Teacher's Tenth Day.
Today I upset the balance between my boss and I. Surprise.
Rather than focus on the knowledge related to the second year students of the surgical technology program at MHCC, the program director decided to throw a fit over the shortness of the day's quiz I had prepared for the students. Mind you, before this day, she has had no trouble at all over any of the previous eight quizzes she'd received every Tuesday morning under her office door. "Quizzes are supposed to be worth 15 to 20 points, not ten," she chastises me. "Can't you add some more to this? Some matching, catheters or naming?"
I'd already made photocopies of the quiz, related some fairly straightforward information in my lecture and informed her that I'd really grabbed the most important information off the lecture last week and placed them into the quiz. Last week was also Thanksgiving, I told her. I anticipated this by lecturing on a subject that a surgical technologist needed to understand, but really held little in the way of vital information as far as surgical care was concerned. Because of this, I anticipated a rather low-level focus of study from the students this weekend.
"They need to be prepared at all times and you're paid to give the lectures and prepare them completely." I didn't argue this with her then. It was clear that nothing I would have said would reassure her of my focus and professional desire to prepare the students to the best of my ability; but the truth is, I cannot prepare them completely. Because I know this, from working in the field currently and such, no one who goes through school is ever prepared for everything, and they shouldn't be either. This was likely the most blatant clue as to why her demeanor is so confrontational when it comes teaching.
I can only guess what she's doing to the first year students. New homework every week, pop quizzes, preparing lectures on the fly. This field involves new technologies, standardizing of protocols, and a well-established system of procedures and rules that are followed to give the best care to everyone who seeks it.
A quiz, worth five to ten points less than any I've given or had been expected to give before this one, will make little difference as to whether or not they know how to prepare a room for ESWL or stone removal or not. This was simply a matter of who's in charge, and I already knew that clearly when I was sought out to teach this class by her over seven months ago. She knew whom she was getting back then. Why's it so surprising to find out that I am who I am now? The pressure, it would seem, is on her.
Rather than focus on the knowledge related to the second year students of the surgical technology program at MHCC, the program director decided to throw a fit over the shortness of the day's quiz I had prepared for the students. Mind you, before this day, she has had no trouble at all over any of the previous eight quizzes she'd received every Tuesday morning under her office door. "Quizzes are supposed to be worth 15 to 20 points, not ten," she chastises me. "Can't you add some more to this? Some matching, catheters or naming?"
I'd already made photocopies of the quiz, related some fairly straightforward information in my lecture and informed her that I'd really grabbed the most important information off the lecture last week and placed them into the quiz. Last week was also Thanksgiving, I told her. I anticipated this by lecturing on a subject that a surgical technologist needed to understand, but really held little in the way of vital information as far as surgical care was concerned. Because of this, I anticipated a rather low-level focus of study from the students this weekend.
"They need to be prepared at all times and you're paid to give the lectures and prepare them completely." I didn't argue this with her then. It was clear that nothing I would have said would reassure her of my focus and professional desire to prepare the students to the best of my ability; but the truth is, I cannot prepare them completely. Because I know this, from working in the field currently and such, no one who goes through school is ever prepared for everything, and they shouldn't be either. This was likely the most blatant clue as to why her demeanor is so confrontational when it comes teaching.
I can only guess what she's doing to the first year students. New homework every week, pop quizzes, preparing lectures on the fly. This field involves new technologies, standardizing of protocols, and a well-established system of procedures and rules that are followed to give the best care to everyone who seeks it.
A quiz, worth five to ten points less than any I've given or had been expected to give before this one, will make little difference as to whether or not they know how to prepare a room for ESWL or stone removal or not. This was simply a matter of who's in charge, and I already knew that clearly when I was sought out to teach this class by her over seven months ago. She knew whom she was getting back then. Why's it so surprising to find out that I am who I am now? The pressure, it would seem, is on her.
Patch Adam Perryman wrote this at 19:39
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