2 May, 2007 | Leave a Comment
In my previous post I mentioned the fact that yesterday and today, I had to do my student teaching while being evaluated by the meanest instructor in the program. I managed to survive, but boy oh boy! Today was quite explosive.
First, what happened yesterday. After my teammates and I teach our lessons, our students leave and the instructor gives us our feedback as a group. Yesterday I got a good grade. I had a fairly easy lesson. The instructor told me one of my strengths is that I am very calm when I teach. Others have remarked on this as well, which is stunning to me. Inside, I am literally on the verge of a panic attack. It’s a mystery to me how I can feel one way on the inside yet appear the complete opposite to everyone around me. Anyway, he said I was calm (dot dot dot) but I am almost too calm. “You’re calm to the point of being too understated,” he said. Then he told me: “You need to vary your speaking voice. You speak in the same tone of voice all the time.”
So to translate this for you: I am so calm I look like I don’t give a shit. And my California accent gets on his nerves. Well, at least I don’t sound like Hannibal Lechter…or dress like him…or act like him.
Moving on to today. I got a bad grade. Very bad. Poor me. This instructor has pretty much slashed his way through my team and I was his last victim. Not to bore you with these details, but I was assigned to teach a section of a chapter in the textbook by our main instructor and I did what she said. The instructor who evaluated me today (her underling) criticized me for not deleting about half the lesson because it was too much material for one person to handle. I agree it was too much to handle, but I was under the impression that I had no choice but to teach all of it.
So he gave me my bad grade and immediately, a woman in my group said: “That’s ridiculous. She did a wonderful job. The other instructor assigned her this lesson. She had no choice but to teach it.” And she went on from there. After that, a guy in my group jumped right in and basically said the same thing. Well, I was quite stunned. In my experience, people rarely come to the defense of others, especially when to do so goes against their own best interests. It means a lot to me that they would stand up for me like that. I’m very touched by it. My team really does function as a team and that makes this experience more bearable.
But that’s not all. My four-person team actually turned on the instructor and began letting him have it. This wasn’t about the grade he gave me, but about his awful treatment of all of us over the past few days. One guy just blew up and told him that he was just trying to intimidate us with his actions and behavior and that he wanted us to fear him. Everyone then jumped in with their own gripes. I’m serious! The instructor just sat there, completely shocked. It was painfully obvious that no one had ever called him on his behavior until today.
He responded by saying that we were all clearly very upset with him and that if we didn’t like his tactics, we should have told him. Oh please!!! He then apologized, but he was just going through the motions — I’m sure it wasn’t based on any sincere feeling of regret. But it was fun to turn the tables on him. After the feedback session was over, he left the room. My teammates and I were chatting. A few minutes later a woman from another team came in and said: “What did you guys do to [the instructor]?” She could tell there was something wrong just by looking at him.
I feel bad about my grade, but at least I don’t have to deal with this guy again. It’s another instructor’s turn to evaluate my team for the rest of the course. I have so much work left to do that I can’t let this bring me down. I have to dust myself off and all that.
But there was still a bit more humiliation in store for me. I was running to catch the central line today (for those who don’t know, this is a line on the Tube). I sort of leapt through the doors as they were closing and I stumbled a bit. I reached out to steady myself and my hand landed on some guy’s…lap. Yes, it’s true. I said, “Oh, sorry!” He laughed and looked down and said: “No worries.”
It’s always nice to end the day in style.
Anglofille said @ 9:11 pm | student life |
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Lillie Says:
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:00 amI too resent the remark that you have a monotone voice. I’ve heard your voice many times on the little film clips you share with us, and think you have a lovely voice, with lots of expression. (As you’ll recall, I even suggested that you look into voice over work — as I have a friend in London that has her own business for voice over artists)
When you said you guys turned on him and he was quite shocked, I had to laugh because it reminded me of the Lion in the Wizard of Oz. He was “Mr. Tough Guy”, until Dorothy yelled at him for being mean to Toto, and he started to cry like a …..umm….baby.
I still have “Guido’s” number on my speed dial. Just say the word.
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Rebecca Says:
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:52 amI think the monotone accusation is BS. I am SO glad your team all stood up to him though. That’s amazing! Hopefully he’ll get his panties out of a knot and be more productive in his critique instead of being so rude and negative. Not everyone learns from negative reinforcement! I once had a typography teacher rip a girl’s work off the wall during a group critique and tear it to shreads while shouting “NEVER BRING THIS SH*T TO MY CLASS EVER AGAIN!” right in her face. He then threw the shreads at her face and she ran out crying. NO ONE stood up for her, me included. We were all terrified of him! I’m equally as stunned that they stood up for you, but very happy they did!
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Good for y’all.
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Lillie Says:
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:46 pmAlthough I’ve been out of school for a long time (long long long time) I find it appalling that some students today (regardless of their age) can be treated with such little respect. I don’t ever recall being treated this way.
I think Rebeca’s typography teacher needs a beating too.
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Lillie: You are so sweet! Thanks for being outraged on my behalf.
Rebecca: Thank you! Your teacher sounds even worse. Yikes! Today I heard from another team that the evil teacher was a “pussycat” and was acting very sweet all of a sudden. Gee, wonder why?
Vol: Thanks!!!
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Rebecca Says:
May 5th, 2007 at 1:58 amThanks Lillie! I’ve stood up to teachers before (including one that I went on a trip with who shouted profanity at me when no one else was around), but this guy was a piece of work!
