Comparisons.

So one of my Texas besties, Lara, has been doing Teach for America down in the Rio Grande Valley at a middle school, and she also blogs about her teaching adventures. I shamelessly follow her and I think she's awesome. For one thing, I don't think I'd have the patience to work with 12 and 13 year olds. So whenever I read her blog, I do an internal comparison between her teaching stuff and my teaching stuff.

Reasons why Lara is awesome:
*She posts regularly about the good, the bad, and the ugly. And sometimes, the excellent. Always balance. I like it.
*She's still learning about teaching, as I am.
*She still has at least another year of teaching. I don't. Though I think I'm glad for my own situation.
*She has to deal with parents, ADHD kids, and annoying kids in general. All day, 5 days a week.
*She has the chance to mold these whiny middle schoolers into better students at a higher education level. So hopefully, with more Lara's in the world, TA's won't have as much to complain about

Internal comparisons:

I usually just complain about the lack of effort I get from my students. And sometimes their idiocy. However, when grading yesterday, I got two perfect forms (out of the 60 that I graded). There's still hope.

I only have to see my students once a week for two hours each lab. I don't get to work with them, to really tell them how to improve, and see if they listen. But at the same time, I'm glad that I don't have to baby them, or deal with their parents. In college, students are away from their parents for the first time. They've left the nest, they need to learn to take care of their shit. Sure, I'd feel bad failing a student, but I can only do so much. The apathy I get from my students really scares me some times. You as a student are paying to take my class. Show some interest, learn something. Don't pay for a class if you're not going to put some effort into it.

I think there's a dilemma about whether or not students should be required to take classes that are not relevant to their major. Would making a Business Administration major take an Oceanography lab for science credit make them a more well rounded student and person? Maybe. It depends on whether or not they care. Universities make requirements and most students will take what they perceive to be the easy way out. But why? Where did that begin? What's the difference between doing one thing really well and doing multiple things at an average level of accomplishment? Does a well rounded student exist anymore? Did it ever?