midterms

Does anyone have a breath mint or a stick of gum or something? 'Cause I just midtermed in that trash can over there...

Seriously, I almost feel physically ill after all the BS I just spewed out on paper and handed in to my teacher so she can grade my intelligence (or lack thereof - I haven't gotten my marks back yet, so either could be true at this point).

Not to sound cocky (though every time someone says that, they proceed to say something ridiculously self-praising... and this time isn't any different...) but I think I've actually become a master at the art of pleasing teachers. I've been working at it since kindergarten, so don't feel bad if you're not in the same boat. Plus, you also get called a lot of names over the years like 'keener' and 'teacher's pet', so you should actually be happy about the fact that you're not in the same boat.

Anyway, with my skills as a teacher-pleaser, I've become acutely aware of exactly what teachers need to hear in order for their A+ reflex to kick into gear. Therefore, I'm the a-hole that doesn't do any of the readings but still gets good marks. But as said a-hole, I feel like the education system may be a little bit of a let down. I mean, if I can fly through it getting great marks that don't actually reflect how much I'm learning, what does that tell you about the way things are working?

This whole 'handing in tests and essays' is getting old. It's teaching kids - at least, kids like me - not how to retain information that will someday (so they say) come in handy in everyday life (...I can't wait for the day when my boss at the doctor's office runs to my desk dying to know the definition of a novella...) No - it's teaching kids that if you regurgitate what your prof says in class and pretend you have some sort of an opinion about it, you'll get a good mark.

All that said, I'm not saying getting an education is stupid because I am actually beyond grateful for the opportunity I've been given, the privilege so many people don't get. But what I am saying is that when you learn something, you've learned it. What's the point in proving it by writing some test or essay that just confirms that you were listening in class?

When I take archery, I'm given a bow and some arrows, told a few tips and then pointed in the direction of the target. No test. When I take an acting class, I'm given some lines (sometimes) and put on a stage and then I hear "action!" No essays. When I write a book it either gets published or it doesn't. No "B-". So if university (or education in general) is supposed to be steering us towards 'reality,' then what's with the requirement to spew back information? To prove that we know the stuff? I'd much rather demonstrate my knowledge by simply speaking up in class or trying to write a story that musters up some controversy - taking a page out of Mark Twain's book.

Just, please, no more "we're just wanting to see if you were paying attention" crud, because I'd understand your interest if you actually did something other than give me a pass or fail after I handed in that paper I spent six hours writing. If this education system is really interested in my learning, then they wouldn't stop at grades. Getting a good grade accomplishes nothing but giving me a little self-esteem boost, and getting a bad grade just makes me think less about the class and more about how much I suck.

The best part of this rant is the fact that I come from a long line of teachers...

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that disagree with me, and maybe this entire post is just craziness spawn from too little sleep and too many midterms, but, for the moment, I stand by my conviction. I never want to write another midterm again.

But I have another take-home midterm due in an hour, so I'd better start working on it. I may need another breath mint after this one too. I'm about to regurgitate a heck of a lot of BS...

Keep it real!