How to piss off a Mad Woman

Saying I am frustrated is a massive understatement.

One of my biggest pet peeves is being lied to. If you tell me you are going to do something, then you had damn well better do it. And if you tell me you are going to do something? I expect it to be done in a timely manner. If you have no intention of doing something promptly, then tell me. If you tell me you'll do something just to appease me, you are just going to piss me off. I value honesty. If for some reason you really want to piss me off...just promise to do something and then never do it. I might threaten to run you over with a bus if you do it enough.

My poetry teacher is starting to piss me off. When he first posted our syllabus, I sent him an e-mail asking for something a little bit more...thorough. The syllabus he sent us is effectively, 'We're going to do this, and then maybe some of this, and then possibly some of this. You'll stay really busy! Oh, and you have to write a paper and do this and this.' And that was it. No dates when things would be due, no expectations for our papers, no guidelines on when we would be doing what.

I e-mailed him and asked for some clarification. For anyone who knows me, I don't really work well like that. I want firm deadlines. I don't need to be micro-managed, but I want to know what you WANT from me. I'm not a damn mind reader. He promised up and down he'd get something better to us.

That was 3 weeks ago. We still don't have anything.

One of our assignments several weeks ago was to write a poem on the purpose of poetry. I kinda liked mine. He said he'd be posting some of those on the discussion board for us to read and discuss. He still hasn't done that either. I mentioned it in an e-mail to him, but we'll see.

The assignments he gives us are oftentimes confusing. I feel like he is pulling shit out of his ass and just slapping it on the board. We've written one poem to this point. He is completely unorganized.

Oh and best yet? When we e-mail him we have to e-mail his personal hotmail account, because he has difficulties with his school e-mail.

I am massively frustrated. I don't really want to e-mail the Dean, because I'm concerned about shit rolling downhill. I know that means I have to just suck it up and deal with it. I know this is a Poetry class...but it is still a class. It's only a 200 level class...but it is still a college course. How in the world can this guy be a professor? It just feels so damn unprofessional. Or maybe I just need to pull the stick out of my ass, I don't know...

Gah. Just got to suck it up and deal and try to enjoy it, I guess.

Wait, what?

Dear Professor,

I don't mind being assigned readings. I don't even mind if you have them as a .pdf that we have to read. I'm ok with that. No really, I am.

However.

If you are going to assign us a reading that is not in a book we've purchased, at least make sure the file we have is clear and legible. I am not going to sit and read 20 pages of a .pdf that is hard to read because someone scanned it (poorly) in from a book.

This is ridiculous! Oh, and I can't even download the file and read it because it is totally jacked up. When I download it, it downloads in a format that my computer DOES NOT read. So I have to view it on the web.

Head, meet desk. Get well acquainted girls. It's gonna be a long semester.

Curses!

Damnit!

I want to download the Castle books (Heat Wave and Naked Head) onto my Nook. But I know I don't really have the time to read anything that isn't on my reading list this semester.

Curse you, school! Curse you!

Other people's children aren't so bad.

Remember the teacher that I didn't care for, and was pretty sure I wouldn't get along with? After the comment yesterday regarding religion and church planting and such, his response was this...

'I assigned the books that I did with the intent to wrench us outside our comfort zones. The point is, like John F. Kennedy said, we all breathe the same air -- we share this world, and we're required to learn to live alongside, and to love, others with whom we might not see eye-to-eye. Literature assists us in this like little else in our experiences. I'm not interested in censoring anyone; on the contrary, I want us all to listen to one another, to be open with one another, etc. For those of you who have been discussing your faith traditions, church planting, etc -- feel free to do so. The introductions board is for that very thing: introductions. And the subject of religion is invariably going to crop up with respect to our discussions of Blood Meridian and Blankets. One cannot speak intelligently about either book without speaking about the Bible. If a student leaves the class because he or she feels awkward or irritated by certain discussions, that's a shame, because we benefit from multiple world views. But it's also the way it goes sometimes.'

I'm really glad he stepped in and said anything. I was starting to feel like I had to speak up and defend myself. It's nice to know the Professor didn't side with this student (because honestly, I was a little worried about getting in trouble for it.) Also, I couldn't agree with him more. I feel bad for the student that is dropping the class...he's going to miss out on a good class, all because he refuses to keep an open mind.

As an aside, another student mentioned how uncomfortable she felt with one of the books. I'm assuming it is Tipping the Velvet. I'm really enjoying it thus far, and I'll be posting a review on it when I'm all done.

Oh, and I'm having a hell of a time settling in and doing my homework. Tomorrow, I'm going to sit at the table (or my new desk, if we get it put together) and actually get some of this hammered out. After I've done that, I'm going to sit and read for at least an hour or two. I'm already ahead of the reading, but I'd like to stay that way!

Pfft. Some people.

In my Introduction to Literature class, one of the things we've done this week is introductions. One of my other classmates mentioned that the Bible is her favorite book, and that her husband is in Missoula to church plant. Well, I of course wrote back to her, talking about my husband. We had a brief exchange and it was nice. Not a huge deal, nothing overwhelming, we weren't being preachy or anything.

Today, one of my other classmates said -

"A little put off by all the Bible and Denomination babble. That's all I'm going to say. Makes me feel a little uncomfortable... so have fun all. Don't worry, I will be dropping tomorrow."

I understand that sometimes religious talk makes people uncomfortable. However, it was a very brief exchange, and there was nothing pushy or rude or preachy in it. Do you really expect to take a literature class without some mentions of the Bible? I mean...seriously now.

And of course, now I feel bad about it. Like I ran this guy off. I realize he was probably just looking for a reason to drop the class...but yeah. I feel like one of THOSE people now.

I can tell it's going to be a long semester

I was very much looking forward to classes this semester. I'm not so sure if I still feel that way.

At least one of my professors, so far, looks like he is going to be a total douche.

He started a thread on our online class forum, asking us to introduce ourselves. I started a new thread, with my name, introducing myself. He sent me an e-mail (which, to be fair, was mostly polite) explaining to me in detail how to properly post on Blackboard. Apparently, it was inappropriate for me to start a new thread. Rather, he expected me to respond to his original thread.

This is all fine and good. But it's messy and seems pointless. Ah well, what can you do, I guess?

Here's to hoping first impressions are wrong.

As for my Creative Writing: Poetry class...well...it is the professors first time using Blackboard and it shows. Nothing is really set up properly in the class yet. And his syllabus is horrible...it's fine and wonderful to give us a list of things we'll be doing during the semester, but he hasn't given us any dates. We have to write a technical study of a contemporary poet, for example. He doesn't say when it is due by, or give us any other guidelines...

I am sure all will be revealed in time. But damnit, I like knowing ahead of time what I am going to be doing. I really have to plan out my semester, to make sure I can get it all done. His syllabus? Not helping, not even a little!