Impassioned Prof Doesn’t Share Your Views, No Matter What They Are
Professor Joseph Zornado: Rhode Island College – EnglishHe also does his best to be polite.
View Professor ProfileProfessor Joseph Zornado: Rhode Island College – EnglishHe also does his best to be polite.
View Professor Profile
September 21st, 2009 at 11:42 pm
"Strong feelings about politics"?? In an ENGLISH class? Come on, prof.! Don't shove politics where it doesn't belong. You should've become a polisci professor for that matter.
September 22nd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Yeah, 'cause there's no politics in language or literature, right?
Sheesh. Go read Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" before you spout off.
September 25th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
LOL at this tool. People like you are one of the reason English departments are becoming increasingly marginalized.
September 28th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Hey !! we pay YOUR SALARY!!! EGOTISTICAL AIRHEAD!
September 28th, 2009 at 1:40 am
like to see him make it in the REAL WORLD!
September 28th, 2009 at 2:04 am
RIC is a public institution. So tax revenue from the citizens of the great state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations supplies the bulk of the monies that support the college.
Do you think your piddly $2,700 per semester actually pays for anything except the liquid soap in the restroom dispensers? You pay the college a nominal sum for the opportunity to learn. The college hires faculty, negotiates their salaries, and pays the staff. Essentially, your money goes to pay for the soap.
So take advantage of your financial contribution to your education, and don't forget to wash your hands after you use the ladies room.
September 30th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I would sacrifice a few soap dispensers to replace this guy!
Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.
October 1st, 2009 at 12:42 am
those who think that, can't teach.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:13 am
Sometimes "to do" means "to teach."
This would be true when we're discussing the act of teaching. It renders obvious the logical absurdity of that trite statement as "Those who can teach, do teach. Those who can't teach, teach." As Wittgenstein once said, "WTF?"
Who taught you how to read and write, Sarah? An illiterate?
October 14th, 2009 at 6:43 am
I love all the people who say school isn't the real world… and yet they spend over 20 years of their life in school. Some of those years voluntarilly. Get a clue Candice! if it isn't the real world, then why are you wasting your time there?
October 16th, 2009 at 6:58 am
That is the world's most expensive liquid soap.
October 16th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Not sure why there are so many supporters of bad professors. We’ve all been there, abused by a professor because they have the power to. No, college life is NOT the real world, and anyone who’s been through college and out for more than 6 months knows that. Its not even an argument. My parents are both teachers in high school, and even THEY know that teaching is NOT the same as an 8-5 M-F job. Sheesh, really? How many of us grew up thinking we were going to graduate college and get an 8-3:30 job, M-F, with three months off a year and weeks at a time every three months?
Let people vent here, and quit trying to justify sadistic and iron fisted professors who will never be in true control of anything but their class.
October 17th, 2009 at 1:19 am
There are many flaws in your post. First of all, you're confusing being a student (college life) with teaching. Do well in school and you have a good chance that you'll do well in life. You can take the time to develop good habits and improve your innate skills. Being in the military can help you with this as well and no one would call that "real life" (hyper-life?).
Show your post to your parents, and see if they don't think that they don't put in a full-day's work. HS teachers prep, do curricular development, go to meetings, take classes, correct papers, etc. Profs do much of that too (plus research and publication). Haven't you paid attention to what it is your folks do every evening?
Prof-abusers are about as frequent as HS-teacher-abusers (or abusers in the general population). Ask the 'rents if they abuse their students.
You have an underlying disrespect for what it is your parents do. You should know better. I think you're angry at someone here . . . . I wonder who?
October 25th, 2009 at 2:56 am
Well, I've never had this professor and don't go to this school, so it may be hypocritical for me to judge him in particular. Based on his responses in this rebuttal, I think he's spot on about allowing you to take chances, being serious about learning, and being irked if people come in late. Now, I don't think professors should make huge deals about the latter, so long as you come in quietly and don't make a habit of it, unless a prior class forces you to be consistently late. Having back-to-back class should allow you some leeway. However, it's just a bit rude to show up late and be noisy. But, again, in college, you're the one paying for your education; no one is forcing you to be there. So, as long as you show up quietly and don't make a disruption beyond coming in and sitting down, then I don't think professors have any right to chew you out for it.
As for the politics issue, yes, books deal with them and it's good to discuss them in context of what the literature concludes about them. It is NOT okay to shove your political viewpoint on others or dictate what is and isn't right. Professors are meant to teach, and to teach well, they should ask students to draw their own conclusions, not dogmatically force those conclusions on their students. A good teacher asks questions and encourages students to consider ALL viewpoints, he does not share his own within the classroom.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
*ALL viewpoints: (paradoxically) anyone expressing his opinions in class should be shot.
Some things are "right" to say and some things are not. The professor acts as both referee and guide. Almost all viewpoints are encouraged in elementary school. Through the course of education, we narrow the idea of what constitutes valid opinion. A great teacher shares her own viewpoint with students and engages in reasoned and logical debate about that viewpoint within the classroom. That's what professors are paid for. By definition, each professor is a unique scholar with a point of view (i.e., a dissertation) different from all other scholars within her discipline. This point of view she has professed (made public), defended satisfactorally, and that she continues to defend (insofar as she still holds to those opinions).
Politics enters every aspect of culture. You can't discuss Galileo from a historical point of view without mentioning a political stance that might rub certain students "the wrong way." And one can't properly discuss Literature, Marketing, Economics, Art, etc., without bringing up politics.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:00 am
When you've gone to grad school, written a book or a handful of peer-reviewed articles, and served on all of the committees or attended all of the meetings that are requisites of being a professor, then you can talk. Until then, shut the fuck up.
P.S. Being a high school teacher is not nearly the same as being a professor.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
or some of us have the desire to teach in the first place, not as a fallback. dont be so pompus. if you cant respect a teacher, why did you come to college??
October 27th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
just bc is in school hours are 8-330 doesnt mean the work ends there. how many hours are spent planning lessons, grading, and trying to figure out what your students need.
feel free to vent about iron-fists and sadism, if you like, but dont belittle the profession.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:25 am
I don't think there is any wrong in discussed about politics in the English class. If it is a good discussion, it is a good learning regardless of topic or subject in any class. However, if the professor grade student's paper based on his or her political view point in English class, that would be the problem.
October 29th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Literature, culture, and writing are political activities. Besides, it sounds like his focus is on getting students to question themselves and think, rather than trying to tell them what to think. Whatever the topic of such thinking, it does belong in an English class.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
The problem isn't that politics are discussed. It is when an instructor declares an opinion as fact and uses the "my way or the highway approach"
November 1st, 2009 at 5:46 pm
English professors can speak about whatever topics they wish – as long as it's in English and they're showing how English works. Rhetoric (the art of persuasion) is a huge part of English.
Reading this site is very eye-opening though. One can certainly see why the students are the students and the profs are the profs. Profs can't seem to win – as long as one student gets a grade of C or lower, they'll be on this site complaining about whatever.
/not an English teacher
//feel for those who are
November 4th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Personally i don't have a beef with this guy.
I'm ok with an english teacher using politics as an example, as long as it's within the context of that particular class. However.
If the point of using politics to change the viewpoint of the student, or to make them question their beliefs, then i would consider using politics wrong. (only in this context)
Using politics to create doubt or to raise questions not regarding an English class belong in a psychology, philosophy, political science, sociology, or anything of the likeness.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Abused by a professor, "we've all been there"? Most assclowns have been there, and a fraction of normal students. Not "all".
Sorry, stopped reading after sentence two. Charming attempt at making the public agree by including them in your "all". For now, you'll get an F; please return amended version.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:52 am
The whole "liquid soap" discussion is a bit irrelevant — whether the student('s parents) pays the lot, or the taxpayers, a salary is paid.
The fundamental problem is the service attitude expressed in Winfield's trolling, "you are paid for a teaching service, so you have to teach to my specifications". (Who cares that these little soundbites represent almost nothing of actual views/attitudes/practice, that would make this whole site irrelevant. Erm.) Essentially you forget the part about the teacher knowing what he's working towards; so let's have the student whining from his narrow perspective.
The majority of Anglosaxon unies are crumbling because of this attitude/financing model (e.g., payment per degree delivered –> staff cannot fail anyone however incompetent –> devalues all other students' degrees).
November 5th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Yes, you paid for your education, but that does not entitle you to be tardy. What about the other students who also paid for the class and are now being disturbed by late comers? The other students complain to the professor and expect action. It is then the professors job to take action against the tardy student.
November 15th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
why are professors allowed to have political opinions?
November 19th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Maybe you suck at math? You wouldn't be the first, you know.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:35 am
How does a professor not live in the "real world?" Do you think being a professor is a temporary job for them, as being a student is for you? Because that would be pretty stupid.
November 19th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
your an idiot
November 24th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Yeah, in a LOT of ways, it's tougher. HS and pre-HS teachers take a LOT of crap that Profs can deflect to their department head or whatever. And theorectically at least, Uni Students are intelligent, at least enough to get into UNI….HS Students run the gamut from smart to bone stupid and just plain Fed Up, because pretty much EVERYBODY gets to go to HS…
November 25th, 2009 at 5:55 am
I think it is hillarious when I read comments about students not wanting to have their beliefs challenged. I'm a professor and after almost 29 years of college, grad school and work experience at the highest levels I can't think of a single belief I've held onto when I was a kid, except perhaps that "play is good." Who are you to judge? Try a little humility and "approach every situation with the beginner's mind" as Buddhism teaches. You'll go a lot farther. Maybe even one day earn a Ph.D.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:56 am
This is America. Everyone is "allowed" to have a political opinion. It is encouraged. A professor should not test you on your knowledge of politics unless it is in a political science class, however.
November 25th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Brandon, If you feel this way in Prof Z's class you obviously either haven't been paying attention or just don't get IT.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:43 am
makes sence to me- usually people who succeed in english and history and what not are poor in math ans science and stuff. so come back with your bhemistry grade and we'll talk
November 29th, 2009 at 4:13 am
I don't have this professor, either, nor do I go to that school, or even live in that country. However, as frustrating as it may be that he never agrees with your view is probably one of the best things a teacher could do. Why? Because it causes the student to think harder about why they believe what they do. It forces you to accept that there is another opinion out there other than your own. It challenges you, which is what they're there for.
I definately agree with his position on risk-taking. Risks are the precursors to change and revolution. Also, reading the same crap over and over and over, with beaten-to-death opinions of this and that….talk about burnout! Show that you have a brain and are capable of more complex thought than what's already been discovered!
December 14th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Um.. the point of this site is to advise other students what they are getting themselves into when they sign up for a class. Ever heard of an informed decision?
December 14th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Given that the 4 classes you site as getting an A in are all non-science/math classes and that they are notoriously easy classes, yes you getting an A in them and not math is very believable. And just because 75% are failing does not mean the professor is poor. If the professor sets high standards and the students don't meet them then they flunk. It is how it should be. The weak professors crumble under the pressure that they shouldn't be flunking everyone. Imazine 5 graders taking calculus, if you flunk them all does it make you a bad teacher?
December 14th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Contracts are for 9 months, so those three months off are without pay.
December 15th, 2009 at 1:53 am
I don't know anything about this school, or this professor but if he taught at my school, I would probably take him. I think it is wonderful that he rewards students for taking risks. I think it encourages creativity and decreases cheating. In my school we only get penalized if we come up with new ideas and everyone just copies everybody else's homework and ideas because we are too afraid to **RISK** losing several points. (I think my school is as competitive as it can get.) As a result, no one cares about the material and do everything only for the grade.
The fact that he disagrees with everything is also good because it will open your eyes to other opinions that you may have not known existed, and it will deter people from trying to kiss up to the prof by "pretending" to agree with his political agenda in order to get a better grade. (there goes the whole grade thing again, sorry, I go to a school where students will do anything, and I mean ANYTHING for A's)
Regarding walking in late, I don't think it is necessary for him to roll his eyes. If a class has intrinsic value and is taught well then people will not come late because they will not want to miss any important information. Doing well in school requires hard work and part of that is coming on time to class. I don't think it's necessary for professors to have attendance policies in difficult classes because smart students are smart enough to realize that they have to come on time to do well.
December 15th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Re. coming into class late: I've been a professor for 29 years, and I have never locked a door or specifically graded down for late attendance. HOWEVER….. being perpetually late says a lot about a student's attention and commitment to the class itself. It's not that I believe that what I am doing/offering is so magical: it's that attendance is a pretty good barometer of your commitment to, and engagement with, the entire endeavor. Think about it: most students are never miss an opportunity for a booty call or a Budweiser.
Students, think about what you are saying plain as day about your level of commitment when you don't come or arrive late.
December 19th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
politics is Free Free Free on cnn pbs google yahoo. fox news.
english is Free Free Free at library, borders, google yahoo Net.
Free Free Free. no need for money, time to study this.
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:34 am
not everyone in school is trying to learn, clearly. Some people are there because of their parents or to get that "piece of paper" as I have heard many times.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Teachers like this perpetuate a strange phenomenon I've noticed; the cult of politics. Whether it is good or bad, I do not care, but politics simply has no place in college whatever the case. The purpose of the college is, by definition, to teach you what you need to know to get a degree, or things that you need for future education (ex: law school, medical school, etc.).
That said, I believe it would be more constructive if he channeled all the energy he wastes questioning people on their political beliefs into questioning the literature he teaches and encouraging his students to do the same. If the literature is political, either change the name of the class to "Politics and English" or change the literature.
The world is already full of hypocrisy, lies and busybodies; isn't it ever enough?
December 31st, 2009 at 8:00 pm
I love when my beliefs change; in fact, I'm often not even aware of it until the moment it happens. I just don't want other people to brainwash me into believing what they believe. If I can't arrive to the same conclusions spontaneously, why should I take their word for it when they try and change my way of thinking? If they can provide me with the evidence of a particular belief's usefulness, or a solid logical basis on why it's a good thing, I will happily submit to being brainwashed. If they can't, then why should I listen to them?
As to childhood beliefs, I still think most people don't know what the heck they are talking about, and to quote a dear friend: "go about their business like headless chickens".
January 4th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Wow. I've never taken this prof's class, but based on the comments and on his rebuttal, I would seek him out. He sounds fabulous!
It is pathetic that so many respondents misconstrued what he said. He is NOT pushing politics down anyone's throat. What he is doing is questioning, challenging and probing. He is asking his students to THINK about the foundation of their beliefs, and he asks this of students at every end of the political spectrum. This means he does NOT force politics down people's throats. It means he is asking people to think about what they say and what they claim to believe. The fact that he does this with all of his students means that he is not using his position to push a point of view on his students, unless of course the point he is pushing is to think about what you say before you say it. Since when was that NOT the job of an English professor?
As for the eye-rolling thing, unless you have some incredibly good reason for strolling into a class after it has started, you deserve more than an eye-rolling. You are disrespecting him, your peers and, ultimately, yourself.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Wow. I've never taken this prof's class, but based on the comments and on his rebuttal, I would seek him out. He sounds fabulous!
It is pathetic that so many respondents misconstrued what he said. He is NOT pushing politics down anyone's throat. What he is doing is questioning, challenging and probing. He is asking his students to THINK about the foundation of their beliefs, and he asks this of students at every end of the political spectrum. This means he does NOT force politics down people's throats. It means he is asking people to think about what they say and what they claim to believe. The fact that he does this with all of his students means that he is not using his position to push a point of view on his students, unless of course the point he is pushing is to think about what you say before you say it. Since when was that NOT the job of an English professor?
As for the eye-rolling thing, unless you have some incredibly good reason for strolling into a class after it has started, you deserve more than an eye-rolling. You are disrespecting him, your peers and, ultimately, yourself.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Wow. I've never taken this prof's class, but based on the comments and on his rebuttal, I would seek him out. He sounds fabulous!
It is pathetic that so many respondents misconstrued what he said. He is NOT pushing politics down anyone's throat. What he is doing is questioning, challenging and probing. He is asking his students to THINK about the foundation of their beliefs, and he asks this of students at every end of the political spectrum. This means he does NOT force politics down people's throats. It means he is asking people to think about what they say and what they claim to believe. The fact that he does this with all of his students means that he is not using his position to push a point of view on his students, unless of course the point he is pushing is to think about what you say before you say it. Since when was that NOT the job of an English professor?
As for the eye-rolling thing, unless you have some incredibly good reason for strolling into a class after it has started, you deserve more than an eye-rolling. You are disrespecting him, your peers and, ultimately, yourself.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Wow. I've never taken this prof's class, but based on the comments and on his rebuttal, I would seek him out. He sounds fabulous!
It is pathetic that so many respondents misconstrued what he said. He is NOT pushing politics down anyone's throat. What he is doing is questioning, challenging and probing. He is asking his students to THINK about the foundation of their beliefs, and he asks this of students at every end of the political spectrum. This means he does NOT force politics down people's throats. It means he is asking people to think about what they say and what they claim to believe. The fact that he does this with all of his students means that he is not using his position to push a point of view on his students, unless of course the point he is pushing is to think about what you say before you say it. Since when was that NOT the job of an English professor?
As for the eye-rolling thing, unless you have some incredibly good reason for strolling into a class after it has started, you deserve more than an eye-rolling. You are disrespecting him, your peers and, ultimately, yourself.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Wow. I've never taken this prof's class, but based on the comments and on his rebuttal, I would seek him out. He sounds fabulous!
It is pathetic that so many respondents misconstrued what he said. He is NOT pushing politics down anyone's throat. What he is doing is questioning, challenging and probing. He is asking his students to THINK about the foundation of their beliefs, and he asks this of students at every end of the political spectrum. This means he does NOT force politics down people's throats. It means he is asking people to think about what they say and what they claim to believe. The fact that he does this with all of his students means that he is not using his position to push a point of view on his students, unless of course the point he is pushing is to think about what you say before you say it. Since when was that NOT the job of an English professor?
As for the eye-rolling thing, unless you have some incredibly good reason for strolling into a class after it has started, you deserve more than an eye-rolling. You are disrespecting him, your peers and, ultimately, yourself.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:30 am
So your one of the smart students?
Okay, then explain to us why you are here? If this supposedly website is for "poor students", then why is a "smart" student here? Please enlighten us, O Smart one!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:32 am
@Smart
January 11th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Yup i agree…that's expensive soap, LOL
January 11th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Um yeah…Reality is subjective. So what is the real world to you? If it not school then Why are you there? Do you like to frequent alternate realites? ____By the way… He is published a few times and on wiki as an American Author/Professor.____I would say that constitutes a romp in the real world…wouldn't you?
January 11th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
I've had him for 3 diff classes…and while he does talk of politics from time to time-he never once declared his oppinion as a fact. as a matter of fact i specifically remember him stressing that what he said was from his view. AND he always always asked the class for imput, opinions, statements etc…
January 12th, 2010 at 1:31 am
Don't you think the total cost of liquid soap in your university is more than $2700? Either you guys don't wash your hands (H1N1, anyone?) or you have no sense of the cost of things.
In any case, $2700 at my college will pay the salary one adjunct lecturer for teaching one course for one semester (including a little of the fringe). So basically what I'm saying is that your so-called state tuition fee covers almost nothing.
And "tautologically speaking," is an adjunct is as valuable as 100 gallons of liquid soap (at current wholesale prices)?
January 13th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
That is why I said it okay so long as the late student comes in quietly with minimum disruption. The emphasis there being on the quietly. If someone is late, but doesn't disrupt anyone past just opening the door and sitting down, no one should be upset by that, and if someone is, then I think that person is a bit high-strung and likely bothered by several other things of little importance. Now, the exception to that might be if a test were in progress when the late person arrived. Since the atmosphere is already so quiet, then an opened door could realistically count a s a large distraction. Otherwise, my argument stands.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
True. I actually completely agree with your remarks. However, and perhaps I did not make this clear before, there is a HUGE difference between offering a viewpoint and eliciting open discussion and just offering that viewpoint as the only valid one or offering it, but then not discussing it. Further, while I do think professors as you pointed out have viewpoints beneficial to share with students, again, it should not be the only viewpoint. Students should be exposed to all forms of literature and interpretation on a topic. For example, taking your Galileo one, teaching students about the restrictive nature of the Church and their role in education at the time is one interesting and layered approach to the topic and the historical ramifications of Galileo's conclusion. However, it is not the only thing that impacted what happened to him. You could look more closely and deduce that his imprisonment may have had more to do with jealous/threatened peers. In History and English there are always many ways to see things, and it is important to recognize and explore these. As another example, if you read the history of WWII from a historian of communist Russia, that interpretation will be far different from reading the same events from a historian who lived in Britain at the same time, or, you might even consider the same events from a historian who lived in Nazi Germany. Not mentioning these different perspectives limits a student's own ability to glean what they feel to be the most accurate representation. So, in short, my argument is that a professor may give their point of view but not isolate that viewpoint from the others that should be taught/explored as well.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
"Think about it: most students are never miss an opportunity for a booty call or a Budweiser. " Wow. Ouch. Maybe there was a typo here, but if not, way to generalize. I'm kinda offended as I do not drink and I'm saving myself for marriage, thank you kindly.
However, I see what you're saying about the commitment thing, and I largely agree. On the other hand, there are those students who tend to learn well on their own or who know most of the material covered in the beginning, but who do not wish to miss a pop quiz/test announcement. Everyone learns differently, and I think that's something to keep in mind. So, while someone may miss several classes/show up late, they may still do extremely well in the course. Again, if they are not disruptive about being late (come in and sit down, that's it), then who's to say them being late shows them as being less committed? If you get/know something, why sit and listen to what you already know? Maybe that sounds dismissive and rude on behalf of the one trying to teach you something, but again, everyone learns at a different level, and if the end goal is learning, then if they choose not to come for the first half because they already know something, why make an issue of it? Also, there are other outside mitigating factors to take into account: someone's car may have broken down on the way to class, for example.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:38 am
Whoever said that politics do not belong in an English coarse must not be an English major. Many literary works are inspired by politics. Think to how many books have political themes to them. How can anyone discuss Shakespeare or 1984 and not mention politics? Politics are very relevant to English be it todays politics or yesterdays.
I have to admit this guy seems like the English professor I like. Perhaps a little arrogant but he seems to be the type that knows his subject and teaches it will and with vigor.