I hate my Advanced Composition for Future Teachers class.

Judging by the title one would expect some advanced composition in the Advanced Composition for Future Teachers class. Well, one would be wrong. One would be very, very wrong.

For the last five weeks all we’ve done is sit in a circle and talk about thoughts and feelings and what we think about teaching and personal experiences and theory. We get in groups to discuss the reading, and we never end up discussing the reading. It always devolves into who she saw last night, what he was wearing, and can you believe she said that. Considering that the class has 30 people, of which 28 are female, one shouldn’t be surprised.

I’ve got real problems with this class. We haven’t done any writing yet. I was kinda hoping this class would help me to become a better writer. So far it’s been bullshit. The professor is trying to emphasize the new wave in teaching, the avant-garde, the new consciousness. Problem posing, working in groups, emphasizing personal experiences and personal language are de rigeur.

The problem I have with this new approach is its irrelevance. Thoughts and feelings and personal experiences might make the classroom more comfortable for the 90% female Liberal Studies population, but it won’t help them get a job. An advanced composition class should be emphasizing grammar, content, and syntax. We should be doing some actual writing in the class (heaven forbid).

I take that back. It won’t help them find a job in the real world. I’m sure all they’ll have to do is talk about their family or what was on Survivor last night and they’ll get the job.

Another problem I have with this teaching style is the issue of sources. How do I know that the dumb fucking sorority girl in the front row who constantly chimes in on every topic actually knows what she is talking about? I don’t. How do we know where she got her information from? Is it reliable? We don’t know. All these thoughts and feelings and opinions are questionable.

Today the blonde bimbo was sharing with the class her experiences in her History class, which she hated. “I just don’t get it,” she whined. Apparently the nasty old professor expected her to actually comprehend the things she read. Then she explained that he asked her not to use ‘I’, ‘my’, or ‘me’. She wasn’t allowed to use any personal thoughts or feelings or experiences as examples in her papers. That old meanie. He was oppressing her by denying her access to her “personal language”. Gag.

This class is driving me crazy. If this is the attitude our future teachers are going to take in the classroom then heaven help our kids. They won’t be able to read and write (that would be oppressive!). Instead, they will be able to tell you what the other kids thoughts and feelings were yesterday.