The haters are having a field day over my last blogpost. It
seems I betrayed another aspect of what they call my “spectrum disorder” when I
went to the blackboard to draw a sketch despite being told by the Prof to stay
in my seat. “This is what happens when you lose control of the class”, the prof
muttered as I went to the board.
Yes, it’s a control issue alright. Professor Bell hit the
nail on the head there. Interestingly enough, my habit of walking up to the
blackboard was cited in two other incidents which figured prominently in me
getting kicked out of university. I’m not going to give those details today…the
haters are free to post that information if they like, and I won’t stop them.
It’s true that the prof (or teacher) must have the ultimate power
to control the direction of class discussion. But how should that power be
exercised? I believe a good teacher will use that power to promote the free
exchange of ideas to the greatest extent possible. On the other hand, using his
authority to stifle the expression of opinions different from his own is an
abuse of that power.
Was I guilty of a breach of etiquette (or worse) by
disregarding the prof’s instructions to stay put, or was the prof guilty of an
abuse of his authority by refusing to let me make my point? The haters have
obviously made up their mind on this, but I remind them that at least two
students, at the time, spoke out to congratulate me for having stepped forward.
I may have stood up to make a point about Bernoulli’s Principle, but in doing
so I think I made an even more important point about when a teacher should (or
shouldn’t) use his authority to silence a discussion.
Which brings me to the topic for today: blackboard
etiquette. When is a student allowed to go up to the blackboard to make a point
or ask a question? This question first arose for me over twenty years ago, when
I was a grad student in Physics. I was taking a course in Quantum Mechanics
from a prof named Byron Southern. Disclaimer: I do not like Professor Southern.
This was a grad-level course; typically, students (there were about a dozen)
will come from different backgrounds – mine was Engineering. Professor Southern
had been on the topic of commutator relationships, and he frequently had made
references to how they ultimately derive from the commutator relationships of
classical (Lagrangian) mechanics as discussed in Goldstein.
I had never taken classical mechanics, after one such
comment by Southern, I raised my hand to ask if he could elaborate on it. He
refused, saying everyone else in the class had already taken that course and it
wasn’t his fault if I hadn’t. So I said, “well, what about scheduling a special
seminar period outside regular class hours, where you could do a kind of
overview for whoever wanted to attend?” Professor Southern answered with the
same sneer in his voice that I would hear many times in the future from
Professor Bell at the U of W: “No. I’m not going to do that.”
So I didn’t like Professor Southern, and it didn’t surprise
me a few days later, when I was trying to ask another question in class, that
he tried to brush me off again. It wasn’t a very hard question; just something
technical involving a maze of equations written on the board. It was hard for
me to explain it in words (physics is like that sometimes), so I asked if I
could come up to the board and draw a small sketch to show what I meant. “No,”
professor Bell answered with finality, and stared me down with that
now-familiar sneer. Then he went on with his lecture.
I thought about it afterwards. What right did he have to
tell me I couldn’t draw on the blackboard? It’s often pretty much impossible to
have any kind of discussion in math or physics without making a sketch or
writing an equation. It certainly wasn’t saving anyone’s time by insisting that
I laboriously frame my question in words, while waving my hands in the air to
suggest vectors pointing in this direction or that direction, when everything
could have been clarified in seconds with a simple sketch. No, this was about
control. Professor Southern was making it clear who was in charge of the class.
I know the haters are applauding him for this, and gleefully
revelling in the way he put me in my place. And yes, they’re all teachers now,
and I’m pretty sure that’s how they treat students who ask “uncomfortable”
questions….by using their authority to put them in their place. They ask why I
wanted to be a teacher? Maybe it’s in part because I have the idea that the
world doesn’t have to work that way.
During the short time I was a student teacher, I told my
students that any time they had something they wanted to share with the class,
they should let me know and I would turn over the chalk to them. And I’m proud
to say they took advantage of that opportunity. This was a very difficult class
of what they call “transition students”…two of them had full time TA’s and a
third was accompanied everywhere by a parole officer. The principal of Gordon
Bell kicked me out of the school after six days because (supposedly) I wasn’t “making
enough progress in the curriculum”. In her complaint to the Dean, she didn’t
think it necessary to mention the nature of the class to which I’d been
assigned. But that’s another story.
I thought a lot about the incident with Professor Southern,
and I decided that his exercise of “blackboard control” was pure and simple an
abuse of his authority. I had raised my hand to ask a question and been
acknowledged: how am I supposed to ask a question in a math or physics class
without the opportunity to draw a sketch? My mistake was when I asked
permission to use the board…I already had permission to speak, so that should
automatically have included the right to use the board. If he wants to cut me
off for talking to long, that’s another matter. In that case it doesn’t make
any difference if I’m at my seat or at the blackboard. It’s all the same.
But as for the blackboard, as far as I’m concerned it’s there
for a reason, and a student has just as much right to use it for legitimate
classroom purposes as the prof or teacher. The control freaks out there may
have a different opinion, but I don’t think that makes them better teachers
than me.
EDIT: Since originally posting this, a couple of the haters have been ragging on me for not telling people what I actually did that got me kicked out of school. I don't see how this is my job...shouldn't the haters who were there with me in class, the ones who ran to the Dean to get me kicked out of school...shouldn't they be telling those stories? In any event, it just isn't true. I've posted seven or eight little vignettes of things that happened in class, and the haters haven't posted anything. I think it's their turn.
If you want to see the stories I already posted, you can find some of them at these link:
A Day in the Faculty of Education
About Me and Moonface
Mrs. Cantor Comes Clean ; and, of course:
What REALLY Happened in Class
EDIT: Since originally posting this, a couple of the haters have been ragging on me for not telling people what I actually did that got me kicked out of school. I don't see how this is my job...shouldn't the haters who were there with me in class, the ones who ran to the Dean to get me kicked out of school...shouldn't they be telling those stories? In any event, it just isn't true. I've posted seven or eight little vignettes of things that happened in class, and the haters haven't posted anything. I think it's their turn.
If you want to see the stories I already posted, you can find some of them at these link:
A Day in the Faculty of Education
About Me and Moonface
Mrs. Cantor Comes Clean ; and, of course:
What REALLY Happened in Class
Moonface here,
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for all of my colleagues, but I don't know how many of them would actively discourage students from speaking up or using the whiteboard (or blackboard, though those are increasingly rare in Winnipeg and area schools). In fact, when I started my first full-time position this year, I prefaced my first actual lesson with the fact that, if students had questions or observations or concerns, they should feel free to cut in and let me know so that we can address them. Those that preferred not to speak up in class were encouraged to see me during breaks. If not then, email would suffice. At no point do I ever shoot down questions or the people who ask them, even when they begin the question with "this is really off-topic, but..." (those often serve as excellent teachable moments because they can often be connected to what I've been teaching about). It also spices up the otherwise bland curriculum.
During our second year in the program, I got the sense that many of our classmates were equally comfortable with open input from their students. Again, that's more of the sense that I got - I haven't observed any of them teaching - but I feel comfortable in my assumption that they handle dialogue with their students (both in and out of the classroom) with diligence and fairness.
On a related note: I don't remember having any degree of frustration with you for using the blackboard in Bell's class (as others apparently do).
Well, it's nice of you to clarify that last point. I wonder if you agree with Mrs. Cantor's apologists who think it was just fine of her to write a letter to the Dean raking me over the coals for how the students "felt" about my behavior, without clarifying that she herself saw nothing wrong with it. (Not to mention the people who think there was nothing wrong with Metz and Bush accusing me of a "home invasion" so they could get me thrown in jail.)
DeleteYou start off by saying "I can't speak for all of (your) colleagues"....but you can speak for yourself. You have some idea of the kinds of things people said about me to get me kicked out of school. Would you consider writing a letter to the Dean or or to Lloyd Axworthy saying that as my classmate, you personally saw nothing in my behavior that would have justified the horrifying allegations made against me?
Marty, I think you are on to something with this post.
ReplyDelete1. I suggest one issue is qualification and accreditation:
How would you deal with it if a student does not complete a curriculum requirement? Should they still be considered skilled in a topic they did not study? I suggest each school must ensure people learn certain things to earn the school's and the student's accreditation. I think your free methods, which in theory sound wonderful, would assuredly be quite deadly.
Imagine, Marty, it is possible that a person training to be an engineer, but not having completed the required curriculum, might design a flawed bridge. If the bridge collapsed in a windstorm due to inadequate design then people could die. That has happened before - and now you know why engineers wear an iron ring made from materials from a collapsed bridge.
Certainly, Marty, using your free teaching methods, the students could have an instructor who gives them the freedom to discuss the creation of Mona Lisa, or the perceived phenomenon of synchronicity, or Timothy Leary's use of LSD for mind expansion, but will they then have had the time to learn what is needed to design a bridge correctly? Surely not if the subject matter in the course is dense.
While your ideas about teaching sound wonderful, I suspect the incompetent engineer and his school would be subject to serious lawsuits - never mind ethical and moral dilemmata - if they didn't ensure a graduating engineer knows engineering.
2. Is an expectation of free classes reasonable?
'So I said, “well, what about scheduling a special seminar period outside regular class hours, where you could do a kind of overview for whoever wanted to attend?”'
Why didn't you just go to the library that evening and read the reference material available on the topic?
Would you maybe think asking a prof to take his - likely very limited - time to give you free lessons on a topic other students had already taken might not be the most reasonable thing to hate the professor for? He could have other obligations or family commitments, or already feel burdened enough with his work load. Do you, who denigrates haters, feel you have the right to hate a professor who feels he can't offer free classes?
Marty, I don't think any of your actions in isolation would be cause for dismissal, but an accumulation of insubordinate acts which disrupt the flow of classes and the orderly functioning of accredited institutions, will, by rights, have to lead to dismissal, lest bridges collapse, doctors misdiagnose and people die.
Marty, I hope this helps you see that those institutions had to do what they did, and your lawsuits are really not helping anyone at all.
Some time ago you said you were having fun with your lawsuits. You are hurting people, causing untold grief and costs and the resources you are consuming just to prove a point which I hope I have shown to be unrealistic would be better used in more productive activities.
Marty, I respectfully ask that you cancel the lawsuit and get on with your life, and let others live their lives positively and productively as well.
HEY MARTY - WHY DON"T YOU ANSWER THIS POST?
DeleteAnonymous #2 on this page.
ReplyDeleteUniversity professors aren't always trained to be good teachers. This seems to be the case with Mr. Southern. You had a pertinent, on-topic question, but his job was to present the subject matter, not make sure you understood it, so he brushed you off. Some professors make bas teachers.
While his response was rude and unproductive, in that case, your process was correct. Ask, and hope you're dealing with a reasonable human being. If not, there's very little you can do when they're in a position of authority.
In the case of Professor Bell's class though, it's different. The lesson was "how to teach" rather than the principal itself that was being used as an example. A quick mention of the inaccuracy of the drawing, fine, no problem. On the other hand, trying to go up to the board (without permission, or even asking) to elaborate on why the wing needs to be angled was at best a tangent.
I myself have corrected professors, but that was in a C, I & A course, where the principals and facts WERE the point of the lesson. And even then, I didn't try to de-rail the lesson to correct it (it was reaction rates, Prof. Bush had stated that heating a reaction slows/speeds the reaction based on whether it's exo/endothermic, and I pointed out that heat affects reaction COORDINATE that way, but always speeds reactions). I pointed out the error, and let Prof. Bush do the rest, and he did because the correction affected the point of the lesson.
Also, I know it's a generic quote, but "two wrongs don't make a right." They've wronged you, and you've done wrong in return. As I recall from earlier blog posts, the university tried to discuss the issue with you informally before you were kicked out, but you refused them, and that was just the first of the offered hands you've slapped away. As far as I can see, you began the wronging, and it's spiraled out of control since then such that no one has the high ground.
Take this as you will. I hope it puts things in perspective, but from what I've read, it will be brushed off like everything else you don't agree with... sigh...
Why don't you tell us about something I did in class that I deserved to get kicked out of school for? You were in Bush's class with me...didn't you see anything nasty happen there?
DeleteMarty, you seem to be still obsessed with your points while being unable to address the points other people are making.
DeleteWhat was nasty then and remains nasty now is your inability to interact with people in a reasonable way. You are obsessed with your own 'rightness' and are unwilling to even consider, never mind address, other points of view.
Your response here confirms that, sadly.
So you've got nothing. I thought so.
DeleteMarty, you deserved to get kicked out for the same reasons they kicked you out of Gordon Bell and the U of M. You don't listen, just as you are not listening now. Perhaps you never will.
DeleteYou weren't at Gordon Bell and you weren't at the U of M. But you WERE in Bush's class. And I know you saw some really scary stuff happen there. So why won't you tell us about it?
DeleteWhy do you say I was not at Gordon Bell nor U of M yet was at U of W?
DeleteOK, then why don't you tell us why I was kicked out of Gordon Bell?
DeleteMarty, if I was a decision maker then I might tell you why you were kicked out of any of the several institutions which have banned you from their premises, though given you've filed a frivolous lawsuit then I wouldn't be able to comment, now would I.
DeleteThe fact that your expulsion has happened repeatedly, and in different institutions, under different leadership, with different instructors, while thousands of people complete their courses successfully during your failures, indicates the issue lies less in the institutions and their employees, and more with you.
The fact that you, when losing an argument, change the subject will likely be one of the numerous causes for your dismissal. You appear unable to interact with people in a way that takes their thoughts and feelings into consideration. Is it that you feel superior to them? There must be a reason, Marty, but I don't think you can be bothered to look at the root cause of your problems - your offensive and obtuse behaviour - and choose instead to project your failures onto others, and blame them for what is your failure.
So I will ask this question again: Why do you say I was not at Gordon Bell nor U of M yet was at U of W? Do you think you can answer that question?
Actually, Marty, seeing your bold public display of aggressive, petulant and slanderous statements on this blog I'm pretty sure U of W, U of M and Gordon Bell can't be the only ones you've been booted out of, or at least had serious trouble with.
Why don't you tell us about all the places where you've had issues interacting with other people?
Don't change the subject now Marty. That would be cheating.
Anonymous #2
DeleteI haven't actually posted anything else on this page yet. I hoped the "Anonymous #2" idea might catch on. Apparently not.
And I wasn't actually in any of your classes, nor was I at Gordon Bell or the U of M. I was at the U of W, took C, I & A Chemistry with Bush, but you weren't there. I draw my knowledge from you own blog. From an outside perspective, you don't paint a very flattering picture of yourself, especially in the earlier sections of the blog.
Along the same lines, in all, it is YOUR class, you are in control, you want the kids to believe they have say and give them some, but you need to guide it in the direction it is supposed to go. There should be an ultimate goal otherwise students will completely de-rail the class. yes they might be gaining some knowledge, but as a teacher you have the duty to teach the curriculum, however you choose to do it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhat is your sense if the difference between questioning and confronting? Arguing and clarifying? Adding not and taking from the flow of others' equally valid and important and paid rights to their own educational process? Your need to externalize your thinking process is something you could handle in more productive ways through private dialogues with teachers, emails, or as another writer here suggests, doing some independent study. In the library, or with a tutor. What is your grasp of Blooms taxonomy of question toyed that we all learned in student teaching methods classes? Have you read Jill Bell and her work on the multilevel classroom or Johnson and Johnson on Circles of Learning through using group roles to enhance interaction? And what about the code of professional ethics that teachers agree to follow? Ask yourself why you have this need to "win" yet really are losing years now in this battle with people who have devoted much more learning and care to education than your thirsty quest to be an accredited educator belies.
ReplyDeleteScary stuff in an esteemed professor's class is an inflammatory comment. I was there and feel you are bordering on harassment of the prof now and becoming a hate manger yourself. Lay off. It is not becoming and makes you seem ten years old, stamping your foot in the dust to say "Mine! Whaaaa!"
ReplyDeleteWhen you say Professor Bush is held in esteem, do you mean he was held in esteem before he falsely accused me of a home invasion, or do you mean he still deserves to be held in esteem even AFTER his false accusations were exposed?
DeleteJust because you believe or say something, Marty, doesn't make it true.
DeleteDid you trespass onto a property, from public land onto private land, when asked not to by the owner of that private land? Yes or no, Marty.
When Bush phoned the police, he didn't say I was trespassing. He said I was trying to force my way into his home. I say he was lying.
DeleteThanks for the response. Interestingly you didn't answer my question. Here it is again:
DeleteDid you trespass onto a property, from public land onto private land, when asked not to by the owner of that private land?
Nor did you answer my question about whether you still feel Professor Bush deserves to be held in esteem despite his having lied to get me thrown in jail.
DeleteDid you not choose to go to jail or just chose to stay in jail? Also, all those comments about people not holding up well against your questioning...you arent doing so hot here yourself.
DeleteProfessor Bush is apparently a well respected instructor, so I'd say he still deserves to be held in esteem for at the very least that significant accomplishment. Whether or not lies have been told I cannot say, not having been there, and not having heard any proof other than your (Marty's) rather biased view.
DeleteSo, Marty, I answered your question, now please do the same:
Did you trespass onto a property, from public land onto private land, when asked not to by the owner of that private land? Yes or no.
Actually, no.
DeleteOdd. That seems to contradict prior posts of yours. Are you off your meds again?
DeleteYou find the contradiction and I'll respond to it.
DeleteWhata nut!!!! There were many comments made about knowing damn well you shouldnt be at the U of W and went anyways.
DeleteRead the question again.
DeleteYour words:
DeleteIt could have happened inside three minutes. Just barely. He could have slammed down the phone, stormed downstairs to his study, slammed the door behind him and furiously began typing on his computer. The doorbell could have rung seconds later without him knowing it. By the time he realized something was going on, he might have rushed upstairs, dialing 911 as he came, only to find I had just left.
So what? Where does this say I trespassed on private property after the owner told me to stay away?
DeleteI suspect they wouldn't have invited a litigious, aggressive, and unpredictable individual in for tea when you called (according to your own admission). Ergo I suspect they told you to stay away and use proper legal channels. If I recall correctly some people use sheriffs to serve legal papers in cases of conflict. You and your dad may know more about legal details than I do, but I have a feeling you were not invited. You've mentioned phone records in the past. Did you get your hands on those or will this all remain conjecture and hearsay?
DeleteIs this another one of your yes-or-no questions?
DeleteNo, Marty. It is not yes/no. I am merely disagreeing with your implication that you were invited onto the Bush's private property.
DeleteI contend you were not invited and trespassed, in spite of being asked to use normal legal channels, rather than delivering papers personally.
Is my contention correct or were you invited during that phone call?
What is wrong with you ? Are you unaware that personal service is the normal legal channel ? One does not need to be invited. Why the hell should Marty pay someone else to do something he is fully entitled to do ?
DeleteAbsolutely nothing wrong with me here. I suppose you ask that question out of habit, since you likely are compelled to ask it whenever you look in the mirror, there, Einstein. Oh, do they actually have mirrors there in your cell block C? I guess with all the court cases the old genius there is filing it could get expensive, so you may have a point. Only issue I see is:
Delete"Trespassing is entering someone's property without permission or lawful excuse. Many people think that the 1983 Trespass Act, which has only limited application, is the only law in New Brunswick that deals with trespass. This is not the case. All property (lands and buildings) is protected by the common law. If someone enters your property without permission or lawful excuse, a trespass is committed. You may remove the trespasser and consider legal action."
Marty could have met them in a public place, and not in the dark of night (I'm assuming here).
I think, given Marty's rather unorthodox behaviour (I'm being extremely generous here) I would expect a person answering the door had every right to be fearful that some violence was possible. I know I would not want to let in some weirdo who doesn't seem to be able to listen to reason or respect people's personal space.
Just my opinion, but it is a free country. In Texas the trespasser could have been shot and killed without consequence to the homeowner.
Yeah, yeah ... but New Brunswick law surely is pretty close to Manitoba law I expect, both being based on the British legal system.
DeleteLike I said, service is quite within the law and no court would see it as trespassing. Your argument is silly.
DeleteRubbish
DeleteRubbish, silly , same difference
DeleteOK, so we can agree we both are human, flaws and all. Good to see some humility here, in contrast to the primary blogger whose belief in his own perfection is only superseded by his rampant idiocy.
DeleteSay Marty how is your lawsuit against RRC going? That talkshow really sucked you know.
ReplyDeleteSay, is that an accordion you are holding or a bag of dead squirrels?
ReplyDeleteI am currently one of Marty's students. I just want to make a comment towards the people who might think that Marty is not a good teacher or towards the person that is making comments about dead squirrels.. I have taken and am taking high level math, physics and engineering courses and Marty has been an amazing help to me. There have been many times where I have asked professors questions after class about physics and sometimes I get responses like 'I don't know why that is, why are you asking that, it's because of the equation I wrote down!' the equation which they have not shown to be true.. sometimes they give me an algebraic proof about why it works, which I can appreciate.. but never have I gotten such a good physical picture about why things work like when I ask Marty a question. When Marty shows me something in physics, he shows me a picture and after a few minutes I go, "oh of course that's why it works, I can see that!" Marty has given me a very strong understanding of certain concepts in physics that I would not have obtained in university without him. I just wanted to point that out.
ReplyDeleteGreat feedback and I'm glad he has helped you. That is excellent!!
DeletePerhaps the correct career for Marty would be as a tutor, one on one, rather than formal education where time may be of the essence. That is great that he helped you, and perhaps he will be wise enough to see that the needs of accredited institutions do not always align with the needs of every student. The institution must serve the majority within the bell curve, and then individuals like Marty might also also find a place serving outliers.
I don't forsee Marty having trouble tutoring dedicated students one-on-one or in small groups. He clearly has enough intelligence and understanding of the subject matter to get that done.
DeleteWhere I see problems emerging is with a large group of younger students who will not always be on the same page, and will not always be dedicated and cooperative. Some will cause confrontation, challenge authority, and ask tangential questions that you really don't have time to answer in the given moment just for the sake of doing so, without a good reason. THIS is the environment where Marty will likely have difficulty: a normal classroom.
Mathematicians are like Frenchmen: whatever you say to them, they translate it into their own language, and forthwith it means something entirely different. -- Goethe
ReplyDeleteMis Fricken here.... I am going to nit-pick something for a minute....
Delete“This is what happens when you lose control of the class”, the prof muttered as I went to the board. (So says Marty)
Didn't happen. The prof may have said those words, but it certainly wasn't "muttered." For those of you readers unfamiliar with Prof Bell, he was a pretty funny, groovy guy. He often cracked a joke or tried to make light of a situation. That was what he was doing, making light of a tense and strange situation.
I can see how Marty misread the actions and intentions of many profs if this is how he interpreted this particular situation.
And I will re-iterate a point I made earlier. Marty claimed that Dave never said "hold on" or anything along those lines. If he didnt say that and Marty just walked up, is that losing control? He said it because he "lost control" when Marty continued to go to the board after being told to wait.
Deleteyeah, I'm also a funny groovy guy when I'm trying to impress twenty-something young women. Does that make Dave Bell some kind of hero?
DeleteListen, if all of a sudden you've got such a good memory for the fine details, how come you won't come up with a story that really shows me doing something wrong in class?
Now Marty, isn't making personal attacks against Dave possibly libelous?
DeleteBesides which, the chances of you, Marty, impressing twenty-something women, or any women for that matter, are virtually nil.
I highly recommend, for your dating enjoyment, the following site, which I am sure will be able to fit into no problemo ...
http://www.uglyschmucks.com/
Now me, on the other hand, the real Marty, now, I'm a complete winner! Always have been, always will, and don't forget, I'm always right too ... :)
To all my loving and adoring fans on this blog:
ReplyDeleteYou should know I've been working on my next career move, since any educational employer in his right mind will go on line and see I am highly litigious and they likely would not hire me as I might sue them too.
You can watch my great newly acquired skills below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBMC0DA5fh4
Just wait 'till you see my next moves.
I'm sure you will be equally impressed!
With all due respect, I think Marty is a blithering idiot at this point. I don't really know him closely enough to have feelings about him personally one way or another.
ReplyDeleteI am sad that what might have been good ideas to improve pedagogical methods are lost due to, what I suspect could be, personality issues. I suppose it is cliche that the guys with pocket protectors and black glasses don't always conform to mainstream social norms.
I also feel frivolous lawsuits stemming from the complainant's unreasonable and self-aggrandizing actions over the course of years, offering disruptive attendance at numerous schools is a waste of our society's resources and as such Marty's behaviour is offensive to me.
I don't really care what else. The cause of this situation is Marty himself. He could have learned to become a teacher under this system, which thousands have done before him, and then proven his case introducing his pedagogical ideas and having his students far outpace the norm.
Marty chose another path. Instead he interrupted instructors, barged onto their podiums, and lectured all and sundry, including the teachers. Those actions I believe are unproductive in an environment where you have limited time to complete a set of subject matter. I also feel interrupting the instructor demonstrates a lack of empathy for the other students who had paid to learn the subject matter as one step in an ordered path to attain a goal.
Now, after disrupting class after class, after being thrown out of successive institutions, after even violating basic rules of decency, to play legal games is just sad, especially in light of the darned legal expenses. What that money could accomplish if it was put to real use building bridges, or hiring doctors.
That's the issue in my mind. This is costing too much to accomplish nothing, in fact to go backwards.
So there's my rant. Sorry if I went on so long. No offence intended to anyone.
I believe that's a repost. Could you come up with something more fresh next time ?
DeleteBecause no one else EVER repeats themselves around here...
DeleteEvery entry in this blog is a rehash of the same bloody obvious self centred rubbish, so why should anyone care? I'll summarize here:
Delete- I am a genius;
- I know better than any stupid professor how to teach;
- I am a genius;
- There's been a grand conspiracy against me;
- I am a genius;
- I have the right to disrupt any class I feel like, any time I want to;
- I am a genius;
- I have the right to insult teachers, students, assistants and whoever else I want to whenever I want to;
- I am a genius;
- When given the chance to discuss my inappropriate behaviour with the proper authorities I snub and ignore them and file lawsuits instead;
- I am a genius;
- They are all liars and cheats;
- I am a genius;
- I am never wrong and my behaviour is always impeccable;
- Oh, and did I mention that I am a genius?
I'd say that about summarizes the last few months of masturbatory and libelous excesses displayed here, but hey, that's just my opinion.
Let's all say moo now, because the taxpayer is most likely covering these absurd legal fees.
Oh, and while we're on reposts, how about Marty or one of his supporters answer this post:
DeleteHow would you deal with it if a student does not complete a curriculum requirement? Should they still be considered skilled in a topic they did not study? I suggest each school must ensure people learn certain things to earn the school's and the student's accreditation. I think your free methods, which in theory sound wonderful, would assuredly be quite deadly.
Imagine, Marty, it is possible that a person training to be an engineer, but not having completed the required curriculum, might design a flawed bridge. If the bridge collapsed in a windstorm due to inadequate design then people could die. That has happened before - and now you know why engineers wear an iron ring made from materials from a collapsed bridge.
Certainly, Marty, using your free teaching methods, the students could have an instructor who gives them the freedom to discuss the creation of Mona Lisa, or the perceived phenomenon of synchronicity, or Timothy Leary's use of LSD for mind expansion, but will they then have had the time to learn what is needed to design a bridge correctly? Surely not if the subject matter in the course is dense.
While your ideas about teaching sound wonderful, I suspect the incompetent engineer and his school would be subject to serious lawsuits - never mind ethical and moral dilemmata - if they didn't ensure a graduating engineer knows engineering.
Come on guys, quit being so serious. This is just a humour blog, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteHey Marty... Can you help me out? You said you would post a list of the accusations against you which lead to your removal from University. You said you offered... someone declined the offer.... BUT I can't seem to find anyone declining your offer. In fact, I see a lot of people asking for the list.
ReplyDeleteIs there a list, or where you full of it? You offered. You really should follow through with things. It hurts your credibility. BAHAHAHAHA did I just say you had credibility??? Frick. I'm hilarious!
There was an Eddie Murphy movie back in the 80's where he had just got out of prison and was at a party. He went up to this pretty girl, introduced himself, and said, "hey, wanna f_ck?" She looked at him and said, "Is that only how good you can ask??"
ReplyDeleteYou say you want the list...is that only how good you can ask? Anyhow, there are plenty of haters out there who saw all the things I did in class...why don't you ask them what I did? No one's stopping them from telling all about me.
Marty is buckling under the heat!!!!
DeleteHe seems quite calm to me. I don't see any exclamation points in his postings.
DeleteInteresting reference choice to try and make a point with. Failed. Now I am just grossed out.
DeleteSo... No list for Miss Fricken, eh? What are you scared of Marty? That's what I thought, there is no list. No exclamations marks here. BTW, Marty rarely uses exclamation marks, so its not really a good measure as to whether or not he's losing it. As usual, Marty wants everyone to provide an example, though his selective memory seems to be failing him...
ReplyDeleteHow is it not your job but the "haters" to post about what you did to get kicked out? It is your blog, you want people to feel sorry for you, so lets get it out there what you did. Of course you will get sympathasizers when you are only posting what you want and changing stories/leaving out details. look at what has happened on this blog over the last few days as people have been coming out and replying to your side of the story and filling in the holes. Not a whole lot of defenders while there are many more "haters". You can blog whatever you want, no one here has a job to do. We are just replying and filling blanks that you so conveniently leave out.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing with Marty. He is a pretty smart guy, no doubt about it. It is the social skills which have become his greatest enemy. I suggested before that he find a way to deal with his inability to read other peoples responses... but apparently, he has taken an online test and self-evaluated himself as well within the normal range.
DeleteI feel very badly for Marty's family and his children in particular. What kind of message are they taking from their fathers behavior? DON'T try to come to a peaceful resolution when in disagreement with others? SUE,SUE,SUE...it's the best way to deal with ANY confrontations? Be argumentative and disrespectful to your profs?
As a former CFS employee... I would be concerned about the well being of the children in the home. I can only hope his children are old enough to understand their fathers disorder. I would assume this is nothing new for them. God bless you poor kids.
Do you really think your CFS credentials make you an authority on kids in danger?
DeleteYes. I believe I am very qualified to determine when a child is being subjected to danger. Why would you suggest otherwise? You don't even know me. You have no idea what my credentials are and you have no idea what training I have had.
DeleteI do know you though, and you could have easily been a client.
Once again, you are trying to take the attention off the fact that after you have opened up on your blog, exposing your strange behavior and conspiracy theories... you appear irrational and delusional.
I shouldn't be too worried about your kids I suppose. If they are half as smart as you, Marty, they have figured you out and have found some way to cope. There is always the Kids Help Line if things escalate, hopefully they are aware of that.
What do you mean I don't know your credentials? You told us your credentials...you're a "former CFS" worker, which makes you "qualified to determine when a child is being subjedt to danger".
DeleteSo why don't you tell us: what were you and your CFS colleagues doing while Phoenix Sinclair was being tortured to death?
There are a number of positions in CFS. You are assuming I was a social worker... Again, you have no idea what my credentials are. You are an ass for even bringing up that poor child. Once again, Marty just trying to take the attention of himself and his web of pathetic lies. I feel badly for you.
DeleteYou're the one who came here touting your CFS background as proof that you knew how to recognize a child in danger.
DeleteYes, I can recognize a child in danger, but this discussion has nothing to do with that case in particular. It is about you. Not surprising that you would shift the focus though...
DeleteMarty you wouldn't know how to give a straight answer to a question if your life depended on it. You throw stones while, like all of us, you too live in a glass house. Now standing in the shards of your self- ruined career you accuse others of all the failings which are yours, unwilling to accept that you and you alone have created your own embarrassment and career implosion. 'Welcome to Walmart' would be a good line to rehearse to prepare for your next job.
DeleteMarty is either unable to produce/unwilling to produce a 'list' of offensive behaviors resulting in his expulsion banishment from the University and his teaching practicum. This confirms the fact that most of his accusations are either false or inaccurate. An innocent man would provide documentation (as he is soooo good at doing when convenient for him) to establish his facts. Thanks for playing Marty. Now, are we done yet? Why don't you try to salvage your life in some self-respecting manner.
ReplyDeleteThe haters are either unable to produce/unwilling to produce a 'list' of offensive behaviors resulting in my expulsion/banishment from the University and my teaching practicum. This confirms the fact that most of their accusations are either false or inaccurate.
DeleteBut wait Marty. The 'haters' weren't the ones that offered up that information. YOU DID. (Now you might be thinking..."Oh crap... that's right.") Regardless. An official list as you suggested obviously does not exist. Lets be honest. You offered. Now you recant. Obviously bluffed.
DeleteHow do you think the University manage to get an official verdict of "non-academic misconduct" against me without compiling an official list of the things I did wrong? Because I think the Non-Academic Policies and Procedures say there's supposed to be a list.
DeleteEither back your words up with documentation, or admit to lying. Simple.
DeleteThe difference between you and me is when I call someone a liar in public, I sign my name to it.
DeleteCan you tell me what my name has to do with anything. If I said I was John Doe would that make any difference to the fact that you offered to share a 'list' and have now backed out. You are crying about how your ex-cohort won't name specific events, yet you won't do it either.
DeleteWould it not be helpful to YOU to post the list and, if you truly are innocent, allow your ex-cohort to help you clarify or explain the event in question and help determine if it was indeed, offensive???
I suppose you have been so busy trying to twist words around, it never occurred to you that the cohort could actually verify some of these events in your favour...... Your a fool. The freakin' smartest fool I have ever met.....