Education Round 2

For my final paper for my grad school class, I have to write an 8 page paper- an in depth look at an organization (delving into a variety of different aspects of the nonprofit).

When I looked at the full description of the paper, I couldn't help but this how beneficial it would be to study and analyze camp. My time is spent on day to day operations, there's not really time left over to do this sort of study of the organization, so if I could use my classwork as an opportunity to do a project I don't have time for, it would serve duel purposes. I didn't think that my professor would go for it, but I decided to ask anyway.

As I'd expected, she said no, but her reasoning was that she thought it would give me an advantage over the other students.

What?

This is an online class and we don't see each others papers. We aren't graded on a curve. My work has absolutely nothing to do with the other students.

So after a few days of being annoyed and struggling to decide which organization I would study, I decided to email her back and plead my case. I sent a very well thought out, polite email, arguing that as a struggling organization, all of the information I needed for the paper wasn't readily available, so it would still be a lot of research and work (and not just the easy way out) and that because it is something my organization needs, this would be not only be me learning the concepts and information, but also doing hands-on work that can actually be used.

Her response was, "I would prefer that you do not use your organization for your final paper. I do feel it gives you an advantage over the other students. However, I will make an exception if you are willing to forfeit five points. Let me know what you decide."

Perhaps this email came when I was more exhausted than I realized, but her answer annoyed me so much I wanted to scream!

As an undergrad, everything I learned was theory and concept- I couldn't apply it to "real life" because learning was my whole life. I would have written the paper on anything she wanted. I would have jumped through the hoops so I could get a good grade. But this class has been a different experience because I am able to directly apply each new lesson to my present day work. So it just makes so much sense to me that this assignment not only be for learning, but also for practical use. I like learning for the sake of learning, but in this case, it seems like a waste of time when I could be learning and DOING something useful at the same time.

But fine, she was willing to let me do it, minus 5 points. I gritted my teeth in annoyance and wrote a slightly more snappy response than I ordinarily would-

I wasn't aware I was in competition with the other students. I have learned a great deal from the other students in discussion, and I hope they have benefited from my contributions as well. However, I am in this class to learn for my own sake, regardless of the other students.

I will take the 5 point deduction because regardless of my grade at the end, I think I will learn more in the long run. I'm not in this class to compete or to try to have the best grade- I am in this class to gain knowledge in order to best run my organization.

Thank you for the exception.

I've been ideal student my entire life because I have always done exactly what I was told. I never had trouble with authority or rules. I was successful because I gave my teachers exactly what they asked for without question. I started my career in the same way, but as my leadership skills have developed and as I have become confident as an adult, I have become peers with so many of the authorities I spent my life answering to.

So education is different this time around.

When I was 18-22, I would have thought the professor knew everything and couldn't be wrong and if she wanted an assignment a certain way, I would trust there was a reason for it.

Now?

This woman is a few years older than me. Like me, she's had a career in nonprofit organizations. She has more work experience than I do and certainly more knowledge in the nonprofit sector overall. But the grammar on her syllabus sucks, which yes, I notice and judge. Our titles of "professor" and "student" separate us, but I not enough to turn me back into an obedient 18 year old.