Okay, this is a letter I am writing to the 'teacher' of a web course I've been enrolled in, but have been aware of my failing status in.
This is not a formal letter, so it does intail words and terms used in common speech. Don't worry about that.
I wonder if the tone is appropriate. Is is too harsh? I am really pissed off at this lady so I think it might be, but I have major complaints about her, and the class.
This is in response to a letter she sent me, giving me a lecture about my situation in the class.
What do you think from what you see here?
Dear Mrs. (Incompetant)<<<substituted, obviously.
I understand your position and I expect nothing from you in the way of accepting late homework from you. I did apologize for all of the delays and also explained that I've been ill. That is more than most students who stop participating in a class will usually do. I know this, by the trouble I had contacting the other 'members' of the forum projects, prior to your changing the structure of the groups.
I don't expect special treatment, and if that means I fail, so be it. I am not troubled by this in the least. I do have some complaints about the way you handled one of my emails, back when I was trying to catch up. It is mainly the reason why I stopped trying, not my illness. I will further explain this below.
I was troubled by the idea that if we neglected to do the forum project that we would be causing problems for the other students in getting their credit. We submitted the group project stuff only because we didn't want to screw the other students out of their chance to get credit for the group discussion forum requirements. I was just being courteous, which is something that is a rarity in this world. I submitted the paper and resources to prove that we are not ignorant to the subject, and thus competent enough to lead the forum.
What would be the point of talking to an advisor? At Owens, there are no set advisors through your schooling. You get a random one when you go in, and they don't have a clue about my situation, and it'd take a good hour to explain it to them anyway, and it is extremely personal and difficult to explain in the first place. Half of my closest aquaintances don't even know the intimate details of my condition. Besides, What could they do about my illness as it relates to my situation with school at this time?
I don't expect to pass this class. I know David doesn't either.
I found this web course to be highly lacking comprehensible directions, projects and assignments. I also found most of the assignments to be high school level busy work. This is, most likely, due to the curriculum guidelines, not your skill as a teacher, so don't assume that I am placing blame on you for this. I am explaining to you what I think of the class in general.
The idea of a web course should be convenience, and ease of directions in taking it. I wouldn’t expect the work to be easy, but you have to understand what the ‘rules’ are, to comprehend what you are supposed to do. I will be certain to fill out the student evaluation form for this course in hopes that those who set these classes up in the future, do a better job at it.
I am, however, not all too pleased with several things about the way you handled my questions back when I was attempting to catch up. I wrote an email asking you to explain some quick things about the forum, and a few homework problems, that I'd already searched the student led homework forum for, and your solution was to tell me to go to that forum, or to come to Owens for the second meeting you set up, two weeks from the time I was writing, so you could explain there. How in the hell was I supposed to advance in my work, if my questions were diverted to useless sources? You set aside times to meet at Owens to clarify things, that we could not possibly attend. That is why we took a WEB COURSE. Not the class options that were available for Saturdays. Being as it wasn't a required aspect of the course to attend these inconvenient meetings, I felt as if you shrugged my questions off to be dealt with by others or at other times by you. However, you never addressed them. If it had not been for that, I would have not become apathetic to the work. We were making a serious effort, and we took this class with the understanding that if we had problems that we could contact the instructor to get explanations. Instead you gave me diversions. I could not advance in the homework, and so when I became ill, I stopped caring because there were more important things that I had to deal with.
I suggest that as a professional teacher, that you do not set your students needs and questions aside for others to deal with. When we take a regular class, we do not go to the other students for help. That is what a teacher is for.
Sincerely, but without regret,
Gretchen R*****
__________________________________________________
I have to go to an important class right now, so I will be back in a few hours. I really would appreiciate some imput.
This is not a formal letter, so it does intail words and terms used in common speech. Don't worry about that.
I wonder if the tone is appropriate. Is is too harsh? I am really pissed off at this lady so I think it might be, but I have major complaints about her, and the class.
This is in response to a letter she sent me, giving me a lecture about my situation in the class.
What do you think from what you see here?
Dear Mrs. (Incompetant)<<<substituted, obviously.
I understand your position and I expect nothing from you in the way of accepting late homework from you. I did apologize for all of the delays and also explained that I've been ill. That is more than most students who stop participating in a class will usually do. I know this, by the trouble I had contacting the other 'members' of the forum projects, prior to your changing the structure of the groups.
I don't expect special treatment, and if that means I fail, so be it. I am not troubled by this in the least. I do have some complaints about the way you handled one of my emails, back when I was trying to catch up. It is mainly the reason why I stopped trying, not my illness. I will further explain this below.
I was troubled by the idea that if we neglected to do the forum project that we would be causing problems for the other students in getting their credit. We submitted the group project stuff only because we didn't want to screw the other students out of their chance to get credit for the group discussion forum requirements. I was just being courteous, which is something that is a rarity in this world. I submitted the paper and resources to prove that we are not ignorant to the subject, and thus competent enough to lead the forum.
What would be the point of talking to an advisor? At Owens, there are no set advisors through your schooling. You get a random one when you go in, and they don't have a clue about my situation, and it'd take a good hour to explain it to them anyway, and it is extremely personal and difficult to explain in the first place. Half of my closest aquaintances don't even know the intimate details of my condition. Besides, What could they do about my illness as it relates to my situation with school at this time?
I don't expect to pass this class. I know David doesn't either.
I found this web course to be highly lacking comprehensible directions, projects and assignments. I also found most of the assignments to be high school level busy work. This is, most likely, due to the curriculum guidelines, not your skill as a teacher, so don't assume that I am placing blame on you for this. I am explaining to you what I think of the class in general.
The idea of a web course should be convenience, and ease of directions in taking it. I wouldn’t expect the work to be easy, but you have to understand what the ‘rules’ are, to comprehend what you are supposed to do. I will be certain to fill out the student evaluation form for this course in hopes that those who set these classes up in the future, do a better job at it.
I am, however, not all too pleased with several things about the way you handled my questions back when I was attempting to catch up. I wrote an email asking you to explain some quick things about the forum, and a few homework problems, that I'd already searched the student led homework forum for, and your solution was to tell me to go to that forum, or to come to Owens for the second meeting you set up, two weeks from the time I was writing, so you could explain there. How in the hell was I supposed to advance in my work, if my questions were diverted to useless sources? You set aside times to meet at Owens to clarify things, that we could not possibly attend. That is why we took a WEB COURSE. Not the class options that were available for Saturdays. Being as it wasn't a required aspect of the course to attend these inconvenient meetings, I felt as if you shrugged my questions off to be dealt with by others or at other times by you. However, you never addressed them. If it had not been for that, I would have not become apathetic to the work. We were making a serious effort, and we took this class with the understanding that if we had problems that we could contact the instructor to get explanations. Instead you gave me diversions. I could not advance in the homework, and so when I became ill, I stopped caring because there were more important things that I had to deal with.
I suggest that as a professional teacher, that you do not set your students needs and questions aside for others to deal with. When we take a regular class, we do not go to the other students for help. That is what a teacher is for.
Sincerely, but without regret,
Gretchen R*****
__________________________________________________
I have to go to an important class right now, so I will be back in a few hours. I really would appreiciate some imput.
