Art Smart?
One of the biggest appeals of entering college was finally being treated like an adult. Little did I know, most of my teachers were either brand new and had no idea what they were talking about, or had taught the class so many times that they were completely distracted by their personal life, and had no intention or desire to give us the education that we sold our kidney’s to afford.
I walked into my Digital Media and Design class at 7:26am, and sat down at a computer, half way to the back of the class room. I wanted to make sure that I was close enough to see the projection screen, but far enough away from the teacher to discretely check MySpace and Connexion. The first thing out of her mouth was, “Who are you, and what on earth are you doing in my class?” I raised my gracefully arched eyebrow at her and replied,” I’m Matty B. I missed the first class, because of an error in my FASFA, and I wasn’t allowed to attend class, until it was figured out.”
While she stared at me blankly with her eyes glossed over, a dribble of drool delicately dripped from the side of her mouth. So I did what any American person would do when presented with the problem of talking to someone that appears to have a hard time understanding the basic words that are you coming out of your mouth; I repeated myself slowly and loudly.
I signed in, and sat down at my desk as she droned about how to use Microsoft Word. As she handed out the daily assignment, she started to present a Power Point Presentation about the history of camera’s. I reminded her that we weren’t in a photography, and that she was teaching A digital media course. She apparently realized that she wasn’t showing the right presentation, and instructed us to take a break.
As I smoked down my third cigarette of the day, I thought about al the previous teachers and professors I had had in the past. Growing up, my teachers have instilled two major rules in my life: Treat others the way you want to be treated, and if you wish to be treated like an adult, you must act like an adult.
What if the adults in your life act like children? Short tempered, poor people skills, and a complete density to what’s going on around them? While at an institution of learning, there’s a standard of how the professors should act, right? WRONG. In between power trips, and complete ignorance to the fact that they actually have to PREPARE for a class, the art of teaching has been completely lost.
I look for inspiration in my life. I associate my self with people that will make me a better person, or at least will direct me in that direction. Through friends and family, I seek intelligence, humor, and life. That’s why I attended the Art Institute of Colorado. I heard that it was full of cutting edge professors who had a passion for teaching.
I was wrong.
Instead, it’s full of money grubbing teachers who are stuck “teaching” classes they don’t want to. Passion? I think not. More like punishment.
Matty B.
