School is Cool

In the bloggingheads video showing a debate between William Deresiewicz and Mark Edmundson, it is argued that teachers "need to resist the temptation to be cool, because the job of the teacher is, in a sense, to be uncool; not to model the conventional behavior that students are emulating, but rather to be ourselves." This could be true, but I guess this depends on one’s definition of “cool”. I believe that a teacher must be cool in order to receive and maintain the attention of the class.

As Stated by Colby Suder, “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.” If polled, I would say that about 95% of college students would agree with this statement. Teachers need to be cool to at least some degree in order to connect with their students on a deeper level. This level of ‘coolness’ varies from teacher to teacher; each teacher has a different way of lightening the mood of the class and therefore making it less boring. I know what class I would not attend on a regular basis if I had the option; the one with the serious professor who always thinks they are right.

Many professors use humor to be ‘cool’. In both Sadie Upwall’s and Colby Suder’s essays it is stated that if a professor is funny it makes them easier to relate to and brings a more relaxed vibe or essence into the classroom. William and Mark seem to think this is wrong. William and Mark would like a strict setting where there is no confusion whom the authority figure is. I agree with Sadie and Colby, students need to be able to relate with their professor, one way of doing so is by professors having a sense of humor. This will work to ease the setting for many students, but you always get the odd student who does not have a sense of humor or does not understand the professor’s sense of humor. So with all things in life, professors have to keep this humor basic and be careful not to offend anyone. One can tell by the tone of the bloggingheads video that neither William nor Mark has a funny bone in their body. Personally,I would not want to sit in a lecture with either William or Mark; if they think professors should be traditional and ‘uncool’, I could only imagine how boring their lectures would be.

Sadie makes and excellent point, “There is a huge difference, however between being cool and taken seriously, and being cool and completely disrespected.” Teacher’s need to know where to draw the line. Although it might be funny for a professor to say something like, “wow, I’m hungover,” this will make a lot of students lose respect for a teacher. No matter how young or attractive the teacher is trying to act like a student to connect with the students is just going to backfire. Trying to be like us does not make you ‘cool’. Students may not always seem like it, but they really do want discipline. We need someone to keep us inline and make us more intelligent.

Some people would argue that a professor does not have to be ‘cool’, it is the professors job to teach not be liked by the student body. A professor is hired mainly on ability and knowledge not on having a great personality. This person would be wrong, although professors are hired on ability they will only keep their position if they cannot get their students to retain the information they have taught. Students are not going to retain knowledge from a professor that does not have a unique way of teaching. Simply reading out of a textbook is not helping. Colby says, “I know I learn much better when I am in a class that has a fun vibe to it.”I think that it is the job of a professor to be ‘cool’.

Both Sadie’s and Colby’s essays make great points on how being ‘cool’ will not only make the professor easier to relate to but also help the students preserve the knowledge being taught. William and Mark need to lighten up, step out of their traditional way of thinking and into the modern world.