Professors Are From Mars, Students From Venus

28 April 2006 at 2:31 pm Peter G. Klein 3 comments

| Peter Klein |

My department recently hosted a workshop at which faculty and undergraduate students could exchange suggestions for improving the classroom experience. Many of the students' requests were reasonable ("start and end class on time"; "give regular feedback on student performance"; "don't assign readings that won't be used"), some weren't ("realize that we get bored easily and need to be entertained"). Faculty requested things like "come to class prepared"; "take advantage of office hours"; and "put care into your writing and speaking."

My favorite faculty comment, however, was this: "Please don't send me email saying, 'I won't be in class Tuesday; will I miss anything?'"

Entry filed under: - Klein -, Teaching.

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3 Comments Add your own

1. Valentina Korneeva | 1 May 2006 at 6:13 pm

Well, the comment is fair enough (I won’t be in class Tuesday; will I miss anything?). Taking into account the current UK educational position with the several unions having about 90% of all teaching staff going on strike for the pay increase. The lecturers have not been giving marks back on the work completed by students and teaching staff as well students got annoyed.

Also,considering the psychological sides, the students feel differently about the educational process. As not everyone could so much in love with the particular subject at the beginning.

But I’m more than sure that teaching staff could find their own way around such problem. So as I student I would say: Good luck!
2. Blake Riley | 1 May 2006 at 9:31 pm

I only have experience as a student, but I think the faculty member was mostly annoyed by the phrasing of those e-mails. If the students had said, “I won’t be in class Tuesday; what will I miss?”, I doubt they would have cared as much. The sentiment behind the original statement that nothing worthwhile will be accomplished would annoy most people.
3. Valentina Korneeva | 2 May 2006 at 2:29 pm

Well I do agree on that with you Blake. It is more of the ritorical question of society and individual to understand other person’s view on the particular saying or action. (i.e. I won’t be in class Tuesday; will I miss anything?)