Monday, October 6, 2008

Cool?

College professors in the industry today need to have a sort of cool about them. Most would agree when I say no one looks forward to a three hour lecture class with a professor that is dull and lacks a complete sense of social ability. There should be a balance of course criteria and simply just being a person. By that I mean, they shouldn't put themselves on a pedestal and be superior to the class; they should lighten up. Tell a joke every now and then, as to allow the students to relate and want to listen to him/her. Students have more respect and respond better to the cool professor.

I completely understand the fact that teachers and professors are not here to be every students buddy. They are here to make us more learned in the subject they are specialized in and to get us ready to go into whatever field we are choosing. But with this getting ready for "life", one must know that life isn't just droning lectures and sheer knowledge of a subject. There are certain social abilities that are assumed to be had when interacting with the world. 

A bad teacher would be one that doesn't keep a class hooked if you will. No one wants that teacher that doesn't really have an essence about them that makes students interested in the subject matter.

As William Deresiewicz says from the Blogginghead video, it's good to have a sense of cool about you because there are polls that are taken each year that can determine whether a professor is asked to come back to a university or not. So clearly if university officials are wanting teachers to be likable and have personality to them, it must be a big deal. There is even a website you can rate your professors on for future students to see whose class they should enroll in. 

Society today expects a full package when looking at appointing a university professor. I know i learn much better when I am in a class that has a fun vibe to it. The environment of a classroom is also vital to a students experience and to what they get out of the particular class. So when answering the question: Should your university professors be cool? The answer is yes.

1 comment:

professorjfox said...

Support your first paragraph ideas with something other than your opinion. A Statistic would greatly help.

Go into the “social abilities” more. That’s a good division between knowledge and social skills, now expand on it.

Third paragraph seems to repeat the first paragraph.

Evaluations, not polls. I hope.

I find it funny that you assume that the evaluations automatically assess “likable” and “personality” of the professor, when the administrators are actually hoping to find out if the students are actually learning and whether content is being communicated.

Nice link to the rate your professors. But what’s your ideas aobut the matter: You need to have stronger opinions about the subject.

This is too short – 800 – 1000 words was the range.