Show Teachers Understand your role role tsE Y o Jeff Dixon Opinion Editor First of all thanks to all you instructors and professors professors professors pro pro- for being here and for for doing such a great and necessary service to soci soci- ety Youve You've accepted quite the charge to carry out in your respective fields toi to toI toU toI I I U honestly and accurately disseminate disseminate dis dis- complex systems of knowledge and to do it such a way that holds the at attention attention attention at- at of a group of mostly young people who would rather be sleeping I sometimes struggle to not reveal or feel any frustration frustration frustration frus frus- or pass judgment when correcting of or constructively constructively constructively con con- criticizing an an- other Yours is a profession that requires a great deal of patience understanding and tact There is a point though where the kid gloves need be taken off Once that line is crossed some instructors get carried away with their authority and can end up doing a disservice to themselves themselves them them- sel selves ves and to others I have four suggestions based on experience and conversations with fellow students for instruct t tors to heed First and this is directed toward all who do this re regardless regardless regardless re- re of ideology Time is precious and expensive Dont Don't waste ours with soapbox lectures quips and rants about your political or social beliefs Much more often than not they are irrelevant irrelevant irrelevant ir ir- relevant to the subject and disregard the social norm that personal religious and political beliefs should be avoided in conversation Perhaps this is table Many of you have strong beliefs and belong to a higher social strata When you combine a potentially potentially potentially po po- elitist outlook with opinions that are so strong and so rigid that they can only survive in places like the prestigious yet abstract world of academia you get geta a perfect formula for disrespectful disrespectful disrespectful digression That you offending in instructors instructors instructors in- in have the luxury of a captive audience with whom they have considerable considerable consider consider- considerable able leverage over is particularly particularly particularly frustrating and trou trou- bling When you do this you do so to the detriment of your own reputation asan asan as asan an expert as well as to the class and subject matter Im I'm not the only student who feels that if youre you're bold and arrogant enough to start on some tangent about whatever then you may be bold and arrogant enough to hold it against someone who might to confront or disagree with you on the matter We dont don't know you well enough to trust that this wouldn't happen youre you're just as prone to bias and preference as the rest of us To be uncomfortable or self-censoring self in a learning environment that is graded I by you on our performance is inappropriate If you need an audience please send your arguments rants and raves to me Im I'm happy to print arguments from all viewpoints and personal ex ex- Keep the classroom classroom classroom class class- room for teaching Second PLEASE edit editor or have a colleague look at your written materials before handing them out Ive I've seen too many poorly written and sometimes inconsistent in inconsistent inconsistent in- in consistent questions and instructions on quizzes tests and syllabi Take your time save face We journalists journalists journalists jour jour- know all too well what happens when copy isn't thoroughly checked by at least one other person The results can embarrass the writer and frustrate the reader Third Look at the student student student stu stu- dent who is speaking We for the most part look at you It seems rather rude when I observe classmates share their thoughts with an all instructor who makes no effort effort ef ef- fort to conceal their obvious boredom Its It's hard I know Ve We think faster than people speak Please at least pretend pretend pre pre- tend to care that's what po politeness politeness is all about Fourth Know your technology technology tech and be accessible Check your messages am and check your e I believe believe be be- lieve offers abasi a basic computer class that wilt will will help you with things like emails and Also if you plan on jetting afi after rth the semester leave our ur work at atan atan atan an office here Dont Don't ask us to give you a a big stamped envelope for you to send U it itin Uin in weve we've already paid pur our fees That's lazy I |