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Path: utzoo!decvax!scorplx!frank
From: frank@scorplx.UUCP (Frank Pavelski)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: T.A's in college
Message-ID: <199@scorplx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Oct-84 10:13:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: scorplx.199
Posted: Thu Oct 18 10:13:13 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 19-Oct-84 00:51:53 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: Honeywell Info. Systems, Billerica, MA
Lines: 25

*[]

Are there any other college students out there that have had
communication problems with a teaching assistant at their 
respective college?  The University of Lowell where I am currently
enrolled, is notorious for hiring graduate students to teach very
difficult courses such as Calculus, Physics or Data structures.

 
The real problem is when the school hires a grad student that can
hardly speak english.  I'm really not biggoted at all, but if they
are going to hire teachers that hail from some country other than
the U.S., can't they at least make sure they have a working
knowledge of the english language?  The use of analogy in teaching 
is very important when you are demonstrating a totally new concept to
the student. (At least it is to this student!).  When a professor
can't explain something in terms that can be understood by the
student, failing grades keep popping up on that piece of paper they
call a transcript.  Maybe some students would have a difficult time
with any professor, but when the average final grade in a course is
55 and the standard deviation is 5, you really begin to get worried. 

           
 				Frank Pavelski
	       Sitting on a pebble by the river playing guitar......