Graduate Students Teaching College Classes

[TylerH860]

Has anyone else had to deal with this? I'm finishing up college this year and am suffering through a sociology class being taught by a graduate student. I have little motivation to come to class (I go anyway) because she rarely does anything but read from the power point slides, which are posted online. She also seems like one of those students out to prove something by making the classes needlessly over-structured and time consuming. I'm a little frustrated that I'm devoting just as much time with this 100 level class as my 600 level class, thanks to all the busy work. She is a failed real estate agent/developer going through grad school, teaching 50 students at a pay of $1100 for the course.

Looking back on my transcript, I've had 10 grad students as instructors through my college career, and with the exception of 3 or 4 bright bulbs, I've had to suffer through folks that have little idea how to conduct class. One Spanish teacher comes to mind that still had not fully grasped English Grammar or pronunciation, not only making learning difficult, but was cruel to us during the pronunciation portion of the final. Another could not set aside the personal issues she was going through which would boil over in class, regularly stepping out in the hallway to have heated discussions with someone over the phone. She would also without notice not show up to class. When someone complained, the behavior was corrected, but she conducted class very coldly for the remainder of the semester.

While its annoying, I can deal with being a guinea pig while these instructors find their teaching style, but what I don't understand is why I pay the same for a grad student loser as a tenured PHD professor. If I'm getting half the quality or less of an education, I would expect to pay less. I'm paying more to attend a major University, is it so much to expect qualified instructors?

It also makes me question how my University is having so much budgeting issues when a quarter of my college career is being taught by instructors at such a low wage the 4 of an average 30 students per class cover their wage.

Rant over... Time for wiser folks to tell me I'm being a whiny brat and need to work harder.