You Can Call Me Professor Incompetent. Or Just Incompetent,That's Fine Too.

By Erin Lin on October 11, 2014

The educational system here is truly mind boggling. And not just in the United States, but where there is an institution of students and faculty, there will be trouble. Why? Because it’s shocking and completely irrational that we have professors in our universities who simply cannot teach.

They can be the smartest and most brilliant minds in their respective fields, but it is baffling that a sheet of paper that declares they have a PhD is sufficient enough for them to lead students in the classroom.

And as long as they have tenure? Good Lord, they are untouchable! Literally, the blind are leading the blind. This is what we pay our tax money and tuition for: ineptitude.

But then you say, “Really Erin? There are a bunch of awful teachers, but it’s seriously not as bad as you describe it to be.” Oh, so now I’m over-exaggerating?

Let me just put on my Jiminy Cricket outfit and take you through school days of college past. That one professor who rambled, and I mean rambled to the point where everyone was lost and had no idea what the mad man was talking about, went on tangent upon tangent and made illogical connections to different topics and areas of focus until you looked down at your notes and realized that you didn’t even know where to begin to connect the dots.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/168738/alec_baldwin_quits_public_life

There are professors and TA’s that are in four hundred level courses that are addressing students the way you would elementary school students. The fact that I have to go on websites and look up certain professor’s credentials and reviews on whether or not they are efficient teachers is ridiculous.

And granted, sometimes you hit a gold mine and there is that one instructor that never leaves your mind even after the final exams have been turned in, the diplomas have been handed out and the graduation caps have been tossed in the air. Those are the huge sighs of relief given by that hour to an hour and a half of true concentration and learning. But why is it based on luck and why is there not a better way in finding men and women who know how to guide eager and curious students?


We ask for elementary/middle school and high school teachers to have masters or degrees in teaching, yet we seem to have a free for all when college rolls around and we hand the reins over to those who are knowledgeable, but cannot instruct.

It is wondrously bizarre that we still have not seemed to grasp the idea that just because you know something well does not mean that you can efficiently hand that information over to someone and make sure they understand it.

Even in high school there were several teachers that kids would all know, either to avoid or to love; I cannot even begin to count the number of professors that I even questioned calling professor. Man, I guess I can get a PhD too considering how awful some of these instructors can be.

I’ve sat in classes where I just want to jump from my seat and say, “what are you even talking about?? I have no idea what you are saying and I hope you realize that nobody else understands you!”

Sometimes instead of taking notes, I fantasize about calling him/her out and moving my peers to the point where they jump up and cheer me on. It’s a dream work in process, but hey, I’d rather think about that than attempting to understand what he or she might possibly be saying.

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/File:Applause-harry-potter.gif

http://www.hercampus.com/school/ufl/why-being-sophomore-better-being-freshman-told-harry-/ potter

Double the applause. Because why not? Oh and because little Emma Watson.

I am not going to end this by saying how to fix this issue, because frankly, I really don’t know how to. The system is beyond me and I feel like all I can do at this point is rant and take off my imaginary hat to salute all of you brave, poor, pathetic guys and gals on paying money to waste an hour or two of your life listening to incoherent nonsense.

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