I’m sure you’ve all at some point in our university careers, dealt with a bad teacher or two. It can make our time at university a little (or a lot) more stressful. Teachers are here because they want to be and enjoy seeing the growth academically and socially from students. So why are some always so agitated and bossy? As a paying student who chooses to have a tertiary education, you have the right to voice your frustration at the lack of respect. I can’t tell you why some teachers come to university with a bad attitude nor do I wish to delve further into their personal lives. But I can tell you that you have a voice, so use it!
Here are some tips on dealing with bad teachers:
1: If you can, change classes, ASAP! It will help your learning experience and make the class more enjoyable instead of dreading it each week.
2. Speak to other classmates. If other students are saying the same thing, you may have a case to present to the head faculty. (Safer in numbers right?)
3. If a teacher is threatening to not pass you and you know you are in the right, SPEAK UP! Go and speak to someone higher than him or her or if (god forbid) they are the highest, go and speak to another teacher and get a second opinion. No one should fail a class because the teacher has a personal vendetta against them.
4. Fill out those ANNOYING surveys that constantly flood our emails. It’s the perfect chance to speak up, voice your opinion honestly and still remain anonymous. Not only will this notice the faculty of teacher’s behavior, it will notify the teacher and later on prevent future students from enduring what you did.
5. Lastly, suck it up (in the nicest way). If you generally just don’t like the teacher or don’t see eye-to-eye, just zip your lips and do you work. The teacher will have no cause to fail you (unless you obviously don’t do the work) and you can finish the semester and down a well-deserved beer (or 10).
Don’t ever be afraid to voice your opinion. You have the right and deserve the right to an education that you choose.
Goodluck!