I am not entirely sure what to do. I'm tired of this place, I'm tired of the mundane day-to-day lack of a challenge, lack of excitement and enthusiasm. If my teachers are lackadaisical about their job, then why should I extend strenuous effort into it?
I'm frustrated that I am not being pushed. I have not read an entire passage or book I was supposed to read since the first week of school, and it has NOT ONCE been a problem. That in itself is a problem. A teacher should know that you haven't done the work if they are pushing the class and the discussion far enough. Rather than encouraging, even forcing, student conversation and explication of the texts, they simply choose to summarize them.
And, if, on some rare occasion, a student speaks up to give their opinion, their own reading of what the author's intent was, the professor will quickly shoot them down: "Well, that's interesting, but I already told you that he meant x,y,z. So no." At this point in the class, I always feel like just getting up and walking out.
Really, you mean to tell me that you actually knew the author and discussed with him precisely what he meant for the given passage? Well, then by all means, tell me that MY OPINION is incorrect! However, if this is not the case, then sit down and shut the fuck up because your opinion is no more informed than anyone else's in this room. I don't care that you have graduated, have another degree, and are now a teacher. If you're going to tell someone that their opinion is the wrong opinion, then you are obviously an ignorant human being who should not be in a college level classroom.
I think that this is part of why I'm so unsure what to do with my life. I am an English major, and up until last week I had every intention of working for a publisher (or perhaps later having my own publishing corporation), as an editor. I have a low tolerance for bullshit, so I have never entertained the idea of being a teacher. However, we were having a discussion, in the ONLY class where students are encouraged to give their own ideas, about why we were English majors and what we wanted to do with our degree. One student said that he was tired of having professors just run through the material, and how he had one professor who was simply amazing, one who was excited about his topic, got the students to willingly participate in class, and was just all around a great person, who got students to really LEARN rather than sit through class staring into space.
I would love to be a person like that. Someone to get people to enjoy and absorb information rather than having it go in one ear and out the other. I hate that no one explicates, but rather they do a fourth grade level summary-and-analysis. If you don't go deep into the concepts of the text, how will you ever be able to apply that not only to other works of literature, but to real life as well?
It would just be nice to meet someone, a professor especially, who had as much interest in the literature as I do. In Boston all of the professors loved what they taught. They had this great energy, and you couldn't help but get interested. Here... not so much. I don't get it. Aren't there still standards for handing out collegiate teaching jobs?
"Education means inspiring someone’s mind, not just filling their head."
- Katie Lusk"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."
- William Arthur Ward
These are obvious, right? Then why are they not put into practice?
Where is the passion
Our age is bewailed as the age of Introversion. Must that needs be evil? We, it seems, are critical; we are embarrassed with second thoughts; we cannot enjoy anything for hankering to know whereof the pleasure consists; we are lined with eyes; we see with our feet; the time is infected with Hamlet's unhappiness,-
"Sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought."
