In response to your comments about the students and teaching situations . . .
I would suspect you're going to get many responses saying, "I've had those
same feelings." I can only suggest that you use these experiences to help
you locate a better situation for yourself eventually. As a doctoral student
I also worked with some large sections and decided that just wasn't my idea
of education. So, when I began interviewing, I knew that I would not be
happy in that kind of situation. Now, although I with a large university,
I'm on a small campus. My classes range in size from 12 to 30; I've once or
twice had about 40 students in a group.
I've also run up against the problem of being one of 4 people who teach the
same course, and the work load I impose on students is much heavier. Instead
of three multiple choice exams and maybe one paper, I ask for 3 or 4 exams
(all with comprehensive component), a computer project in two stages, a team
project that requires an interview or presentation outside our class and then
two team presentations in class, plus a couple of small papers along the way.
Imagine how the students react when they first see my syllabus and then find
out their friends are getting the same three credits in Organizational
Behavior for 3 MC tests!
The bottom line is -- I had to decide what I wanted my courses to be and
create the environment I was looking for. It was part of the discussions
when I interviewed with schools. The students are eventually hearing from
previous classes how much value they get from my course and buying into the
process a little more quickly. It's been a gradual building process, but I
recently won a very nice teaching award, so I guess it's getting there.
What you've discovered is how much opportunity there is to make things
better. Don't lose your critical eye. The depression comes and goes, but
if you notice these situations are not bothering you at all any more that's
when you'll know you've given up (and perhaps then should think about another
profession).
Good luck,
Gayle
Gayle Porter, PhD
Rutgers University
School of Business
Camden, NJ 08102
609-225-6216
gporter@crab.rutgers.edu