Opinions wanted

Post Reply New Topic

About me: 56 y/o finishing up a degree
Situation: An instructor/my adviser who has been increasingly negative, dismissive, even insulting

Current: I owed this instructor a paper from last semester, was struggling, and finally realized I could not finish and submit something to her since she has been so terrible to me, including interrupting me mid-sentence to tell me I was wrong (no matter what the topic- personal experiences, ideas, opinions, even a situation I related to her that included interaction with another student who: in the first two days of knowing her bragged about using social media to traffic in loratabs, complained to me about having taken too many pills and that she was afraid an instructor noticed her being stoned, being so drugged up by the end of the day she was ranting and raving, couldn't sit up, then left the class and drove in that condition then (too much to share here, but includes threatening me, blatantly cheating and more,

My solution: I did not need the credit hours from this instructor to graduate, so I submitted a few pages I knew she would fail me on. She did and sent a typically angry email disparaging my abilities

What I need from users here: Opinion of her possible issues.

The facts: she has face blindness (tells every class about it), apparent clutter blindness, has complained to me two falls in a row that she meant to clean her house over the summer and did not (she is always covered in dog hair, and other instructors even make fun of her for various things), avoids eye contact, apparently is easily manipulated since she defended the drugged up woman with information about her like they were close, has her office outside of the main area where all the other offices are, in all classes has convoluted power-points that she just reads, fails many students, is extremely strict when dealing iwth others and the "rules", and ironically (to me anyway) has spouted off about a young man in the program who is autistic and how he doesn't belong there.

As I said, early on I got the impression she was on the spectrum (no judgement, just an impression) and her increasing hostility is baffling.

Since one particulary hateful meeting with her last spring, I quit going by her office (I used to try to be nice).

So, IMO, this may be a poor soul who has gone through life with autism issues with no real help (she also has had quite a few jobs before coming to the university with negative opinions on every place she worked)

Any thoughts or opinions? (sorry for the long post)

Hi, thanks for the advice, but I am ready to graduate and as far as talking to someone higher up, I am considering it mostly not for myself, but for her apparent anger issues and the other students that will have to deal with her.

I am happy as a clam getting that failing grade from her, it was a very well considered deliberate choice to submit something I threw together in 20 minutes rather than submit what I have been working on for months since she was going to piss all over whatever I did.

My question was not for advice regarding actions, but opinions as to her possibly being a prime example of someone on the spectrum who has never been diagnosed or never accepted diagnosis (all people need to accept strengths and deficiencies in order to thrive).

Thanks again

yeah the way you described her it would fit, however we don't know what you may have 'conveniently' left out in order to strengthen this point you wanted to make. (no accusation or anything, just being objective)

If you are on the spectrum and she is also but doesn't want to face up to it then she may be provoked by those attributes that you and her share but that she is not happy about in herself. So if you remind her of something in herself that she dislikes, she will actually hate you for it.