so, i did.
and i just wrote a flawless geometry proof to boot. it's so fucking fabulous to finally be good at this shit. i'm much less reluctant about finishing my math major this semester. thank god.
xxx
today was my first discussion section for my western civ class. i loathe class discussions. it didn't help that i hadn't read the communist manifesto since the summer of 2004, but i went in there, raised my hand, spoke up, put forth my ideas in spite of the ridiculous interpretations offered by my classmates and promptly vomited on my shoes when i walked out of class.
i think, someday, i'll write a paper about the worthlessness of class discussions in 100-level classes full to max capacity. not today, though.
xxx
i like the idea of oral exams, though. i think it displays a much greater mastery of a subject to be able to discuss it fluently and on the spot with your peers or superiors. it's an entirely different level of examination than the joke of rote memorization employed in most public classrooms.
you may think this contradicts the section above regarding class discussions. and, in a way, it does. it's certainly possible to have rewarding discussions and debates when class size, time and subject mastery allow. however, that is rarely (if ever) the case in an introductory class with 55 students all vying to get their oh-so-important participation points.
oh! how i abhor participation points! it's my firm belief that an educator ought to inspire, not require, students to participate. and, under no circumstances, should a teacher penalize a student for not "taking advantage" of "tools" he doesn't not need to succeed.
