uni. prof, ask me anything

[Anonymous]

R1, humanities field, with strong undergrads programs (think Brown, Gtown, Tufts). Fire away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:R1, humanities field, with strong undergrads programs (think Brown, Gtown, Tufts). Fire away.

What’s the name of your school?

[Anonymous]

I don’t have any questions.

[Anonymous]

Do you heckle your children when they use improper grammar?

[Anonymous]

Do you sign cards and checks with a red pen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:R1, humanities field, with strong undergrads programs (think Brown, Gtown, Tufts). Fire away.

What’s the name of your school?

Despite having a phd which does not necessarily convey common sense, I'm not stupid enough to even come close to outing myself.

[Anonymous]

How many years have you been teaching?

What changes have you seen in students over the years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you heckle your children when they use improper grammar?

No. I only heckle bad drivers and trolls.

[Anonymous]

How often are parents of students actually contacting you? I hear so much about it and am not sure if it’s a rare thing that gets talked about a lot or if it is actually common..

[Anonymous]

Why did you spend five years to earn as much as someone with an undergraduate degree in marketing?

-Finance Prof

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you heckle your children when they use improper grammar?

No. I only heckle bad drivers and trolls.

Is your house full of books? Do you provide age appropriate books for your kids and not just "the classics"?

[Anonymous]

How many students have you hooked up with and how many students have tried to hook un with you?

Can you tell who are the hooked and unhooked kids in your classes?

[Anonymous]

Is your school filled with pre-professional, anti-intellectual students? How much weight do you put into “Excellent Sheep?”

[Anonymous]

are you serious about the non-consensual fraternization policies in place. The days of the predatory professors hopefully being over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many years have you been teaching?

What changes have you seen in students over the years?

I taught a number of years during grad school at a big research uni (not my own), three years at my phd institution (top of the top) and then 13 years where I am now.

Overall, the students seem to have greater pressure to succeed financially. At the same time, the paths to that success are much more diverse. 15 years ago, it was clear tracks to big consulting firms, or banks, or other similarly defined institutions. Now the tech bulge has blown all that up. There are students who think they can do startups, live in the Maldives, and make billions.

Overall, students' abilities to interpret texts and analyze ideas has PLUMMETED.

They seem afraid. Honestly afraid that the world is on the precipice of falling apart.

At the same time, I'm honestly blown away by how much intellectual ability many of them have. If it can be shaped and directed in good ways, we have some hope for the future.

Also, general note: I see a substantial difference between student abilities coming out of private schools and out of public schools (esp. in the ability to read/interpret, think analytically, and in level of confidence). There are some standout public school students, but the numbers of top private school students outweigh the numbers of public school students (caveat: total anecdotal evidence from my own limited experience, but it's been consistently the case over 20 years).