aggggh

[anghraine]

Okay, so last term in my Tolkien class, I had this prof who is really old and disapproves of new-fangled things like secondary sources. She talked sort of disgustedly about how there wouldn't be any reading outside the texts themselves, no essays to write, nothing, because people have written these essays that are wrong and can be found on the Internet. Yeah.

So the only work was four quizzes consisting entirely of a single essay question to be written on a single sheet of paper over half an hour (so many flashbacks to high school :\) and a two hour final exam, until the end of class, when we had to write a letter about the class. Y'know, just reflecting on it and whatnot. So I mentioned the things that I thought were cool (it was a fun class!) and how it different from other Tolkien classes I've taken, and also mentioned that I thought the total lack of work was a bit odd - I mean, there are essays that are Wrong but that's what critical thinking is for, yeah? And there are essays that are (at least potentially) Right, too. (I put it more tactfully.)

And she responds with this long defensive e-mail about how, well, the other students liked the class (my entire group except me didn't...) and if I'd wanted an essay I could have asked for one (since when is schoolwork contingent on asking for it?) and it was obvious that I'd offended and/or hurt her and I felt really bad about it, and also worried about my grade. I got a B in the class, which is fine, but - yeah. But I'd never seen her before this and she's kind of low profile and untenured and everything, so I didn't figure I'd ever have to see her again so whatever.

Only I go into the English department this morning to pick something up and she's just standing there. And she just looks at me. And my brain was paralyzed so I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything, and just stammered something out to the helpful desk lady.

As wyncatastrophe  would say: AND IT WAS AWKWARD.

Comments

[wyncatastrophe]

AND IT WAS AWKWARD.

It totally was!

But also: omg you had a Tolkien class! That is so awesomely cool.

…and it was awkward.

In other news: I went to class today? And guess what? …and it was awkward.

*sigh*

[anghraine]

It's my third Tolkien class, actually. The upside of attending a bunch of different universities. (Possibly the only upside!)

THE WORLD is awkward. Today I am convinced of this.

[tree]

aha! a perfect situation to use this:



anyway, i think that professor's methods break some kind of sacred english department law. also that's just bad teaching, period. in college at the end of every class we used to have these anonymous surveys that asked about what we thought of the class, what was good and what could be improved, etc. do you have those? and/or is there another professor/department head you can go to and say, "um, what is up with this lady?" is she quite young? IDK this is all unheard of for me! i'm so used to the MOAR SECONDARY SOURCES chant and the YOU MUST INTERROGATE THE TEXT FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES directive.

okay, i admit it, this entire comment was just an excuse to use that xkcd comic. ;)

[anghraine]

LOLOLOLOL I should have done that.

I think that's where my outrage really comes from, much more than the awkwardtiemz meeting. THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF THE DEPARTMENT. The lady is very very old, though, not young. My group wrote snotty evals - one of them was absolutely livid and all 'THIS IS THE WORST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN' in the part where you describe what you liked about it. I can only imagine what she said in the 'what didn't you like?' section.

xkcd makes everything better!

[rebeccation]

...yikes.

[anghraine]

Yup. :(