YOu're an adult, you can hold it.

Office hours are for help, not a rehash of a lecture.


Long story - short, the professor is making it absolutely certain she's not here to waste anyone's time. And why should she have to?

 

[Retsage]

Regarding the questions, you sound like one of those annoying brats who asks a loaded question purely to show off how smart you are, while the rest of us groan in disgust knowing that you will now cause the professor to go off on an annoying, useless tangent and waste 10 minutes. Blah.

As for the rest of it, sucky but too bad. Get over it.

 

[ar2388]

can you pass/fail it?

and i hear you retsage.. some of us like going into lecture, sitting down, staring straight ahead for the duration and taking notes, and then leaving without any kind of participation. i personally LOVE that.

also, you get used to accents. i took calc 3 with a prof with an insane! thick french accent and after a few weeks, i got used to it. i even took another class with him because he was a nice grader.

 

[236116]

Honestly, I'd ask someone in that department's admin office what usually happens to students in her class and if what she's written is actually department policy, etc.

Instructors have some leeway in setting rules for their classes, but they can't play g-d unless you let them.

 

[Gold 5]

Funny a teacher who doesn't want to teach! I am absolutely shocked! If that note you attached is how she truly writes, she should be let go for her grammar let alone her lack of teaching skills. The whole purpose of going to class is for you to ask questions and have them answered. What value does she add over just reading the recommended book?

My two cents suck it up and speak to the dean at the end of the semester. Better yet speak to him and file a complaint in writing with her attached syllabus. It will be noticed.

Good Luck,
Gold

So I have always looked forward to taking Genetics and was super excited to finally be taking it! 🙂 However, I have a neo-nazi teacher, who is also Asian with a REALLY REALLY thick accent. I really wanted to get a lot out of this class, but I admittedly have a lot of trouble understanding even slight Eastern accents, including Oiental and Russian accents. On top of that, she does not like teaching (she hates it actually) and expects us to come in, sit down and stare ahead and listen like zombies, and leave. We are not even allowed to ask questions!!!! 😱 I ALWAYS ask questions in class because it helps me understand and remember things, and I like to Learn how stuff applies. All of my professors respond really well and even get excited and go off on tangents about some scientific research or another. Personally, this is how I learn best - I am interested in the topic and want to know more. I think that professors should enjoy the topic too.
Here is part of the syllabus (underlining and stuff is all done by the prof, red obviously by me):
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is essential to perform well in this course. Class attendance is expected and students may be force dropped for non-attendance as stated in the catalog.

It is the student’s responsibility to prove attendance. Students must attend on time and write own name on attendance check sheet. Forgetting writing name is an unacceptable excuse. It is not allowed to write other person’s name. Instructor can recognize each person’s handwriting and distinguish each other. Writing other person’s name is recognized as cheating, and punishment, including being expelled from the course, may be given. Expelled for something as silly as writing down another name? !What if you both come in together and one of you signs the two in so that the other can grab seats?



If I miss class (not that I want to but still) that is my problem - I paid for it so it is my loss not yours.


STUDENT DECORUM:
Talking during lecture is not tolerated. Walking around is not tolerated either. what if I have to pee? First time offenders will be given a gentle reminder and asked to desist either during or after lecture: repeat offenders will be automatically referred to the UAA Dean of Students (Dr. Bruce Shultz).

Eating during lecture is not permitted.

Students who have questions should come in office hours, instead of interrupting lectures. Only quick questions are permitted, but if they are not quick questions, instructor will request to come in office hours. That is my favorite part. 🙄


Be prepared before coming in office hours. It is not acceptable to teach whole chapter during office hours.
Regardless of any reasons, instructor will not give a special lecture for students who missed lecture. Ok for these two, reasonable - but it is kind of a prik thing to say it - it is already implied.

Regarding genetics lab (BIOL A252L), students must contact lab instructor(s) for questions. I will not answer to the questions regarding lab.


Okay, so I can't understand her accent, I can't ask questions, I can't even get up to go to the bathroom or eat food (when you go straight from class to class all day you tend to get hungry right around lunchtime)...! sorry about the long post I needed to A vent and B ask for advice on how I can study since she tests from lecture and not really the book but I can't understand her or ask questions To understand...

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

Regarding the questions, you sound like one of those annoying brats who asks a loaded question purely to show off how smart you are, while the rest of us groan in disgust knowing that you will now cause the professor to go off on an annoying, useless tangent and waste 10 minutes. Blah.

As for the rest of it, sucky but too bad. Get over it.

No need to be so harsh. It's true that some people have different learning styles and unless you are an auditory learner (which few people are) then sitting in class and listening to someone talk is just not going to do anything for you. Asking questions is one of the best ways to learn, so I can understand the OP's frustrations. It's a really sucky situation. Maybe you get annoyed with people that ask questions, but that doesn't mean you should call them an annoying brat. I'm glad you're not going into education.

OP, I really don't know what to tell you. Are there any other professors in the bio department at your school that you would be comfortable going to with questions and who would be qualified to answer them? Maybe your lab instructor? Besides that, the only advice I can think of is to take the best notes you possibly can and incorporate problem solving from the book.

 

[Jemainelover]

I think learning from a teacher with a thick accent is great for someone going into the medical field. Think about it. There are so many opportunities as a doctor to encounter patients who don't even speak english and you'll have some experience with language barriers.

 

[MDman87]

My advice on teachers with strong accents: avoid them at all costs

 

[cbrons]

So I have always looked forward to taking Genetics and was super excited to finally be taking it! 🙂 However, I have a neo-nazi teacher, who is also Asian with a REALLY REALLY thick accent. I really wanted to get a lot out of this class, but I admittedly have a lot of trouble understanding even slight Eastern accents, including Oiental and Russian accents. On top of that, she does not like teaching (she hates it actually) and expects us to come in, sit down and stare ahead and listen like zombies, and leave. We are not even allowed to ask questions!!!! 😱 I ALWAYS ask questions in class because it helps me understand and remember things, and I like to Learn how stuff applies. All of my professors respond really well and even get excited and go off on tangents about some scientific research or another. Personally, this is how I learn best - I am interested in the topic and want to know more. I think that professors should enjoy the topic too.
Here is part of the syllabus (underlining and stuff is all done by the prof, red obviously by me):
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is essential to perform well in this course. Class attendance is expected and students may be force dropped for non-attendance as stated in the catalog.

It is the student’s responsibility to prove attendance. Students must attend on time and write own name on attendance check sheet. Forgetting writing name is an unacceptable excuse. It is not allowed to write other person’s name. Instructor can recognize each person’s handwriting and distinguish each other. Writing other person’s name is recognized as cheating, and punishment, including being expelled from the course, may be given. Expelled for something as silly as writing down another name? !What if you both come in together and one of you signs the two in so that the other can grab seats?



If I miss class (not that I want to but still) that is my problem - I paid for it so it is my loss not yours.


STUDENT DECORUM:
Talking during lecture is not tolerated. Walking around is not tolerated either. what if I have to pee? First time offenders will be given a gentle reminder and asked to desist either during or after lecture: repeat offenders will be automatically referred to the UAA Dean of Students (Dr. Bruce Shultz).

Eating during lecture is not permitted.

Students who have questions should come in office hours, instead of interrupting lectures. Only quick questions are permitted, but if they are not quick questions, instructor will request to come in office hours. That is my favorite part. 🙄


Be prepared before coming in office hours. It is not acceptable to teach whole chapter during office hours.
Regardless of any reasons, instructor will not give a special lecture for students who missed lecture. Ok for these two, reasonable - but it is kind of a prik thing to say it - it is already implied.

Regarding genetics lab (BIOL A252L), students must contact lab instructor(s) for questions. I will not answer to the questions regarding lab.


Okay, so I can't understand her accent, I can't ask questions, I can't even get up to go to the bathroom or eat food (when you go straight from class to class all day you tend to get hungry right around lunchtime)...! sorry about the long post I needed to A vent and B ask for advice on how I can study since she tests from lecture and not really the book but I can't understand her or ask questions To understand...

If i have to take a piss, I'm getting the **** up and walking out the door. No dumb bitch is going to tell me when I can and cannot go to the bathroom. This isn't ****ing 3rd grade, we're adults so thank you, I'll decide when its appropriate to empty my bladder.

 

[236116]

If i have to take a piss, I'm getting the **** up and walking out the door. No dumb bitch is going to tell me when I can and cannot go to the bathroom. This isn't ****ing 3rd grade, we're adults so thank you, I'll decide when its appropriate to empty my bladder.

QFMFT.

Someone tried that. Once.

 

[alwaysaangel]

1) Get used to professors with awful accents - you will deal with it from now all the way through medical school and may even have attendings with bad accents when you're in residency.

2) While I think its sort of silly to spell it out you will find a lot of that in medical school. Not the not going to the bathroom thing - but basically she's spelling out rules of professionalism that SHOULD be a given in college but aren't.

It is not allowed to write other person’s name. Instructor can recognize each person’s handwriting and distinguish each other. Writing other person’s name is recognized as cheating, and punishment, including being expelled from the course, may be given. Expelled for something as silly as writing down another name? !What if you both come in together and one of you signs the two in so that the other can grab seats?

You will run into this in medical school. If you allow people to sign other names in then its likely that one person did not show up and they are signing the other person in to fake the attendance. That is a huge breach of the honor code and very unprofessional. If you don't like it then you better not go to any medical school with required attendance.

We are not even allowed to ask questions!!!! I ALWAYS ask questions in class because it helps me understand and remember things, and I like to Learn how stuff applies. All of my professors respond really well and even get excited and go off on tangents about some scientific research or another. Personally, this is how I learn best - I am interested in the topic and want to know more. I think that professors should enjoy the topic too.

Students who have questions should come in office hours, instead of interrupting lectures. Only quick questions are permitted, but if they are not quick questions, instructor will request to come in office hours. That is my favorite part.

She is ensuring that only quick clarifications are asked. You will probably find this rule pleases most of your classmates because it stops people who ask off the wall irrelevant questions. There is a limited amount of class time and most premeds don't like when some jerk up front needs to feel smart and ask about some research that has nothing to do with the class. If they want to have some random tangent discussion they should do it on their own time - not waste the time of 50-100 of your classmates.

Be prepared before coming in office hours. It is not acceptable to teach whole chapter during office hours.
Regardless of any reasons, instructor will not give a special lecture for students who missed lecture. Ok for these two, reasonable - but it is kind of a prik thing to say it - it is already implied.

SHOULD be implied, but college students are usually immature and rude. She is just pointing out what they SHOULD know. I can't remember a single office hour I went to where students DIDN'T basically ask for a recap of lecture.


Anyway, nothing she said sounds terribly rude and a lot of it is stuff you'll run into in medical school - so get used to it.

 

[Kaustikos]

Honestly, I'd ask someone in that department's admin office what usually happens to students in her class and if what she's written is actually department policy, etc.

Instructors have some leeway in setting rules for their classes, but they can't play g-d unless you let them.

If i have to take a piss, I'm getting the **** up and walking out the door. No dumb bitch is going to tell me when I can and cannot go to the bathroom. This isn't ****ing 3rd grade, we're adults so thank you, I'll decide when its appropriate to empty my bladder.

QFMFT.

Someone tried that. Once.

I just look at it as a professor who's tired of dealing with bratty pre-meds.

 

[Penguick]

I don't mean to sound rude for correcting you, but Oriental is not a correct term any longer. It is considering derogatory. You use it for objects, not for people.

 

[m015094]

I don't mean to sound rude for correcting you, but Oriental is not a correct term any longer. It is considering derogatory. You use it for objects, not for people.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000313/Donny you're out of your element! Dude, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

 

[bluesmd]

Donny you're out of your element! Dude, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

so if someone's a bad teacher we can be racist. i went through this thread and was like ... no one even mentioned that the use of the word oriental (and chinaman) is racist until i read the poster above. there is no excuse. it's racist regardless of the situation

 

[236116]

so if someone's a bad teacher we can be racist. i went through this thread and was like ... no one even mentioned that the use of the word oriental (and chinaman) is racist until i read the poster above. there is no excuse. it's racist regardless of the situation

technically, an accent is a thing, not a person, rather like saying oriental vase.

 

[maceo]

id drop this class so fast it wouldnt even be funny. I hate rules first of all and those rules are more like kindergarten rules.. Just for principal i would drop it and take it at a community college.. you have options kid. private message me please katt.

 

[ladyscorpian14]

haa seawolves in the house gosh is it mayla kalyan. I know she teaches intro to chem her accent was hard. I withdrawl from the class but I heard from a english prof they hire so many international teachers at uaa because it cheaper and nobody wants to come to alaska. Take it from a girl who is from florida😀 alaska is not bad. I'm in maine write now exchange program and it's soooooooo cold compare to anchorage. Is it possible during the summer you can take it at uas or uaf😕

 

[bluesmd]

technically, an accent is a thing, not a person, rather like saying oriental vase.

what about chinaman?

 

[236116]

what about chinaman?

Sounds like a quote from something... Definitely racist, but I don't think he's saying it as a "new" thing.

 

[Depakote]

lets keep the comments professional. kthxbai.

 

[fMRI]

However, I have a neo-nazi teacher, who is also Asian with a REALLY REALLY thick accent.

Somebody already pointed out the "Oriental" thing to you. How come you call her "neo-nazi"?

Can you please stop complaining, get used to it and on with life.
Sure, you might live a little 'cloistered' up in Alaska (no, sorry, no jokes on Palin and the newspapers), if you really want to understand a person, you quickly get used to their accent. If you just sit there and feel negative about the whole thing, you won't. That's your choice.

BTW, once you'll do rotations in surgery and such stuff, you're not allowed to stroll off to the bathroom either. If you do, you're out. Welcome to the real world! 😀

 

[Narmerguy]

I support the questions part as well. I hate having to listen to dumb/irrelevant/showoff questions during a lecture that waste time.

 

[m015094]

so if someone's a bad teacher we can be racist. i went through this thread and was like ... no one even mentioned that the use of the word oriental (and chinaman) is racist until i read the poster above. there is no excuse. it's racist regardless of the situation

Obviously you're not a "golfer."

 

[coldweatherblue]

lol @ u crazy PC people.

I kinda like when our accented professors give lectures cause it just means I'm skipping class...

 

[Quix]

As someone who is asked irrelevant questions during lecture, it's a pain in the butt having to rein in tangential conversation, especially when there is a mountain of material to cover. I don't see anything unreasonable in the syllabus - it's designed to streamline the presentation of material with the expectation that you are doing the outside reading and that you will be prepared for class. Questions of clarification are fine, but questions attempting to link the material to other topics or areas run a significant risk of eating class time.

When I teach, I think of it this way: I have fifteen weeks to teach you everything that I think is core to the discipline (or that the department thinks is core to the discipline when common syllabi are used), which doesn't offer a lot of wiggle room when students ask more than questions of clarification. Now, I do try to indulge my students a bit (since the nature of my classes is teaching them how to think), but there are times when I have to rein things in too, either because the discussion is taking us away from other areas and/or the student is off in his/her own little world.

In the case of a genetics class, there is *a lot* of information that doesn't loan itself well to sidebar discussions. Some students benefit from this, many students don't. If you want to ask these kinds of questions, ask them in office hours. Don't complain about professors or throw around racial/derogatory terms just because the professor isn't teaching in a style that maximizes *your* experience. A lot of other students have also paid with their time and money to learn the core material, not listen to extrapolating questions from their peers.

 

[chemnerd89]

Don't complain about professors or throw around racial/derogatory terms just because the professor isn't teaching in a style that maximizes *your* experience. A lot of other students have also paid with their time and money to learn the core material, not listen to extrapolating questions from their peers.

Well said. I hate when people distract the professor with unrelated questions just to get attention.

 

[Retsage]

and i hear you retsage.. some of us like going into lecture, sitting down, staring straight ahead for the duration and taking notes, and then leaving without any kind of participation. i personally LOVE that.

Asking for clarification is one thing, and undoubtedly fine, but there are far too many students who ask questions purely to show the world how intelligent they are. That's obnoxious. This is what the syllabus is trying to get rid of and thank goodness for it.

so if someone's a bad teacher we can be racist. i went through this thread and was like ... no one even mentioned that the use of the word oriental (and chinaman) is racist until i read the poster above. there is no excuse. it's racist regardless of the situation

Lol. Seriously? It's a quote from the Big Lebowski. How have you not seen the Big Lebowski?

 

[teucer]

In the military there are strict rules in training environments how one should conduct oneself. If you're falling asleep, you are to stand up and place yourself at the back of the room. Would she rather you fall asleep during class?

If you have to urinate, you excuse yourself to urinate. Someone with Chron's disease or something similar would be expected to make the occasional trip to the bathroom. Come to think of it the average person without any affliction should be able to come and go to the bathroom as needed...elementary school was a loong time ago; we all know when it's potty time. You pay big bucks to attend class---not like it's high school!

If she wants to teach like she's in the military, she's doing it the wrong way. I think her teaching style resembles that of Chairman Mao. Hey--down in Borders Books (Anchorage) they had a sale on a book called "The Thoughts of Chairman Meow". Maybe you should buy the book and put it on her desk randomly...replace the kitty faces with that of hers! This is a great practical joke; maybe it will send a message. Or maybe she will beat you with a ruler across the knuckles!!!! Do everything in your power to subvertly piss her off along with your classmates (while doing everything necessary to get a good grade). If she gives you a bad grade, appeal it through the chain of command over there on campus. Make her want to engage in self-behavioral modification.

I'm in Anchorage...UAA isn't known for being the greatest in the world. I'm glad I did my undergrad elsewhere...if it were my only choice I'd probably rather do a distance program. At least at that point I could take a dump whenever I needed to....come to think of it I could take a dump during class with the laptop in the jon with me (craptop!).

As far as accents go, I used to deal with foreign professors during my tenure as an undergrad...was really fun listening to that dude teach statistics. Drove me batty. It's scary how we can't even seem to hire those that can speak the language without a twang so severe as to impede students' ability to comprehend wtf they're talking about!

I'm only up here for another 7 or so months thank god...parting from Canchorage will be one of sweet sorrow.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

First off, to those of you who said I was being "racist," and to anyone who was offended I apologize. I was not aware calling someone "Asian" or an accent (which technically can be considered an "object") "Oriental" was racist...seeing as how she is from a country Asia and the accent originated in the Orient...what else am I supposed to call them? (honest question) It's like, if someone is from Europe, you call them European, if they have an accent from Germany, you say they have a German accent. It is not racist, it is a fact. 😕 So, I apologize, I was not trying to offend anyone.

Second off, to those of you who complained about not needing to use the restroom during lecture and asking questions being annoying: I typically try not to leave class once I am there because I don't want to miss anything. However, firstly as a female, and secondly as someone who generally drinks a lot of water throughout the day (and also has classes back to back all day), sometimes there are certain unavoidable situations which must be taken care of. As for the questions, I try not to ask super annoying, unrelated, tangential questions, but I DO want to know more about how the subject applies. I want to LEARN about the topic. I enjoy learning and I love science.

To those of you who actually offered advice (no I will/can not drop the class) thank you. I can ask the lab prof questions about the topic but he has not worked with her before and isn't familiar with her teaching style. He does not really know what/how she is going to test and that is my main concern. She tests from the lectures and if I have difficulty understanding what she is talking about in lecture, and further am not allowed to ask questions... Therein lies my problem. Atm I am trying to read the chapters as thoroughly as possible to at least cover the info, but she doesn't test from the book...

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Asking for clarification is one thing, and undoubtedly fine, but there are far too many students who ask questions purely to show the world how intelligent they are. That's obnoxious. This is what the syllabus is trying to get rid of and thank goodness for it.

No I am not looking for attention. If that was what I wanted there are better and more effective ways to get it. I want to learn about the subject and how it applies. Genetics fascinates me and has long been an interest. 🙄

Original Quote by Gold 5: Funny a teacher who doesn't want to teach! I am absolutely shocked! If that note you attached is how she truly writes, she should be let go for her grammar let alone her lack of teaching skills. The whole purpose of going to class is for you to ask questions and have them answered. What value does she add over just reading the recommended book?

Yes, I copied and pasted that directly from the syllabus.

To Hyperstudyosis: thank you for actually offering critical advice and for listening to my actual question.

To whoever mentioned exposure to various accents in the Medical field - touche!

 

[THX]

While the prof sounds harsh and unprofessional - I don't think the 'don't ask questions' clause is wrong. Students should not ask questions in class - most students find it very annoying when professors need to stop and answer a single person's questions. If you have a question, ask after class, don't interrupt the education of those around you.

 

[sglec]

Had a teacher with a thick accent for Cal I...dropped it like a hot potato...it wasn't so much her accent she was just going so fast...that and her accent...just was a done deal...lol

 

[tennisball80]

I pretty much can understand her. In Asia, the teachers treat you like kids even in university. We have to eat lunch together with teachers and students even in high school lol.

So yeah, good understanding of Asian culture I guess.

 

[efitzpat]

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000313/Donny you're out of your element! Dude, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

Mark it zero Donny, mark it zero! (I heart the Big Lebowski)

OP - Just stick it out. One of my genetics teachers was from Russia (but he called it "my home country, Soviet Union"). I still really have no idea what he said most of the time, but I went to lecture, studied, and still did well. You can do it!

 

[maceo]

What do you mean "brought it bowling"?
I didn't rent it shoes. I'm not
buying it a ****ing beer. He's not
gonna take your ****ing turn, Dude

 

[Superman78]

I've never had such a nutty professor. But maybe it's a good thing...I have a bad tendency to skip classes, which is a costly mistake, but if your teacher is a Nazi who keeps a roll sheet then there's no way you can make that mistake. As for the accent, you'll figure it out pretty soon I'm sure.

 

[Westernhealer]

I once got a B in a class that I scored the highest in the exams for... reason: the teacher made attendance worth 10% of your grade. The problem: I never showed up to class to find out about that rule. 🙁

 

[189362]

Seriously?

That syllabus is BS. Tell the bitch your tuition pays her salary.

 

[xanthomondo]

Seriously?

That syllabus is BS. Tell the bitch your tuition pays her salary.

That's usually not true. Especially at a public school (which I assume the OP goes to).

I also get frustrated with heavy-accented lecturers. Being a good educator requires two things 1) knowing your material and 2) being able to effectively communicate it to a target audience.

I think too much emphasis for college and grad school is placed on #1 (which sometimes wasn't even true at my ugrad) A thick accent hurts number 2 though, and sometimes so much that you aren't able to convey any information that you intend to which defeats the whole purpose of your lectures.

I certainly would never go to a foreign country and attempt to lecture on a subject. There's no way I could communicate well with students from another country which would prevent me from being an effective educator.