I'm doing a part time teaching job every weekend for a local community college. To mention that they are a rowdy crowd is an understatement. I had to put my feet (yes feet, because just a foot is not enough) down a number of times. They looked quite penitent during the rest of the class, but would revert instantly once they think I've loosened my gauntlet.
I didn't expect much with them, I know my subject is hard. This have this universal hatred of math that even simple fractions had them stumped. It was taught in grade school and high scholl, for goodness' sake.
But it's an eye opener for a lot of things.
First. You can't be too nice. In their eyes, then can easily overpower you.
Second. You can't be too tough. They can rebel, which is worse. No matter how strong you are, it's not worth the trouble.
Third. Professors may have this ideal way of teaching, but it is always easier said than done. You have to throw your ideals under the bed and assess the situation first. You may look into them from time to time but you can't rely on them. The most flexible teacher will survive.
Fourth. You cannot please everybody. It is stressed that a teacher must assess individual characters to be able to form the best possible way of teaching them. But again, a classroom is full of individual, heck, I have 143 students to talk to in the space of 9 hours during a single day. Only those who can participate can be seen. And a lot do not want to participate.
I guess it's tiresome. This is my first teaching job after all. What I experienced as a student was greatly different. Then again, my class was not as rowdy as them. But to be fair, I had met classes with tougher students that my current ones (one boy actually peed through a window because he was too lazy to go to the bathroom just outside their classroom). So taking the stress aside, all I can say is that i'm learning too so it's not that bad of a deal.
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