Omen perhaps?

[wyarwehere]

So what kind of omen is it when on the first day of class, the instructor starts criticizing the religious groups that believe in building up a stock of food for possible future events?

[pam]

What kind of a class is it?

[Lakumi]

since I know how to live off the land I don't need to store anything, everything I will need for survival fits into one camp backpack

[wyarwehere]

Pam-

General psychology.

He's also against women in the workforce, 90% of the information on the internet, and doesn't believe in any excused absences, even for a ER visit or a funeral.

Edit: Oh, and one out of every fifty people is a psycopath, but most of them aren't the violent type

[pam]

since I know how to live off the land I don't need to store anything, everything I will need for survival fits into one camp backpack

And what if you had to be quarantined to your home with no running water and no food in the house?

[pam]

Pam-

General psychology.

He's also against women in the workforce, 90% of the information on the internet, and doesn't believe in any excused absences, even for a ER visit or a funeral.

Edit: Oh, and one out of every fifty people is a psycopath, but most of them aren't the violent type

Sounds like this teacher needs to get some therapy.

[Lakumi]

And what if you had to be quarantined to your home with no running water and no food in the house?

well few scenario's would have me stuck in my home away from the graceful forest... zombies or robots perhaps?

[TalkativeIntrovert]

Perhaps he was "psyching" you out, challenging your beliefs or looking for some other kind of reaction that will be dealt with later?

[Quin]

well few scenario's would have me stuck in my home away from the graceful forest... zombies or robots perhaps?

How about city water supply is tainted, main breaks, company adds a few zeros to your bill and you have to prove you DON'T owe $5,000 before they'll turn it back on? Meanwhile, everything else still stands: got to get up and get to work.

How about you break your leg and your car breaks down and your phone falls in the toilet? (Pizza guys will usually grocery shop for you, but you can't call them if your phone went swimming in the loo).

How about catching the flu (real flu) and you're quarantined inside your home for 15 days?

We tend to think of "emergency preparedness" as bombs, tsunamis, plague... But they are (in the west) far more likely to be personal tragedy than regional catastrophe. I've lived through all 3 of the above. As well as regional "state of disaster". Believe me... Most of the time I'd rather be kicking it off grid. But I have a job to get to, kids to feed, bills to pay, toilets to flush.

Being prepared for the "minor" things ... Can turn 3-5 weeks of tragedy into "no big deal. We had plenty of _______ to see us through."

Q

[Quin]

So what kind of omen is it when on the first day of class, the instructor starts criticizing the religious groups that believe in building up a stock of food for possible future events?

Look up his/her name... See if they've been booted from another university (happens a lot, and it's grounds to drop without penalty if they're up to shenanigans in round 2).

Failing that... Make sure you have a friend in the class so you can turn to them periodically and say "We HATES her, precious, we hates her." For general moral building.

[skippy740]

I have not taken a philosophy or psychology class. However, it would probably be difficult to teach on the subject without interjecting ones own opinions and getting reactions to those opinions.

My composition teacher is a left-winger from England. I disagree with him, and he makes fun of me too - in a light way. I think we have a decent rapport and he likes my writing. I'm getting an A in the class, so it's possible to disagree fundamentally and still do well... at least with this instructor.

The challenge in these classes is to leave ones opinions at the door and look at them objectively... without losing those values. Otherwise one can be talked out of their previous points of view if they're not careful. (Sometimes that could be a good thing though.)

[Gretchen]

Edit: Oh, and one out of every fifty people is a psycopath, but most of them aren't the violent type

That one I might believe. Then again, I do have a nasty temper, and so I might have provoked a few people...

[Dark_Jedi]

I'd consider dropping the class and taking it from another professor.

[FunkyTown]

It sounds to me like the professor is hoping to spark a conversation.

He's taking a contrary stance to, perhaps, see how much thinking has been done on a subject. He's hoping someone will take his bait and be able to point-by-point disassemble his argument.

He will have several counter-arguments lined up, however, and will have considered carefully the reasons why someone might choose to do something or believe something.

This sounds like a great professor, actually.

[Gretchen]

It sounds to me like the professor is hoping to spark a conversation.

He's taking a contrary stance to, perhaps, see how much thinking has been done on a subject. He's hoping someone will take his bait and be able to point-by-point disassemble his argument.

He will have several counter-arguments lined up, however, and will have considered carefully the reasons why someone might choose to do something or believe something.

This sounds like a great professor, actually.

But if he tells you to get out of class, then he is not so good.

[Blackmarch]

So what kind of omen is it when on the first day of class, the instructor starts criticizing the religious groups that believe in building up a stock of food for possible future events?

hmm think i'd be a smart aleck and ask the instructor if he never saves any money......

[dahlia]

Why do profs do this stuff? Just teach the freaking class. You aren't there to make people change their religion, their politics, their gender, or whatev just to please you and your PhD. I hate this kind of professor.

OP, can you change sections? My son once ended up dropping out of a required course (finished his degree elsewhere) because the female professor was such a man-hating lib. There was no way he was going to get a good grade.

I try to be mindful of people's religion, or lack thereof. I admit to being a little, just a little, PC in my examples, etc. because I don't want a student to be uncomfortable in my classes (unless thinking makes them uncomfortable). I do talk about capitalism - that makes some libs uncomfortable. : )

[wyarwehere]

I actually think I'm going to stick with this class. I know what I believe, and he isn't going to change that. But one, it'll be interesting to see different viewpoints. And two, as difficult as everyone tells me he is, he's also a very good instructor. He knows his material, and I'll learn from him. And that's why I'm going to school. I just found it really interesting. I've got a really cool English paper coming up.(I know, that sounds extremely weird, but it's true.)

I just thought it was funny. And even tho I disagree, I honestly doubt I'll say anything to him, just because I don't really like speaking in large groups, but also, because I hate any type of confrontation.

Oh and Dahlia, three of my four instructors are not worried about being PC at all. I've had one of each class, and I can already tell that about them.

[drham3rd]

If you have not already, check him out at ratemyprofessor.com. I'm a biology professor and use that site to get good feedback from my students.

[Lakumi]

How about city water supply is tainted, main breaks, company adds a few zeros to your bill and you have to prove you DON'T owe $5,000 before they'll turn it back on? Meanwhile, everything else still stands: got to get up and get to work.

How about you break your leg and your car breaks down and your phone falls in the toilet? (Pizza guys will usually grocery shop for you, but you can't call them if your phone went swimming in the loo).

How about catching the flu (real flu) and you're quarantined inside your home for 15 days?

Q

well I don't pay the bills,

I don't have a car (I own a bicycle) and my phone is a landline (a Garfield phone from Ninja Terminator) I have spares just incase Ninja Master Bruce shows up again...

Well since health care is free here... suppose I will be in a cast then.

I never get sick, except by the weather... owe that to not being a wuss when food falls on the floor.

Needless to say, I like my chances.

And if the world does to insane, I will live out the rest of my days in the forest, where things make sense to me

[wyarwehere]

It's a mixed rating, I saw that as soon as I got assigned his class. Some like him because he gives us all the test material beforehand, others hate him because his lectures cover very little of what the objectives are.