The Anti-TIG Teacher

(A pedido de Jarra y gracias a la gran ayuda de mi amiga Larissa que lo tradujo para mí, esta es la versión en inglés del Profesor Anti-TIG)

Let’s talk about the Anti-TIG Teacher. Today I had a class with a specimen of this educational nature.

What are they like? They:
Do NOT Inspire
Do NOT Inform
Do NOT Involve

It can be added that they don’t Educate either. The variant of this species I have had to deal with is the chair of Argentinean Literature.

I’m sure that everyone has had an Anti-TIG teacher, and more, in the best of cases had only a few of such teachers… unfortunately, my experience has shown my that TIG teachers are few.

How can you identify the typical Anti-TIG teacher?

1-By half the year, only half the class remains. A quarter has passed to another shift and the rest saw their university career frustrated, at least for the year.

2-They incite fear. They’re authoritarian and always reject students’ opinions.

3-The class soon becomes a monologue or worse, a soliloquy. The students remain quiet, many times because they’re scared to participate.

4-Since they see themselves as "investigators" they abound in unnecessary technicalities – that go unexplained. As result we deepen our ignorance, boredom, because the class cannot be followed, and finally the greatest disinterest. This combination results in frustration...(Many of these "investigators" would have to realize of that knowing something is not the same as knowing how to transmit it, even when it isn’t more than a minimum of knowledge).
5-When they don’t obtain the result they had hoped (a class that participating, students who repeats their technicalities, etc.), they blame the students, without ever thinking about what they lack as teachers.

6-... the list of traits that identify them is infinite
I’m worried, next week I have my last examination… and I think it might not be the last…

I am very furious... only honor keeps me from saying his name. At least, without him setting it out to be, he’s an example I have of how not to be when I finally become a Teacher. I will always have as goal to be a TIG Professor.

TO INSPIRE. TO INFORM. TO INVOLVE. TO EDUCATE.