All Hail the New Overlord of Existence...
ME!
Why? Simple. OK, not simple.
In the immortal words of Bill Cosby, "Children have the brain damage." And by children, I mean anyone in the position of "kid." Like college students, especially undergraduates. See, many undergraduates go into a class and find out it'll be hard work, so they get pissed. Others encounter something they don't like and talk to everybody but the instructor about the problem. Still others put more work into sabotaging their instructors than it would take for them to study for their quizzes and exams. I nearly forgot the tiny portion that actually does the work.
That's unfair. I'm about fairness, so I'll be truthful. Last week, Dr. Wood said she wanted to discuss a problem with me. Minor problem... of course not. Seven students--SEVEN--have been bitching about me to Dr. Wood. One of these seven even went to the department chair just to bitch about me. How many of these seven mentioned their problems to me? Even though I don't know who these students are (lucky them; I'd make them pay!), I know none of them spoke to me about their problems because noone speaks to me about problems they have with the class.
Apparently, I'm not prepared enough. NEWS FLASH! No one is prepared for that class. Yes-man and Follower are doing a good job in Dr. Wood's eyes because their students don't bitch about them (it's usually bad to bitch about the people giving away free points). As I knew they would, my students are being screwed by the current state of the so-called A&P staff. And I get to go up shit creek about it.
There are lots of elements to this problem. 1. The supervisor doesn't supervise (AKA micromanage); this is the definition of leading a staff of teachers, or anything else for that manner. 2. Students don't know how good they've got it. I could fuck them over like crazy, every last one of them, just to make myself feel good--but that wouldn't be fair. 3. A Yes-man gives the answer "Yes!" and not much else; making such an individual a de facto leader will not work, especially given item one. 4. A Follower, by definition, follows; followers don't actually put forth initiative. 5. The senior TA hasn't put up, so he's shut up.
Now that we're playing, "Let's screw that Len guy," that last one is about to change. I'm done taking orders. I'll take suggestions, but not orders. Yes-man and Follower said they were going to do a lot of things, but have failed to deliver almost every time where I'm involved. They were going to make handouts for everyone, so the students would know what to study. I never got a copy.
As of today, I'm declaring myself unofficial supervisor of Anatomy & Physiology I. The actual supervisor won't micromanage, so I'm going to do it for her. And I'm going to do it my way. My word will now be law for the students. I will do my best to be just and fair: I'll do my part, but the students and the other instructors will have to do theirs. If not, it's their ass, not mine.
I'm taking over. Work with me or make it where I don't have to take over. I don't care which happens anymore.
Why? Simple. OK, not simple.
In the immortal words of Bill Cosby, "Children have the brain damage." And by children, I mean anyone in the position of "kid." Like college students, especially undergraduates. See, many undergraduates go into a class and find out it'll be hard work, so they get pissed. Others encounter something they don't like and talk to everybody but the instructor about the problem. Still others put more work into sabotaging their instructors than it would take for them to study for their quizzes and exams. I nearly forgot the tiny portion that actually does the work.
That's unfair. I'm about fairness, so I'll be truthful. Last week, Dr. Wood said she wanted to discuss a problem with me. Minor problem... of course not. Seven students--SEVEN--have been bitching about me to Dr. Wood. One of these seven even went to the department chair just to bitch about me. How many of these seven mentioned their problems to me? Even though I don't know who these students are (lucky them; I'd make them pay!), I know none of them spoke to me about their problems because noone speaks to me about problems they have with the class.
Apparently, I'm not prepared enough. NEWS FLASH! No one is prepared for that class. Yes-man and Follower are doing a good job in Dr. Wood's eyes because their students don't bitch about them (it's usually bad to bitch about the people giving away free points). As I knew they would, my students are being screwed by the current state of the so-called A&P staff. And I get to go up shit creek about it.
There are lots of elements to this problem. 1. The supervisor doesn't supervise (AKA micromanage); this is the definition of leading a staff of teachers, or anything else for that manner. 2. Students don't know how good they've got it. I could fuck them over like crazy, every last one of them, just to make myself feel good--but that wouldn't be fair. 3. A Yes-man gives the answer "Yes!" and not much else; making such an individual a de facto leader will not work, especially given item one. 4. A Follower, by definition, follows; followers don't actually put forth initiative. 5. The senior TA hasn't put up, so he's shut up.
Now that we're playing, "Let's screw that Len guy," that last one is about to change. I'm done taking orders. I'll take suggestions, but not orders. Yes-man and Follower said they were going to do a lot of things, but have failed to deliver almost every time where I'm involved. They were going to make handouts for everyone, so the students would know what to study. I never got a copy.
As of today, I'm declaring myself unofficial supervisor of Anatomy & Physiology I. The actual supervisor won't micromanage, so I'm going to do it for her. And I'm going to do it my way. My word will now be law for the students. I will do my best to be just and fair: I'll do my part, but the students and the other instructors will have to do theirs. If not, it's their ass, not mine.
I'm taking over. Work with me or make it where I don't have to take over. I don't care which happens anymore.
posted by LEN! at 12:16 AM
5 Comments:
Len, while I've never really been in the position you're in, and therefore can't offer advice, I can offer sympathy as a fellow man who has dealt numerous times with the inanity and dumb-ass-ness of the human race.
Good luck in your quest to re-civilize the department, and may all your detractors be met with foot rot and copious STDs!
"Slaughter them now, cast them away from the forge of knowledge and let them get on with their McDonald-land-can-I-take-your-order path." Don't hold back! I'm all for putting people in their place, but that takes some kind of medal for bluntness.
Sign me up for a henchman from the Sexy Russian Pilot category. Ahh... Famke....
Maybe as a project, I could have my Sexy Russian Pilot (we'll call her "Xenia") escort me to class and meetings, kill anybody who pisses her off--she's got a shorter temper--and then we can practice her more... unique infiltration techniques. Then he only thing I'd have to worry about are evasive, deep-throated almost-sexy computer programmers.
Xenia is, after all, the pinnacle of sexy. Everybody else just has to settle for 2nd place.
Mmmmmmm Xenia... yum...
Okay, I offcially nominate this for the "Weirdest Internet Conversation I've Ever Participated In" Award. 'Cause...it skipped from world domination and the sheep-ness of humanity, to James Bond and a chick who gets orgasmic pleasure out of breaking a man's back with her legs.
There are times I wish Xenia Onatopp came up in every converstaion.
"Before I discuss the next stage of the State of the Union, I'd like to say that Famke Janssen was hot in Goldeneye."
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Hold Spirit, Xenia Onatopp is a sinful creature."
"Using the quadratic equation here, we can clearly see how killing people with sex in the sense of a Bond movie isn't a bad way to go."
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