On Tue, 2008-01-22 at 20:22 -0600, Les Mikesell wrote: > Ric Moore wrote: > >>> Big Snip! > > So what happens when the teacher really doesn't know any more than the > student - or decides it is more fun to taunt than to teach? I'd expect > both cases to be pretty common. > Some instructors I have had in industry have done that, but I found it far more common in College. Especially those with doctoral degrees would like to make us older folks going back to school squirm. In technology related classes which I had to take for residence credit, it was not too big a deal. At that time I had 15 years experience in electronics of all kinds and 5 years in Calibration specifically, so I would take them down the accuracy, repeatability, resolution, and precision path, which only Calibration types get sufficient explanation and then just kick back and watch them dig themselves into a hole. But for students who challenge and belittle, an old and very infuriating technique is called agree, negate and challenge. Look it up. Don't over use it, but do add it to your toolbox. I taught the Navy's Human Resources Management courses and Understanding Personal Worth and Racial Dignity courses in the 70's, and community college on electronics technology and programming in the 80's, then taught the test engineering courses in the 80's, 90's and in 2000-2004. I may not be the best instructor, but with enough experience even a sow becomes silky. I enjoyed teaching, and over 90% of my students were wonderful, 5% were geniuses, and the other 5% strained my best manners and attitude, but even most of those eventually came around. The real reward was when they made the corner and the light went on. That was worth all the effort. And believe it, Naval Officers were tough to train, especially for a second class or first class petty officer. Regards, Les H
