Yesterday, I had quite the rant about my disappointing Spanish class. I've always been one that hates to inconvenience others and will just suck up negative events, but not this time. I wrote an e-mail, and well, most definitely got a response ...
(sent at 4:36 p.m.)
Heather,
Thank you very much for writing and sharing your concerns about the 201 class. I discussed the problem with the instructor, and she has decided not to teach for us. Incidently all of our part-time faculty members have to meet specific criteria because of our accreditation with the Southern Association. And, of course, Dr. xxx was qualified due to her educational and professional experiences.
You will be happy to learn that the instructor for the 5:00 class has been changed to Dr. xxx xxx, Associate Professor of Spanish. Dr. xxx is a full-time professor in the department.
If you have any additional concerns, please do not hesitate to share them with me or with the Dean, Dr. xxx xxx.
Again, thank you for contacting me.
xxx xxx
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:26 AM
Dr. xxx,
I am writing to express my outrage at the incredibly poor teaching quality I saw in my Spanish 201 class with xxx xxx. I am a graduate of Clemson University, class of 1999 valedictorian with a degree in English and French, and now a professional non-degree seeking student who hoped to later go on for a master's in Spanish. I was stunned by what I saw in this class, including improper conjugation of "llamar" and incorrect instructions on article agreement in superlatives. Several students in the class, all of whom, including myself, have only Spanish 102 knowledge, were correcting her. Her pedagogy was attrocious: She read exercises to us to write down, had us repeat them so she could write them on the board without the answers, then rewrote the complete sentences again with the answers. It was painfully slow, and frankly, I could teach myself from the book just as easily and more quickly. Students were practically laughing at her in disbelief.
I have spent a great deal of time arranging my work schedule and tuition reimbursement with my employer, The Herald, and was excited about taking this course and future studies at Winthrop. In my frustration, I have since dropped the class, the only section I could take. I heard several other students saying they planned to do the same. I would gladly add the course back if a different, qualified instructor were found by next week. At the moment I can only pity the undergraduates who need this course for credt -- which they will get while learning very little, possibly incorrect Spanish.
Sincerely,
Heather xxx
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
!Estoy furiosa!
Can't do the upsidedown exclamation point ...
I am so muy, muy ticked off!
I have been looking forward to taking Spanish 201 for several months -- if you don't count the three years since I took 102 and couldn't immediately continue. My company approved paying for tuition, and I have been reviewing heavily for a couple months, very excited about learning another language and a bit alarmed at what I'd forgotten. Today was the first day of classes at Winthrop (so mad, I don't want to link), and I was as giddy as a kindergartner. I'd even bought a special new tote bag for the occasion. All I was lacking were bows in my hair and a new lunchbox.
I asked alumni coworkers for the best place to park, zoomed right in on my dinner break, settled into my chair-and-desk-in-one, and anxiously looked around at the young'uns in my class. The teacher -- I refuse to call her professor -- started class, and at first I was just annoyed that she was a soft speaker and there was a roaring ventilation system. Then I could hear what she was saying ...
The woman was misconjugating me llamo, the most basic saying that even people who've never had a Spanish class know. She then proceeded to botch the language so severely, from a thick Southern accent to noun-adjective agreement to everything else, that students were correcting her. People were practically laughing at her. And her "teaching" style consisted of reading to us from a worksheet, having us then read back exactly what she'd said (including blanks and the words you were supposed to change), writing that on the board, then writing the actual answers -- again in full sentences -- on the board. Three sentences took 5 minutes at least. I was about to go out of my mind. I'm not conveying it fully, but it was horrible. A girl had spent the summer in the Dominican Republic, and she was in disbelief at what the woman was saying. I have no idea what the woman's credentials are, but they were sorely inadequate. I heard at least a few people saying they were going to drop -- including myself!
I was fuming! What a colossal waste of money and time! I KNOW I can teach myself better from my old Spanish book, then take the CLEP test, get credit for 201 and start with a REAL professor in a higher course in the spring. The class was more than $1,000, the book more than $160, and don't forget my registration fees and immunizations!
I have never been in such a horrible college class. The only class at Clemson that I thought was really bad was my English 203 class, where the teacher brought in a recording -- as in vinyl -- of "King Lear" and proceeded to play it for three days. As a result, I skipped my first ever class. I had no other classes where I just could not stand to sit through them over the rest of my four years (though I did skip occasionally after that). I feel so incredibly bad for the kids that need this Spanish credit specifically this semester and can't drop. But it would be absolutely absurd for me, a professional who already has a degree, to waste even one more hour in that class.
So I came back to work, complained to my coworkers, who had seen me glowing with excitement, and DROPPED THE DAMN COURSE.
I was so frustrated and mad I wanted to cry. I am so disappointed. Brad says I shouldn't drop but should e-mail the department head and demand a better teacher. I don't know if they could/would actually do that, but I am going to write the e-mail, whether I add the class back or not. Dear God, it was horrible.
I am so muy, muy ticked off!
I have been looking forward to taking Spanish 201 for several months -- if you don't count the three years since I took 102 and couldn't immediately continue. My company approved paying for tuition, and I have been reviewing heavily for a couple months, very excited about learning another language and a bit alarmed at what I'd forgotten. Today was the first day of classes at Winthrop (so mad, I don't want to link), and I was as giddy as a kindergartner. I'd even bought a special new tote bag for the occasion. All I was lacking were bows in my hair and a new lunchbox.
I asked alumni coworkers for the best place to park, zoomed right in on my dinner break, settled into my chair-and-desk-in-one, and anxiously looked around at the young'uns in my class. The teacher -- I refuse to call her professor -- started class, and at first I was just annoyed that she was a soft speaker and there was a roaring ventilation system. Then I could hear what she was saying ...
The woman was misconjugating me llamo, the most basic saying that even people who've never had a Spanish class know. She then proceeded to botch the language so severely, from a thick Southern accent to noun-adjective agreement to everything else, that students were correcting her. People were practically laughing at her. And her "teaching" style consisted of reading to us from a worksheet, having us then read back exactly what she'd said (including blanks and the words you were supposed to change), writing that on the board, then writing the actual answers -- again in full sentences -- on the board. Three sentences took 5 minutes at least. I was about to go out of my mind. I'm not conveying it fully, but it was horrible. A girl had spent the summer in the Dominican Republic, and she was in disbelief at what the woman was saying. I have no idea what the woman's credentials are, but they were sorely inadequate. I heard at least a few people saying they were going to drop -- including myself!
I was fuming! What a colossal waste of money and time! I KNOW I can teach myself better from my old Spanish book, then take the CLEP test, get credit for 201 and start with a REAL professor in a higher course in the spring. The class was more than $1,000, the book more than $160, and don't forget my registration fees and immunizations!
I have never been in such a horrible college class. The only class at Clemson that I thought was really bad was my English 203 class, where the teacher brought in a recording -- as in vinyl -- of "King Lear" and proceeded to play it for three days. As a result, I skipped my first ever class. I had no other classes where I just could not stand to sit through them over the rest of my four years (though I did skip occasionally after that). I feel so incredibly bad for the kids that need this Spanish credit specifically this semester and can't drop. But it would be absolutely absurd for me, a professional who already has a degree, to waste even one more hour in that class.
So I came back to work, complained to my coworkers, who had seen me glowing with excitement, and DROPPED THE DAMN COURSE.
I was so frustrated and mad I wanted to cry. I am so disappointed. Brad says I shouldn't drop but should e-mail the department head and demand a better teacher. I don't know if they could/would actually do that, but I am going to write the e-mail, whether I add the class back or not. Dear God, it was horrible.
something different, yet oddly reminiscent of recent posts
Your personality type is SCOAN
The largest representation of your personality type can be found in the these U.S. cities: Reno, San Diego, Cleveland, Providence, Kansas City, Greenville/Spartanburg, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Orange County, Houston, Charlotte, Columbus and these international countries/regions Kazakhstan, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Romania, Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Middle East, Italy
Powered by CityCulture.org
Two comments on this: There's Greenville/Spartanburg again. I think these things are trying to tell me something. Then again, comment number 2: Kazakhstan???
Sunday, August 21, 2005
There but for the grace ...
Since Brad is quite into this at the moment, I thought I'd share my Myers-Briggs results, though they're slightly different from when we did this with marriage counseling. Of course, I've also become a very different person since then ...
ESFJ
Strengths: 11 percent Extroverted
25 percent Sensing
62 percent Feeling
56 percent Judging
* slightly expressed extrovert
* moderately expressed sensing personality
* distinctively expressed feeling personality
* moderately expressed judging personality
Provider Guardian
This seems fairly right, though I'm so slightly extroverted that the perfect hostess bit is a bit off. And I certainly can't see myself in sales! I have an incredibly sense of responsibility, a desire to be involved in things like church and charities to make a difference, and I definitely think I'm a giving person -- though perhaps too much sometimes, like always agreeing to switch my schedule for other people to be off. I'm a shy extrovert, for whatever sense that makes. I love being with people, I get depressed when I'm too alone and inactive, but I'm so incredibly nervous about meeting new people. I'm one of those hang on the side of the room with people you know types at parties, though I do enjoy having people over and the idea of dinner parties. Oh well, that's what happens when you try to pigeonhole people!
But as for what I'd do if I hadn't gone to college, that's a really scary question. I have experience in clerical stuff, but what I love is language and communication. While it's theoretically possible to become a journalist without at degree, they usually require you to complete one as you work, so I'm not sure that would count for this hypothetical. I'm not particularly good with my hands, so trades are out. I guess I might have gotten at two-year nursing degree, but I've never been that interested in biology.
It's a difficult thing to get your mind around, the idea of not going to college. My whole life was geared that way. When I was in junior high, I thought I would be a history professor. I was in honors classes where it wasn't a question of if you'd go to college but where. Heck, my whole high school was pretty much like that, something like 90 percent of us went on for some kind of higher education. Looking at the options that remain if you don't go, I feel bad for those who can't!
I do agree that there are many people in college who shouldn't be -- several business majors I knew come to mind, especially the infamous Jeremiah. Part of that stems from the coddled state of many middle- to upper-class children, though. They can't conceive of having to work for something. They've always just coasted and turned to mom and dad, so they coast through college with C's and a business degree and get some job that is just for them to make money and go on with the rest of their lives. Not to say there aren't passionate, hard-working business majors out there. You find people like this in almost any major. Girls at college for their MRS, guys there as a way to legitimize partying. It's sad, they are the ones that bring the rigor level of universities down.
ESFJ
Strengths: 11 percent Extroverted
25 percent Sensing
62 percent Feeling
56 percent Judging
* slightly expressed extrovert
* moderately expressed sensing personality
* distinctively expressed feeling personality
* moderately expressed judging personality
Provider Guardian
This seems fairly right, though I'm so slightly extroverted that the perfect hostess bit is a bit off. And I certainly can't see myself in sales! I have an incredibly sense of responsibility, a desire to be involved in things like church and charities to make a difference, and I definitely think I'm a giving person -- though perhaps too much sometimes, like always agreeing to switch my schedule for other people to be off. I'm a shy extrovert, for whatever sense that makes. I love being with people, I get depressed when I'm too alone and inactive, but I'm so incredibly nervous about meeting new people. I'm one of those hang on the side of the room with people you know types at parties, though I do enjoy having people over and the idea of dinner parties. Oh well, that's what happens when you try to pigeonhole people!
But as for what I'd do if I hadn't gone to college, that's a really scary question. I have experience in clerical stuff, but what I love is language and communication. While it's theoretically possible to become a journalist without at degree, they usually require you to complete one as you work, so I'm not sure that would count for this hypothetical. I'm not particularly good with my hands, so trades are out. I guess I might have gotten at two-year nursing degree, but I've never been that interested in biology.
It's a difficult thing to get your mind around, the idea of not going to college. My whole life was geared that way. When I was in junior high, I thought I would be a history professor. I was in honors classes where it wasn't a question of if you'd go to college but where. Heck, my whole high school was pretty much like that, something like 90 percent of us went on for some kind of higher education. Looking at the options that remain if you don't go, I feel bad for those who can't!
I do agree that there are many people in college who shouldn't be -- several business majors I knew come to mind, especially the infamous Jeremiah. Part of that stems from the coddled state of many middle- to upper-class children, though. They can't conceive of having to work for something. They've always just coasted and turned to mom and dad, so they coast through college with C's and a business degree and get some job that is just for them to make money and go on with the rest of their lives. Not to say there aren't passionate, hard-working business majors out there. You find people like this in almost any major. Girls at college for their MRS, guys there as a way to legitimize partying. It's sad, they are the ones that bring the rigor level of universities down.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
It's a mania!
Wow, that city list thing just exploded, huh? I must say, though, seeing other people's lists, I definitely agree with Smitty that towns must have been paying to be on that site. Why else would so many people get Tulsa and Sheboygan? And Palm Springs, Calif., out of nowhere? Johnson City, Clarksville, Little Rock ... they're all suspicious. As my sister noted, where was New York? Or even Charlotte, for those of us with heavily Southeastern lists (not that I'm recommending it, really). Or Atlanta? Interestingly, all places people are already moving to ...
Anyway, that was fun! Thanks Chiff! Now you just need to add to the hilarity by posting pictures of that pimped-out car!
Anyway, that was fun! Thanks Chiff! Now you just need to add to the hilarity by posting pictures of that pimped-out car!
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Home sweet home
According to this site, this is the list of top 24 cities for me. A friend did it with the purpose of finding a place to live, but I just did it for fun. These are so completely unsurprising! If I had come up with this list off the top of my head, many of the top 10 have been there anyway -- I've talked about Asheville and Roanoke since I was 18 -- uh, not Tulsa. But am I predictable or what? Sad thing is, if Brad did this survey, his answers would be NO WHERE NEAR MINE. Good thing reality isn't an Internet quiz.
1. Asheville, NC
2. Roanoke, VA
3. Chattanooga, TN
4. Brevard, NC
5. Johnson City-Kingston, TN
6. Greenville, SC
7. Hickory, NC
8. Boone, NC
9. Maryville, TN
10. Knoxville, TN
11. Tulsa, OK
12. Charlottesville, VA
13. Hendersonville, NC
14. Lynchburg, VA
15. Waynesville, NC
16. Clarksville, TN
17. Berea, KY
18. Culpeper, VA
19. Abingdon, VA
20. Morganton, NC
21. Clayton, GA -- the fruitcake place? maybe not
22. Gainsville, GA
23. Mount Airy, NC -- start whistling!
24. Palm Springs, CA -- where did that come from?!
1. Asheville, NC
2. Roanoke, VA
3. Chattanooga, TN
4. Brevard, NC
5. Johnson City-Kingston, TN
6. Greenville, SC
7. Hickory, NC
8. Boone, NC
9. Maryville, TN
10. Knoxville, TN
11. Tulsa, OK
12. Charlottesville, VA
13. Hendersonville, NC
14. Lynchburg, VA
15. Waynesville, NC
16. Clarksville, TN
17. Berea, KY
18. Culpeper, VA
19. Abingdon, VA
20. Morganton, NC
21. Clayton, GA -- the fruitcake place? maybe not
22. Gainsville, GA
23. Mount Airy, NC -- start whistling!
24. Palm Springs, CA -- where did that come from?!
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Breaking news
And yet another way to keep tabs on Ayzair! For some of my better pages, check out my portfolio on News Page Designer. I just started playing with this tonight, so hopefully it will be updated and improved as things go along.
Extra, extra! Read all about it!
If anyone is curious about what I actually do for a living, go to Newseum.org. A very cool site, you can look up front pages from around the world, including an archive of monumental events, like Sept. 11, 2001. My paper just signed up to put our pages on there, so you can now keep occasional tabs on how I spend my nights. The page on there currently is mine (with a WWII vet), but they update daily and I only do the front twice a week. Anyway, fun stuff. Search by region for South Carolina and then Rock Hill.
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Welcome to my odditorium, a collection of curiosities made up of snippets about my life and occasional machinations on deeper subjects.
