School has started in earnest, and it has been more of a good week then a crappy week. My students seem to be intelligent and exciting people, even my eight am class was on the ball. So if, it seems, my students (or, let be honest, some of them) are cool what has curtailed my week? What has taxed my patience and intelligence? Well since you asked so nice I will tell you, it is one of the instructors that I am team teaching with. When I met her a little voice in the back of my head warned me of impending doom, but I dismissed said voice, probably because I did not want to face the truth, or I wanted to keep it far enough away that it would not intrude on my happy first week. Because usually I listed to Marvin (my little voice), he has served me well over the years. But unfortunately I ignored Marvin, hoping he was wrong and knowing in my heart of hearts that he was not. This woman is the most inept, ignorant and irritating person I have ever met in my life!!!!

If she were only irritating I could handle it, but it is the inept part that has me up in arms. She seems to know very little about the subject and insists on giving out incorrect information. She cares not one iota that the class be academically rigorous and pedagogically responsible. She would prefer not to give exams or have them write papers, and just pass them all on principle. Now I know that some people would cheer this, I am not one of them. I think that an education should mean something and let me but it this way, I have never failed a student who came to class and did the work, even if that meant that they spent more time in my office so that I could help them then they did in the class. And how the hell did someone with a masters degree in counseling pass muster to teach a humanities class? I am sure that she has much to add to the conversation, but she also seems to think that she can also lecture better on other people’s specializations then they can. One of the other professors is in the art department. Now I know a good deal about art and art history (this woman specialty), but I also know enough to know that she probably is much better suited to lecture about this subject then me. Our friend, lets call her Mona, does not seem to feel this same way, it seems she is superwoman. But the word on the street is that she misses so much class that she only causes some trouble, not a typhoon.

I am worried that if the semester continues in the vein this blog will become a months long vent about a woman that I must keep myself from throttling.