Some advice needed....

[thomasng]

Okay, so I've been a PhD student here at the University of Toronto for 1 year now, and in September I was appointed by the faculty as an adjunct professor for the Accounting department due to my experience and academic record. (I have been a teaching assistant since January of this year for Accounting and Finance courses).

A few weeks ago, a few hundred first year students wrote an examination for their prerequisite accounting course, and they all did really bad (average was a failing grade). Needless to say I've come under a lot of fire, students have been calling me terrible, etc. etc. Problem is, I fail to see where I've gone wrong. I told them everything they needed to know, I've offered office hours and help, and no one askes me questions, so I assume everything is all right. The mistakes that were made on the examination were very disappointing, there were some major errors in the mathematical part despite the fact calculators were allowed.

I want to know, where could it possibly have gone wrong? Where did I fail as an instructor? All my students failed to answer this question for me and just blamed me for their poor performance anyways. I have taught Accounting "labs" at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto for 6 hours a week for almost 5 years, and have never had complaints, and same with the courses I've taught since January.

I know it's probably hard to answer this question, but I want to know points where an instructor fails... I try my best and I feel like I'm useless.

[POTR]

So, you went from teaching at a school most likely populated by less privileged, more responsible, older students, where they actually go to achieve their goals and affect change in their position in life in the shortest possible time, to teaching at an institution where most likely, more privileged, spoiled kids are just parking their asses for 4-6 years after high school because they are expected to get that sheepskin, in order to get a decent job, and you wonder where the problem is?

Not to make light of your situation, it sucks... but a talk with the senior faculty about the true nature of the undergraduate 'lack of' studies is probably in order, if you can't find the proper motivational spark for your group of brats as a whole.

[phaedo]

I would echo POTR's comments - sure, there may be issues with your teaching but it more than likely comes down to the students not wanting to study, just party. I remember a first year law course I did, in a lecture hall of 300+ seats it was standing room only at the start of the year, by mid year half the seats were vacant, and only a third of those that stay to sit the final exams pass. Accounting courses I did were similar, the average grade was around 45% (a pass being 50%) - yet all the people I associated with were achieving in the 70's and higher. University is about independent learning a lot more than the lectures a lot of the time.

Even with my degree though, I have not been able to get a job in finance without any experience in the field. After 3 years I have given up even looking myself...

[thomasng]

What I don't understand was that I went through the EXACT same program about 10 years ago, and actually was taking the exact same course, and back then students weren't this incompetent (my personal opinion only). I mean, I'm talking errors in addition/subtraction and other common sense errors. Never mind them not even understanding the concepts (Obivously a mortgage is a liability!) I even had one exam paper where the student instead of really attempting the exam, decided to write me a long essay begging for me to give him a high mark in the class or else he wouldn't get a new car from his parents, etc. etc and as a result got 2/100.

I used to teach 2nd year Accounting as a side job from my day job and they were a really smart group of students, so I was very disappointed when I'm teaching 30 hours a week to such incompetent students and feel so helpless/useless to them.

[ryyannon]

I see the exact same attitude in many of my private engineering school students as opposed to those enrolled in the pubic universities.

There is a word for it: entitlement.

Usually no way to fight it, especially as an adjunct.

One possible solution: give everyone a passing mark and console yourself with the hope that some of these cretins will be legally responsible for the mistakes they'll be making on the job, once out in the real world.

[POTR]

10 more years of synthetic, spoon-fed Hegelian transcendent synthesis is all the difference it takes... and what a difference it makes...

Good to see you about Ryy... I miss my drinking buddy.

[phaedo]

I even had one exam paper where the student instead of really attempting the exam, decided to write me a long essay begging for me to give him a high mark in the class or else he wouldn't get a new car from his parents, etc. etc and as a result got 2/100.

I think you just answered right there what the issue is - it isn't that you are a bad teacher, it is that they are bad students. Sounds like really bad.

[ryyannon]

Thanks, POTR.

I know the feeling.

[Craytonic]

Grade on a curve and call it a day... at least the worst will still fail.

[docblackrock]

Okay, so I've been a PhD student here at the University of Toronto for 1 year now, and in September I was appointed by the faculty as an adjunct professor for the Accounting department due to my experience and academic record. (I have been a teaching assistant since January of this year for Accounting and Finance courses).

A few weeks ago, a few hundred first year students wrote an examination for their prerequisite accounting course, and they all did really bad (average was a failing grade). Needless to say I've come under a lot of fire, students have been calling me terrible, etc. etc. Problem is, I fail to see where I've gone wrong. I told them everything they needed to know, I've offered office hours and help, and no one askes me questions, so I assume everything is all right. The mistakes that were made on the examination were very disappointing, there were some major errors in the mathematical part despite the fact calculators were allowed.

I want to know, where could it possibly have gone wrong? Where did I fail as an instructor? All my students failed to answer this question for me and just blamed me for their poor performance anyways. I have taught Accounting "labs" at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto for 6 hours a week for almost 5 years, and have never had complaints, and same with the courses I've taught since January.

I know it's probably hard to answer this question, but I want to know points where an instructor fails... I try my best and I feel like I'm useless.

Firstly, what happened to your six-figure job in London and the Sloane Square pad?

Ok then, I have teacher friends and they all say the same things.....I tell them just do your job, you are not personally responsible for the fecklessness of your students. If you want to change thw world go and work for a NGO in Africa or something.

They're just first years, probably not that motivated. Anyway why are you carrying the can, they have other tutors and lecturers, right? Regardless I wouldn't worry, just concentrate on your own studies. Let 'em fail. God knows the world doesn't need MORE bean-counters, let alone incompetent ones.