When a class is unpleasant or uninteresting, it can be difficult to determine who’s to blame.
Classes are tough if you have a professor who doesn’t seem to enjoy teaching. It’s even more difficult if the class is one your graduation hinges on. Though some professors may not realize it, their attitude toward the course can affect students’ perspective and performance.
Countless times during a class I’ve found myself thinking, “If they didn’t use a monotone voice, it wouldn’t be so hard to pay attention.”
Staying awake during class becomes a significant challenge if your professor navigates through slides as if it’s a burden on him or her. A professor’s disinterest in the subject often translates into student carelessness.
Journalism professor Karl Gude recently unleashed his thoughts about professor-student connections in a YouTube video posted Aug. 26. Gude urged teachers to keep students engaged and stay relevant to them by finding new and effective ways to teach.
“Sitting in my classroom means something — it’s worth being there. That’s a pressure that we professors need to put on ourselves,” Gude said in his video.
In my experience, when instructors are enthusiastic about their work and teaching processes, students are usually more attentive in class.
During my freshman year, I was enrolled in a class with hundreds of students. Our assignments involved group projects and showing off our singing skills, and sometimes our professor would show up in silly costumes to make a point.
Most of my classmates wanted to go to class just to be sure they wouldn’t miss anything exciting. I’m not saying the key to keeping a class in order is dressing up like Batman. That’s definitely not part of the job, and class isn’t supposed to be a circus. Yet involving students in some way, whether through a discussion or group activity, can contribute to their success.
Another recurring issue that can negatively influence a student’s performance is the fear factor. It’s frustrating when a professor seems standoffish, and it discourages students from asking questions or for extra help.
Professors who give the cold shoulder can skyrocket a student’s stress levels. Along with confusion and doubt, that can ultimately contribute to a low grade in the course.
Both students and professors have responsibilities. Take the common problem of arriving 15 minutes late to a 50 minute class, for example. If a professor arrives late, it’s a waste of students’ time and money. Students get the impression that they don’t need to attend class regularly, if at all.
But a tardy student might make a professor think students don’t have the desire to learn. Maybe that causes them to lose motivation or question their teaching abilities. Attitudes feed off of each other and impact the overall tone of the course. So take charge and do whatever you can to make your classes interesting.
