[General Mayhem]

This semester I have three political science courses at my university. Two of them are taught by women and one by a male professor.

The first female professor, "Nancy" is the most abrasive human being I have ever met. She lacks any kind of empathy or genuineness, and lectures like a robot.

The second female professor is like a poor man's Jennifer Aniston look-alike, she talks and acts a lot like her. She has been wrecked by the system, but there is a glimmer of femininity there. She isn't married, but she said something about a daughter once. Would Bang.

Anyway, they both struggle to control the class. They are so insecure in front of class that they have to talk constantly, and if a student wants to talk they usually cut them off early. Both of them have a "technology free" policy in the syllabus, presumably because they want to make sure people are listening to them. Their lectures are painful. I feel bad for number 2, she had potential 10 years ago.

The male professor is totally laid back. You can tell he is secure up there, and he will let students talk until they run out of breath. I don't agree with his political views at all, but he is a great professor.

Thoughts? Anybody else notice this? It's not too surprising, but I think we need more male professors out there.

[Tuthmosis]

It's not unlike leadership styles in the corporate environment. Female professors who embrace their femininity--act womanly and nurturing--can be good at classroom management and pedagogically effective.

It's when they do their best to act like what they think is manly--abrasive, difficult, overbearing--that they become the ineffectual caricatures of "professional women" everyone (including themselves) loathe.

[jamaicabound]

I noticed that academics tend to attract either really cool chill people or the most abrasive, opinionated asshole/bitches in the world. Especially the women all tend to be extremely liberal feminists.

I remember one particular female professor I had. The women always talked about her partner so I assumed she was a lesbian. One day someone asked something and she clarified, she has a boyfriend but the terms boyfriend and girlfriend convey ownership so she doesn't use them. She also said would on a daily basis start discussions about how men shouldn't ask a womens father for persmission to marry her because women are not property. I actually got into kind of a heated argument with her one day and was basically like look, at one time maybe that's what it meant, today it's a tradition and a sign of respect towards the father and family can't you just take it for what it is...of course she couldn't.

The women was a huge bitch and I couldn't wait to get out of her class. I used to wear funny t-shirts to piss her off. I remember one day I wore a shirt that said hawaiin girls grow the best coconuts and she had a long talk with me about how women are not objects for my amusement.

[Suits]

I graduated from an institution that put a huge amount of effort into having high quality teaching staff.

I had more male profs than female, but all of my negative experiences were with three male professors.

All of my female professors and instructors did a good job, although I was never super impressed with any of them.

My positive life changing classroom experiences all happened with male professors.

I took a course on feminist gender theory and law and all the professor was clearly blinding herself to reality, she was kind and helpful and I did well in the class. I was also encouraged to challenge the opinions of her and the women taking the class with me. Yes, of course, I was the only dude.

[General Mayhem]

^ I almost took a gender studies class this semester to really go behind enemy lines, but decided against it. Did you learn anything useful?

Tuthmosis hit the nail on the head. I just haven't had many female profs who embraced their femininity because my school is so liberal. I think the reason it is so abrasive is because a woman acting like that registers as so inconsistent in our minds.

Jamaica hit it too. In my experience it is usually either hit or miss. In my major the male professors are some of the most chill cats around, but the females are wound up tighter than a knat's asshole.

[Suits]

(03-25-2014 07:21 PM)General Mayhem Wrote:  

^ I almost took a gender studies class this semester to really go behind enemy lines, but decided against it. Did you learn anything useful?

This was before I was familiar with the community. I learned a little bit in the class, as we read a lot of case law. However, there were a lot of opinions espoused that sounded a little too crazy and I ended up doing more of my own research and did learn a lot. On my own.