College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

Topics that do not fit anywhere else. Absolutely NO discussions of religion, race, or immigration!

Moderators: carlson1, Charles L. Cotton

User avatar

Topic author
WildBill
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 16
Posts: 17350
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: Houston

College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#1

Post by WildBill »

HOUSTON -- For college students, a straight-A average is a crucial building block on the road to success, but imagine having that average jeopardized because of a teacher’s mistake.

That’s what Lauren Firmin claims happened in her Fall 2013 semester at Lonestar College- University Park in northwest Harris County.

The class she had enrolled in and thought she was taking was an ‘Intro to Chemistry’ course, a study of the basics of the science.

Yet this student with a 4.0 grade average found herself unexpectedly struggling with the material.

“I was getting 40’s on every test,” said Firmin. “I studied as hard as I could, did everything in my power to try.”

Then, shortly before the class’ final exam, Firmin claims teacher Thao Shirley Nguyen admitted something.

“She told her mistake in class to all of the students,” Firmin told the KHOU 11 News I-Team.

And the mistake: “She was teaching general chemistry, another course, all semester.”

http://www.khou.com/news/investigative/ ... 72411.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
NRA Endowment Member
User avatar

SewTexas
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 3509
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:52 pm
Location: Alvin
Contact:

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#2

Post by SewTexas »

first day of class "Hi, welcome to ...... here is the syllabus"

"wait, this is suppose to be ......"?

what happened?
~Tracy
Gun control is what you talk about when you don't want to talk about the truth ~ Colion Noir
User avatar

jmra
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 5
Posts: 10371
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:51 am
Location: Ellis County

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#3

Post by jmra »

SewTexas wrote:first day of class "Hi, welcome to ...... here is the syllabus"

"wait, this is suppose to be ......"?

what happened?
The teacher is a toker, that's what happened.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.
John Wayne
NRA Lifetime member

mamabearCali
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 3
Posts: 2214
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:14 pm
Location: Chesterfield, VA

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#4

Post by mamabearCali »

What! That is crazy. I would be furious. You need to give the kids back their money for that class and comp them the $$ for the proper class.
SAHM to four precious children. Wife to a loving husband.

"The women of this country learned long ago those without swords can still die upon them!" Eowyn in LOTR Two Towers
User avatar

Topic author
WildBill
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 16
Posts: 17350
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: Houston

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#5

Post by WildBill »

Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website. Maybe she is part time.
NRA Endowment Member
User avatar

jmra
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 5
Posts: 10371
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:51 am
Location: Ellis County

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#6

Post by jmra »

WildBill wrote:Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website.
May not have been the teacher of record. Becoming more and more common for the teacher of record to only teach a few of the classes each semester.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.
John Wayne
NRA Lifetime member
User avatar

Topic author
WildBill
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 16
Posts: 17350
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: Houston

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#7

Post by WildBill »

jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website.
May not have been the teacher of record. Becoming more and more common for the teacher of record to only teach a few of the classes each semester.
That could be why she was confused and taught the wrong course.

Have you ever looked at their website and tried to figure out what class is what?

Intro to Chemistry, General Chemistry, what does it matter?
Last edited by WildBill on Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
NRA Endowment Member
User avatar

jmra
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 5
Posts: 10371
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:51 am
Location: Ellis County

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#8

Post by jmra »

WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website.
May not have been the teacher of record. Becoming more and more common for the teacher of record to only teach a few of the classes each semester.
That could be why she was confused and taught the wrong course.

Intro to Chemistry, General Chemistry, what does it matter?
Probably like Alg 1 vs Alg 2. Intro to Chemistry would provide the foundation needed for Gen Chemistry.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.
John Wayne
NRA Lifetime member
User avatar

Topic author
WildBill
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 16
Posts: 17350
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: Houston

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#9

Post by WildBill »

jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website.
May not have been the teacher of record. Becoming more and more common for the teacher of record to only teach a few of the classes each semester.
That could be why she was confused and taught the wrong course.

Intro to Chemistry, General Chemistry, what does it matter?
Probably like Alg 1 vs Alg 2. Intro to Chemistry would provide the foundation needed for Gen Chemistry.
Introduction to Chemistry is for people who never took HS Chemistry and lack basic science and math skills.
Last edited by WildBill on Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
NRA Endowment Member
User avatar

nightmare69
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 2046
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:03 pm
Location: East Texas

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#10

Post by nightmare69 »

I would have understood the mistake, as long as they far me an A for the class.
2/26-Mailed paper app and packet.
5/20-Plastic in hand.
83 days mailbox to mailbox.
User avatar

Topic author
WildBill
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 16
Posts: 17350
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: Houston

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#11

Post by WildBill »

nightmare69 wrote:I would have understood the mistake, as long as they far me an A for the class.
One of the main reasons for the complaint is that one "4.0 GPA" student was getting 40% on the tests and didn't like it.

If she had gotten an A she wouldn't have complained.
NRA Endowment Member
User avatar

jmra
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 5
Posts: 10371
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:51 am
Location: Ellis County

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#12

Post by jmra »

WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website.
May not have been the teacher of record. Becoming more and more common for the teacher of record to only teach a few of the classes each semester.
That could be why she was confused and taught the wrong course.

Intro to Chemistry, General Chemistry, what does it matter?
Probably like Alg 1 vs Alg 2. Intro to Chemistry would provide the foundation needed for Gen Chemistry.
Introduction to Chemistry is for people who never took HS Chemistry and have lack basic science and math skills.
Introduction to Chemistry is usually taken by non science majors. For many non science majors it may well have been 3 years since they took Chemistry in HS.
Not to mention, in HS a student who gets an A in an AP or preAP course receives 5 points instead of 4. This can make a HS gpa of 4.0 less impressive than one might think (the student might not have been "all that").
Last edited by jmra on Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.
John Wayne
NRA Lifetime member
User avatar

Topic author
WildBill
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 16
Posts: 17350
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: Houston

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#13

Post by WildBill »

jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website.
May not have been the teacher of record. Becoming more and more common for the teacher of record to only teach a few of the classes each semester.
That could be why she was confused and taught the wrong course.

Intro to Chemistry, General Chemistry, what does it matter?
Probably like Alg 1 vs Alg 2. Intro to Chemistry would provide the foundation needed for Gen Chemistry.
Introduction to Chemistry is for people who never took HS Chemistry and have lack basic science and math skills.
Introduction to Chemistry is usually taken by non science majors. For many non science majors it may well have been 3 years since they took Chemistry in HS.
Obviously, my "What Does It Matter" Hillary reference has gone unnoticed. :mrgreen:
NRA Endowment Member
User avatar

jmra
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 5
Posts: 10371
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:51 am
Location: Ellis County

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#14

Post by jmra »

WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:
jmra wrote:
WildBill wrote:Very strange. I can not find this instructor on Lone Star College's website.
May not have been the teacher of record. Becoming more and more common for the teacher of record to only teach a few of the classes each semester.
That could be why she was confused and taught the wrong course.

Intro to Chemistry, General Chemistry, what does it matter?
Probably like Alg 1 vs Alg 2. Intro to Chemistry would provide the foundation needed for Gen Chemistry.
Introduction to Chemistry is for people who never took HS Chemistry and have lack basic science and math skills.
Introduction to Chemistry is usually taken by non science majors. For many non science majors it may well have been 3 years since they took Chemistry in HS.
Obviously, my "What Does It Matter" Hillary reference has gone unnoticed. :mrgreen:
I got it, I'm just trying to pad my post count. :mrgreen:
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.
John Wayne
NRA Lifetime member
User avatar

nightmare
Deactivated until real name is provided
Posts in topic: 2
Posts: 496
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 12:09 pm

Re: College Instructor Teaches Wrong Course

#15

Post by nightmare »

Based on the story, it sounds like one of the classes is for people who want to learn about chemistry in community college and the other is for people who want an easy A on their transcript next to the word chemistry.

Was that too honest? :headscratch
WildBill wrote:Intro to Chemistry, General Chemistry, what does it matter?
You have to pass the class to find out what's in it. :mrgreen:
Equo ne credite, Teucri. Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
Post Reply

Return to “Off-Topic”