Would you be a tough or an easy professor?

[JulesMaximus]

I would be an impossible professor. I have almost no patience so if you didn't get it the first time you'd be screwed.

 

[Gurck]

I'd be such a bastard... I hate kids :evil:

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: The Boss
I'm seeing a lot of "finals" threads lately and people are talking about 25/100 averages... so would you be a tough SOAB or an easy going cool guy?

I'd probably be a tough SOAB on the test but curve pretty big at the end of the semester to make sure almost nobody fails.

What about you?

I would try to be fair. Set up my tests and curve so that anyone who has gone to class and understands the material would get a B or C.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: kranky
I used to teach at a technical school (sys admin stuff on minicomputers). My teaching approach was:

- Open book tests because you are allowed to use books on the job.
- Long tests because there's no point in having a short open book test. Long tests ensured that people who didn't study weren't going to have time to look everything up.
- Test questions designed to measure understanding, not memorization.
- Bring some humor into the classroom but make sure the work got done.
- Make sure that from the start everyone knew that they had to do the work if they wanted a good grade.

To make up an example, a question might be "List four factors to consider when setting up a backup strategy and why those factors matter." If they got that, I was comfortable that when the time came they could look up the commands and the syntax to use to actually carry out the strategy. I didn't see a point to asking questions about command syntax because you can look that stuff up if you need to.

I'd say I was tough but very fair.

Damn, where were you when my schools were hiring?

I'd strive to be like that.

- M4H

 

[Analog]

I AM a tough professor.

 

[StageLeft]

I would take advantage of the freshmen women.

 

[dullard]

I am a mixture. I grade harshly, and don't give in if they are wrong. However, I will freely adjust test dates, homework due dates, and provide lengthly extra credit assignments if the students wish. To me proof that they can solve the problems is what I care about. If you can't solve them, you don't pass. But if you can, I don't mind giving everyone an A.

Class average: 89% so far with just the final to go.

<-Dullard is an post-doc instructor in his first class with full control of everything, not a professor.

 

[LordMorpheus]

If you didn't deserve to pass my class you wouldn't. Its that simple.

 

I would be more easy going.

Annoyed and pissed off students don't learn anything.

 

[newbiepcuser]

Originally posted by: HonkeyDonk
i'd be a fair prof...

whether or not that means tough or easy, who knows?

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
I think most people will consider me tough. I demand thinking. I don't care about attendance, social aptitude, etc...but if you want a grade from me you had better dang well think things thru. I have zero tolerance for surface thinkers or social whores.

I think C's are about passing, and A's and B's are about excelling. If you do most of what I ask and show that you get most of the major points that's a C. If you go beyond that, show you're thinking about the finer points and so on, that's a B. To get an A I'd want to see you connecting what we were learning to other subjects, testing yourself and others, etc. School isn't about grades or jobs or social structures...it's about learning and critical thinking. The grades you earn should be a reflection of how deep/broad a thinker you are and nothing else.

You should update your grading scale, with grade inflation nowadays you're really hurting your students if you grade based on that scale.

 

[Spamela]

i'd try to say "you are so not going to pass my class" to someone daily.

 

[OffTopic1]

Attendance is important to me, therefore everyone earn 50% if they show up to every class for the semester and try to do some work. And, deduction of 2.5% for every class that missed. (Too many truant students came crying to me when they sense that they are going to fail when I was a TA)

I?ll welcome students that prefer to challenge the class by writing the exams, if any student thinks he/she don?t need to go to class to pass.

 

[Analog]

I don't take attendance, I don't curve, but I always give extra credit problems on homework. All tests are 110 possible out of 100 points. No welfare points here - you gotta earn 'em.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
I think most people will consider me tough. I demand thinking. I don't care about attendance, social aptitude, etc...but if you want a grade from me you had better dang well think things thru. I have zero tolerance for surface thinkers or social whores.

I think C's are about passing, and A's and B's are about excelling. If you do most of what I ask and show that you get most of the major points that's a C. If you go beyond that, show you're thinking about the finer points and so on, that's a B. To get an A I'd want to see you connecting what we were learning to other subjects, testing yourself and others, etc. School isn't about grades or jobs or social structures...it's about learning and critical thinking. The grades you earn should be a reflection of how deep/broad a thinker you are and nothing else.

You should update your grading scale, with grade inflation nowadays you're really hurting your students if you grade based on that scale.

Tough. They want high praise for doing only what's expected of them they can get a job. School is for thinking. They want to get high marks, they do work beyond what is average. C's are for everybody, A's are for the brilliant...B's can be had by anyone who tries hard enough. My job isn't to get kids scholarships or jobs or awards...it's to make the best critical thinkers I can...nothing else matters.

With that being said, you should know that this is all theory right now, since I'm still in school and haven't started teaching yet...but it's what I plan to do.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: OffTopic

Attendance is important to me, therefore everyone earn 50% if they show up to every class for the semester and try to do some work. And, deduction of 2.5% for every class that missed. (Too many truant students came crying to me when they sense that they are going to fail when I was a TA)

I?ll welcome students that prefer to challenge the class by writing the exams, if any student thinks he/she don?t need to go to class to pass.

I was ready to tell you off until I read the last sentence. I always loved teachers that let me do that, even the two classes I tried and failed (one with a 78 one with a 69, required 80 to test out of em).

That being said I despise attendence policies...they really are pointless. If a person can earn an A by showing up one day out of 5, then that's what they earned. There is something to be said for giving credit for participation in in-class discussions of course, if the class is geared that way then it's reasonable. I just always hated classes like math...turn in all the homework, get 95%+ on every test, and then get a c in the class because you didn't show up much. That's just plain wrong.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Easy, if you show up, tough if you do not....I've thought about becoming a math/computer science instructor b4 too.

 

[gotsmack]

If I had tenure then I'd be tough, but until I get it I'd be easy going.

I'm a TA now for undergrad B school students and I'm a tough but fair grader. If a question has 7 parts and you get 4 of the 7 parts correct you get 4/7 of the point value for that problem and if the same thing is tested twice I automatically give you full credit for that portion the second time, no point in docking someone twice for the same mistake.

 

[oboeguy]

Where's the option for "fair"? I am what would be called a fair teacher. Nobody has EVER gotten an unfair grade from me (though I do make grading mistakes like everybody else).

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
I'd be fired a week into the 1st semester for an inappropriate relationship with 4 students.

no question. They'd probably find the chlorophyll as well.

 

[IEC]

I would make a fair final with a few critical thinking questions and maybe some short answer/essay type questions... then use a bell curve...

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
I'd be fired a week into the 1st semester for an inappropriate relationship with 4 students.

no question. They'd probably find the chlorophyll as well.

you mean the chloroform? or are you really talking about the chlorophyll?

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
I'd be fired a week into the 1st semester for an inappropriate relationship with 4 students.

no question. They'd probably find the chlorophyll as well.

you mean the chloroform? or are you really talking about the chlorophyll?

Oh snap. I knew I fvcked that up, but didn't check.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
I'd be fired a week into the 1st semester for an inappropriate relationship with 4 students.

no question. They'd probably find the chlorophyll as well.

you mean the chloroform? or are you really talking about the chlorophyll?

Oh snap. I knew I fvcked that up, but didn't check.

ah relax, I'm just bustin' your chops

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

You would be expected to study and you would get the grade you earned.

Is that easy or hard?

YOU DECIDE!!!