Sadly, this is something I’ve been dealing with constantly throughout my life.
I remember in the third year of university I had this practical course… I’m not even sure what we were doing exactly. I can’t remember. But usually the class dynamics would go like this:
- Professor assistant explains a new topic
- Asks if the class understands the material
- Whoever doesn’t understand the material, goes up to the blackboard and solves examples with PA’s help
- We do practical assignments on our own time
- Submit reports
- In the final exam you solve a few equations
That pretty much was the entire scope of the class. So, imagine my surprise, when after completing the course and getting my excellent grade, it was reported back to me by other students, that the PA was going around all the other groups telling them the magnificent story of how I redeemed myself after she thought I was a cheater.
You see… only those who had trouble understanding the material, were told to solve equations in front of the class. I never did. So I completed my assignments and submitted reports. During the final exam, the PA asked me to sit right in front of her and do the task in my notebook, while two other students were doing theirs on the blackboard. She gave me the assignment and turned away to help another student.
Two minutes later, she turned back to me and said: “Why aren’t you doing the assignment?”
To which I replied: “I’m done.”
I walked out of that auditorium having no idea that anything was happening behind the scenes. In the meantime, the PA would tell anyone who cared to listen, that she assumed I was dumb and paid for all my reports. And of course, I “surprised” her by actually solving the damn equation in under two minutes while sitting in front of her, while she was helping her star student who was confused in front of the blackboard.
Take what you want from this story.
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