From a prof on the Huffington Post (1/27)
With the recent huff over college students not learning a darn thing (45% Of Students Don't Learn Much In College), I figured it was time to offer what goes on in the mind of a college professor. This is what I care about and don't care about in class:
1. DON'T CARE if your cell phone goes off, as long as I get to answer it. These days, I'm having trouble distinguishing incoming calls from texts. Droid!
2. DO CARE when you distract other students. This coming from someone who as a college freshman once launched a mini toy helicopter which circled the classroom and soft crashed on his professor's head. I was surprised and relieved that the professor didn't get all Cornell prof on me.
3. DON'T CARE if you text or surf the web in class (except during exams). Show me that you are a multi-tasker, especially if I have nothing relevant or funny to offer.
4. DO CARE that you view writing as a craft (not as a "spell check" exercise). True story: In a legal document, an attorney asked the judge for a delay in his case because he was undergoing a delicate medical procedure on his back: Disk surgery. However, he mistakenly typed a different four letter word that looked like DISK, inserting an unfortunate "C" rather than the needed "S." Spell check won't catch that!
5. DON'T CARE if you make fun of my New York accent. My contracts class still doesn't know if I was referring to a pawn shop or a porn shop.
6. DO CARE that you take critical thinking exercises seriously. It's more important for you to think your way out of a legal dilemma than to remember that incorporeal hereditament is an inchoate or intangible right.
7. DON'T CARE if you walk in late or fall asleep in class. I will always give you the benefit of the doubt when you show up -- that you got stuck in traffic or just pulled a graveyard shift at work.
8. DO CARE that you get the job done. Just like in the real world, showing up for exams and meeting deadlines are critical -- except in emergency situations, detailed in the exam question below.
Finally, your professors really do care that you studied something meaningful in college. Years from now, hopefully you'll be able to look back fondly on a time when our expectation was for you to laugh hard and learn a lot.
My Additions to the Prof's list:
My Additions to the Prof's list:
9. DON'T CARE if you cut class occasionally. Just come up for air from time to time.
10. DO CARE if you never come to class and complain about your grade. Never come to class, then it is what it is!
11. DO CARE if you complain to your mommy bout something that was said in class. Grow up!
12. DO CARE if you try to hog class discussions. You are not the prof so don't hog the conversation.
13. DO CARE if you ask class related questions after the class has ended. As you question in class when other students can benefit. from the answer.
14. DO CARE if you criticize them for their appearance. Hey, profs are not GQ material so leave em alone in this department. The gut begins to expand with age.
15. DO CARE if you come to class with revealing clothes. Hide your stuff, it can be very distracting, even for the profs, who are not completely over the hill.
16. DON'T CARE if your lap top is open during class. Profs are not stupid, they know you are checking out Face Book.
17. DO CARE if you send them an email. Especially if you compliment them on giving a nice lecture. Everyone likes to feel wanted.
18. DO CARE that you don't take any of this bullshit too serious. Take what you can use, discard the rest of the crap.
11. DO CARE if you complain to your mommy bout something that was said in class. Grow up!
12. DO CARE if you try to hog class discussions. You are not the prof so don't hog the conversation.
13. DO CARE if you ask class related questions after the class has ended. As you question in class when other students can benefit. from the answer.
14. DO CARE if you criticize them for their appearance. Hey, profs are not GQ material so leave em alone in this department. The gut begins to expand with age.
15. DO CARE if you come to class with revealing clothes. Hide your stuff, it can be very distracting, even for the profs, who are not completely over the hill.
16. DON'T CARE if your lap top is open during class. Profs are not stupid, they know you are checking out Face Book.
17. DO CARE if you send them an email. Especially if you compliment them on giving a nice lecture. Everyone likes to feel wanted.
18. DO CARE that you don't take any of this bullshit too serious. Take what you can use, discard the rest of the crap.
I think I'd like a list of this sort from every professor of mine. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out what is acceptable for each professor, since each one is different. Why can I eat a peanut butter sandwich in one class, but not in another? And why is it OK for me to miss 1/3 of classes in one class, but not in another, if I still can maintain a decent grade regardless of my attendance?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, as long as students are doing anything but affecting the professor or other students, who cares what the students do? They're the ones paying for the classes.... if they want to miss class, because they can do all of the work and follow the curriculum on their own, big deal. And if they want to miss class, because they are always hungover, and never get things done, big deal, so they fail, and have to pay for the class again.