It isn’t about English.
I don't know, maybe I've got high expectations. I happen to expect the people whose duty is to educate younger people to be of a certain quality. Educators ought to be dignified individuals who deserve the respect people want to give–they have to know their stuff, so to speak, and be able to present their views eloquently, IDEALLY, to be able to convey their opinions in flawless English. But then again, this isn't always necessary.
And then they've got to know things beyond their expertise, at least, on a touch-and-go basis. You want your Accounts teacher to know that Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest artists and thinkers of the Renaissance period, you want your Science teacher to know that Jane Austen was a famous female writer who wrote in English, you want your Mathematics teacher to realize that 'practise' and 'practice' are two different words. And then, you also want your English teacher to realize of course, that drugs don't really kill, it's drug-abuse that does the job.
To put it simply, you don't want your lecturer to be crapping you and not realizing that half the time she doesn't know what she's talking about. You want her to be AWARE of her misgivings, and her weaknesses, and you want her to be able to identify and admit that there are some topics that she is just NOT qualified to comment on, simply because she lacks general knowledge.
I don't know about you, but if I stumbled upon my economics lecturer's website, and then find out that she's talking about interesting non-economic related topics like sexual reproduction, and dangers of smoking, and the effects of second-hand smoke, I'd be delighted. And then of course I'll move on to find out what she's got to say, my lecturer mah, I wanna know what makes her tick. I would be looking for opportunities to engage in some kind of intellectual discourse with her, of course, I've always respected her for the exciting classes she gives, and that pleasant smile of hers seems to always give her a glowing aura.
And then when I find out that she comes up with something like, 'I feel very strongly that we should not ask smokers to quit smoking, it is after all their human right to do whatever they want,' I'd be very, very, disappointed. I'd be SHOCKED to know that my lecturer actually writes down that 'The essential passport to a better relationship is knowing how to have sex and practising sex.'
And then when I read more and I realize she quotes from sources like Ezyhealth & Beauty , I'd be quite aghast. You don't have to profess to lecture in a private university to KNOW that Ezyhealth isn't exactly academic material.
Honestly, I expect better of lecturers. I'm not asking them to be PERFECT, I realize that they do not have to know everything under the sun, but they've got to at least, demonstrate some kind of self-awareness, and definitely not ignorance. Teachers ought to be confident of what they know, but if they really don't know something, I feel that they've got be confident to ADMIT that they don't know their stuff, not act all holy and mighty and walk around making fun of the teaching profession, one that is SUPPOSED to be noble. And it isn't always about how some lecturers can't even string English words together to form a proper sentence. It's not about the form, it's the substance that matters.
I don't think this is too much to ask for.
Related link:
When superficial thoughts rule…
January 25th, 2006 at 10:33 am
It’s scary when you see lecturers roaming about like that because you start asking yourself “what exactly are the students learning?”.
January 25th, 2006 at 10:46 am
“Teachers ought to be confident of what they know, but if they really don’t know something, I feel that they’ve got be confident to ADMIT that they don’t know their stuff”
I can’t agree more. Another thing I can’t stand about lecturers is when they use the “Am I the lecturer or are you the lecturer?” when you disagree on something they said/wrote.
January 25th, 2006 at 10:49 am
Well, give the poor fella the benefit of a doubt lah…
Maybe the blog is her real persona, and the face that she puts up during lectures are her ‘professional’ traits working out..
I feel that that is enough.. To give the students enough trust and a good education… Let the poor fella take up the not-so-professional approach when she’s not on the job…
January 25th, 2006 at 10:54 am
This isn’t about masks, JC. It isn’t about being unprofessional out of work. Even when you have debates at the mamak table (hardly professional) and have discussions about topics like ‘how to “do it” the right way’ in a joking manner, you would include some sense into your arguments.
And even if your arguments are nonsensical, a lecturer has got to KNOW and REALIZE that he/she is just joking. Then it makes complete sense.
It becomes clownish when the lecturer is OBVIOUSLY not joking about the topics, but presenting opinions ‘to share with the public’ some extra knowledge she/he picked up along the way. It’s hardly knowledge.
January 25th, 2006 at 11:05 am
well you cant expect every one to be aware of everything..Cus the way u put it they nedd to be aware of something, but the fact is not everyone are aware of the same thing. She may not be aware of the things that you are and vice versa.Knowledge and surroundings are vast to apprehend all…Nevertheless I support you objective…
January 25th, 2006 at 11:23 am
Hear hear!!!
I’ve had some really scary lecturers along the way when I was in college, and sometimes you really had to wonder whether we were learning the right thing.
I remember this one lecturer who graded me pretty high because the essay looked very complicated. (Well… it was according to peers who later reviewed it. :p)
January 25th, 2006 at 11:45 am
errm.. personally i think that would be too much to ask from a lecturer.
it’s just a job to most of them anyway. don’t forget, it could be us students who deify them, other than that they’re just humans like you and i.
i have friends who became lecturers, i wonder if choosing that profession subjects you to a certain persona on and even off work?
now, i’m not saying that this post is wrong, but i personally think that it’s unfair to just single out lecturers.
my 2 cents.
January 25th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
to a certain extent i agree…at then end of the day, i don’t put my reliance on lecturers - i trust myself better…
January 25th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Are practiCe and practiSe in fact the same meaning, but spelt differently by Americans and Brits, or…? Even so yeah, they are TWO different words. Never thought about that.
January 25th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
This just in… interesting!
http://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/lpractice.htm
January 25th, 2006 at 3:07 pm
Mini: That bad huh???
January 25th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Huh? I thought practice was a noun and practise a verb
January 25th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
lecturers have a life too and they can have certain values that you might not approve. So long as they don’t spread that in the classroom, what is wrong at all?
give him/her a break.
January 25th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
i’m in the education service. i must say that you really have high expectations of educators. That’s why teachers these days are very boring people, coz we have to keep up with how the public perceived us. You know, it’s not just the things we say in the lecture theatre, the way we dress, the places we hang out and stuff, we have to mind all these things. so tiresome.
I always tell my students that they should share if they have extra info on the subject matter and that they should correct me if i’m wrong. and of course my students smile gleefully whenever they get the chance to do that.
u have a great day ahead..or what is left of it..
January 25th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Do not be surprised to find out (also) that our universities are producing graduates who cannot string a proper sentence in English!
January 25th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
cherubs: it’s because i’m in the same service as you that my expectations are high. educators at all levels (nursery, kindergarten, primary, high school, colleges, universities, trainers) have to be aware that they’re not perfect, and should not be feel threatened when students (or bloggers like me) point out their mistakes. if you make do with mediocre quality, there’s no point in improving. ’sekadar cukup’ can already lah.
I’m not directing this post at anyone in particular. It’s about educators in general, and the kinds of people who’re taking up the teaching positions available at institutions of higher learning. I’m not asking lecturers to have PERFECT knowledge, to be walking encyclopedias. But they have to be capable of engaging students in intellectual discourse, not scream foul when a criticism is made.
January 25th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
my apologies, kept on thinking that u are an editor at a publishing house.
January 25th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
Hm. So, she’s only allowed to criticize because she’s in the same service?
January 25th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
you forgot to add ‘educational’ before publishing. And yeah, so if I’m not a teacher, I can’t criticize teachers, is that it?
I think it’s like this, cherubs, it’s not as simple as ‘giving a break’. Sure i can give these things a break, my expectations can be lowered, i’m not such a nitpicky ass all the time. But let’s not talk about lecturers then, let’s talk about Policemen, and the way some policemen are behaving now (on and off duty), you still wanna go with the ‘give them a break’ attitude?
The Prime Minister, say he gets lackasaidal sometimes, he says weird things that make the nation go ‘wtf’. But never mind that, let’s be kind it this way, ‘Ah, he was on holiday, let’s give him a break.’
Let’s look closer to home, XX and her racist posts, do you guys want to give her a break? She’s read by so many people, she’s got the influencing power, but she borders on racism. There’s half of the masses saying she’s got to be more responsible, the other half goes, ‘Give her a break.’ So which side of the fence are you on?
And when I do make my mistakes, (I make them all the time), do you see my detractors giving me that break? It’s all right to be kind and nice, but sometimes, its kinder to be cruel. That’s why even though they hurt me too, I have to be thankful that they’re there to keep me in check.
January 25th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
This is part of a much larger problem. ‘Sekadar cukup,’ and ’simply bantai,’ are just two of the results of Tall Poppy Syndrome.
Our culture is to destroy those who are overtly good at what they do. This highly destructive form of jealousy goes beyond the personal level. Eventually, the only ones who remain are ’sekadar cari makan jelah,’ and they know it.
This is the paradox: despite knowing their shortcomings and despite knowing that they have shortcomings, this group of people cannot or will not address its problems. They may feel insecure, threatened or otherwise unable to do so.
‘I lecturer or you lecturer?’
This is the fastest I know of for educators and trainers to lose the respect and enthusiasm of their trainees. Coupled with the inability to engage in intelligent discussion, this makes the learning experience a pale imitation of what it ought to be. When an almost wilful mediocrity is added to the mix, things start to get very difficult indeed.
Perhaps it’s just us. Perhaps we’re quite good at this thinking business. Perhaps thinking is actually quite difficult to do. Perhaps there are loads of people out there who, despite the best coaching and the best intentions, will never be able to think the way we can. Perhaps.
We could be in very deep trouble: Tall Poppy Syndrome also operates amongst the students.
January 25th, 2006 at 6:09 pm
there are good and bad teachers, you may have chanced upon a bad one. your detractors do not give you a break coz they enjoy seeing you get all worked up. that’s the fun part about reading minishorts!
my apologies once again if my harmless comments got you started. btw, i do not read the pink bucket of shit.
January 25th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
The education sector is not just any other money-making industry out there. It is special simply because of what it does - educate our young people - and as such we have to take care of what sort of people we employ/desire to educate our young ones.
There are many wonderful, dedicated and caring lecturers out there. But along with them are the ones who are in it for just “less stress” or “just another job” sort of thing - which should never be the case. Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, thinking that teaching is a noble profession, thinking that when I’m an educator, my responsibility is not to myself first but to my students.
I don’t think MS meant to say a lecturer is not allowed to have fun, not allowed to do this or that. It is substance that she is concerned about. And substance transcends image.
January 26th, 2006 at 1:27 am
No, Cherubs, I am rather curious by your previous comments, perhaps I can’t help but feel that you are more forgiving if it is an insider who criticizes an industry, and not one who is an outsider. Could it be possible that outsiders are not ‘qualified’ to make their criticisms because they ‘don’t know’ the machinations of the industry enough?
January 26th, 2006 at 9:39 am
Swifty: insider/ousider does it really matter, everyone is free to criticize. i had my fair share of ridiculous criticisms too. not so sure about ‘machinations of the industry’, but there is a code of conduct and by-laws to follow.
January 26th, 2006 at 9:45 am
cherubs: I think hoh, when you said’ ok i’ll accept what you said, ms, i didn’t know you’re in the same service, i thought you’re an editor’, it gave the impression that you meant that only educators were qualified to criticise. that’s why Swifty got riled up.
Getting riled up is good, especially if the issue discussed is something heavy. Like this.
January 26th, 2006 at 11:48 am
Despite my usually coolness, I am pretty much a hot-blooded patriot who is constantly worried about the social ills of my country. Just that I conceal it with a mask of indifference. I am like an onion with many layers.
February 10th, 2006 at 10:10 am
I don’t know if anybody noticed this, but a green zig-zag line appeared in my head when I read the second sentence: ” I happen to expect the people whose duty is to educated younger people to be of a certain quality.”
That said, I vote Azmyl Yunor for “coolest lecturer in a rock band” and Mack Zulkifli for “most charismatic, funny lecturer”. Well, these two are taken outside of the context of lecturing as we have never been in the same lecture hall.
February 10th, 2006 at 10:16 am
ahahah Albert: As editors we use blue pens and mark spelling errors as ’sp’, and circle them up. Thanks for telling.