Crazy Teachers

You'll definetly have at least one. The fact is tenure sucks and some get by under the radar. For example I did not have an all great experience with my FYS. My teacher was a poetry professor and not really a great one at that, while the class was a based on pyschology, which she of course had no knowledge of nor did she necessary believe in the validity of the science. I hated her. Luckily as part of some devine, karma-esque retribution she was arrested the next semester for assaulting her ex-fiance. In the words of Nelson Muntz, "HA-ha".

Now that is a very extreme example and will likely not happen to anyone reading this, but the point is your not going to get along with every teacher or agree with their teaching methods. It is important that you be able to handle these situations so that it does not end up affecting your academic standing.

First no matter how crazy they are try your hardest to treat them with in the least an appearance of your utmost respect. This is alot easier in lecture class as you only have to offer a little eye contact, smile, and occasionly provide one word answers to questions to show you are paying attention. With a class that is heavily discussion based, such a situation with such a teacher will likely result in a large-scale philosophical arguement. It is important, while understandably difficult, in this situation to maintain your cool and emotionally detach yourself from the arguement, otherwise it will inevitably result you losing control of the debate and shouting profanities at the teacher.

One option that is somewhat risky though quite viable, is to take a kind of home schooling method to the class. Basically you would spend the time that would otherwise be spent in the classroom in some space where you can really get some hardcore studying done and learn what would have been learned in class that day. There several factors that must be taken into consideration before doing this of course. This obviously will not work for a course where in-class discussion is factored into the grade. It will also not work in a class with a crappy textbook.

The basic issue you have to weigh is how beneficial is the lecture the professor is provide to your understanding of the material and do you have the responsibility and means by which to do a better job. Most people don't and should NEVER try this. But there are those who are responsible enough and just have the misfortune of failing to connect with their teacher.