Teachers should take themselves more seriously. We pay hundreds of dollars for our classes here, and I believe we deserve a decent return on our investment. I know that I am not the only one that feels this way. When a full time student spends over $4000 a semester, I am sure that they would like to learn something. I believe that learning is what getting an education means, right? Apparently, that is not always the case.

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Teachers should take themselves more seriously. We pay hundreds of dollars for our classes here, and I believe we deserve a decent return on our investment. I know that I am not the only one that feels this way. When a full time student spends over $4000 a semester, I am sure that they would like to learn something. I believe that learning is what getting an education means, right? Apparently, that is not always the case.

I recently had the displeasure of sitting in a large class of about 140 or so students. Our professor handed out an assignment that made me cringe at the idea of it. In groups consisting of double digit numbers of students, we were to take a chapter each and teach the class. Of course, the professor gets to make up the tests.

So, let me get this straight: Our class gets to pay a grand per student, then we get to teach the class we paid for, and the professor who is not teaching their own class because the students are, gets the big check every week? How this is not a scam is beyond me. This professor actually bragged to the class that he received a C+ in the same class when he took it. The only reason he passed it was because he read the book and aced his final. So, the University of Akron somehow employed someone this incompetent.

Even after complaining to advisers, no action has been taken against this so-called teacher. I ended up withdrawing from the class because I was told that nothing could be done. I refuse to pay someone to not teach the class that I have to work hard to pass. Worse yet, many students that I’ve talked to in the class have issues with the assignment and professor, but feel trapped. They either can’t afford to drop it for financial aid reasons, or they have to endure it in order to proceed through their degree programs.

Furthermore, there are other classes that are equally pointless in our curriculum. Another class I’m taking has open note exams, and all the notes are posted on springboard. It seems that increasingly, our classes are feeding us information without making sure we know the material. I understand that kind of mentality in high school, but not in an institution that is paid for primarily through student tuition.

This is the big leagues, and our personal futures rely on knowledge obtained through higher education. As our nation begins a push for changes in education, I believe there needs to be a major overhaul in our schools. This starts by eliminating poor teachers. Just because everyone gets an A in a class does not mean that they are learning anything. In high school, this is reflected in the drop in standardized test scores. Post college, it will be reflected in the continued failures of our economy.

By producing 140 person classrooms filled with students that learned nothing, what good is being done? I realize that many Americans feel a sense of entitlement, but sometimes hard work needs to be done to increase the reward. We are paying hard earned money for a better chance at success in life. I believe our education should reflect that work. Employers would certainly appreciate it, and the serious students at the University of Akron would too. It starts with better teachers. We need a better way to voice our opinions, and more choices in how we are to guide our futures. Please, Dr. Proenza, hear this. Take your students seriously, and hear us. Don’t keep teachers around simply to fill a staffing void, give us what we deserve. Give us what we pay for. Give us an education worthy of the names on our diplomas.

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