i really don't like my editing professor.
i usually love all of my professors, with really only one notable exception out of four years of classes. even paula - for all her harsh grading, at least she fucking smiles at you when you say hello.
so, i notice in class on the first day that she has a tendency to talk down to students. this is kind of silly these days (i mean, kenneth was a student last semester and he's a teacher now...) but she looks a little old school so i tried to not be annoyed.
she also has a tendency to question every students' answers, either directly or through her tone and action, in a way that i can see could intimidate a person, especially someone with little to no editing experience. which is really supposed to be the basis of the class, which in fact is pretty much called "editing."
luckily she hasn't really done either of these things to me, because she embarassed herself trying to be a badass on the second day.
the class is held in a lab in the math department, of all places, with all of the systems setup with adobe and macromedia programs for us design kids. so, the first day of class she tells us that, if she's ever in there, we can come in and use the computers, particularly because they're still working on the actual English lab.
so, the second day, i show up ten minutes early. not to use indesign, or to do our (oh so crappy but that's another post) homework, but just to browse the net and check my mail. when i walk through the door i hear, "excuse me, we're having class in here." i still had my sunglasses on and the lights were low, so i stopped to remove them, thinking i mistakenly walked into another profs class. of course, it was her, so i said, "yeah, i just came to use the computers," since that's what she told us to do, "am i too early?"
"Oh, well just sit at the back," she says, "if you can be quiet." At this point the kids in the class are pretty much rolling their eyes at the inane bitchiness of this professor. so, five or six minutes later the class leaves and kids from my class start rolling in.
around the time we're supposed to start i hear, "This lab isn't open for anyone to come and use" i look up to see who she's talking to and catch her staring right at me.
"sorry," i say, "i didn't realize i was too early,"
"aahhhhh, there's another class in here after this."
"yeah, i think i'm in it," i say, getting a little pissed. then, looking over my shoulder at her, i say "but, if that's not ok i can just drop it."
"Oh no no no, that's not what i meant." silence.
"what, ahhh, what's your name?" she asks, obviously a little put off.
"james."
"james wha--" she breaks off midsentence, evidently deciding that she'd rather scan the entire list than ask me my last name. she finds me, and i confirm that i am me.
she actually went on to try and find something else to talk down to me about, but i think the laughter of the class at the whole thing made her hold off.
i just don't understand people like that. i mean, i love fucking with people, but i wasn't even messing with her! why would i mess with my professor, whom i'm going to have to see every week for three months? she reminded my of a teacher's assistant i once had who seemed to go out of her way to make people feel bad. i just thought it was funny.
she (the prof) reminds me of the ultra conservative mom from donnie darko. not donnie's mom, but the crazy one who is also a teacher.
Source has been updated! See updates below.
