Getting ready

I'm desperately trying to get up the energy to get everything accomplished (written) that needs to be done before the new semester begins.  It's getting more and more difficult with each passing term.  It's getting more difficult to find ways to excite students - to show them the beauty in science - to teach them. 

Students have changed over the years.  When I started teaching (long ago), students were respectful when in lecture.  Students worked at the material presented in the laboratory.  Students didn't ask "will this be on the exam?" "Why do I have to learn this?" "Why do i need to learn all of this if I'm, joust going to be a nurse?" "Can't you just give us your lecture notes so we don't have to take notes?" "What??? You don't do PowerPoint's and give out copies of the PowerPoint's?"

No longer are many students able to loo and see things at the same time.  They cannot distinguish the minutia between one tissue and another.  They will not learn to identify changes.  They want it all handed to them and feel that education is now like any other business.  They paid their tuition therefore it is the instructors job to make sure they learn - preferably without their help.  Until this last year, never before have I had to admonish so many to stop using their phone during lecture as it is distracting to others.  Until this last year i had never actually had students have their mobile phone ring during lecture, get up, leave the room to talk, and come back in to lecture then get upset that I will not repeat what they missed. 

What is happening?  Where did things go so bassakwards?  I am thankful that I received the education that I did.  I am thankful that I learned how to look and see.  I am thankful that I was able to pass those skills on to my son.  My hope is that he will pass it on to his children (no rush there by the way) and that they will delight in learning for the sake of increasing one's knowledge and understanding of how things work and why they work as they do. 

I will always remember my college mycology professor telling me that I shouldn't go into teaching.  He told me this one week before he committed suicide.  While I do not agree with his decision - I do understand.