The importance of a good professor

Here are some of the things that research has shown

By: Anthony Vystoropski

“It is not what is poured into the student, but what is planted, that counts.” —E.P. Bertin 

So is your professor planting or pouring? In an article published by the University of North Carolina Wilmington, the question of what makes a good professor is discussed. The first thing is that the professor should not only know the material but live for it. Hence they should show passion for their work. As a student, you will be engaged with the material if the professor revamps it every couple of semesters instead of teaching the same thing over and over for twenty years, without any pizzaz or excitement sprinkled into the lectures. 

Another thing that is important is understanding students’ needs and being flexible while also maintaining high expectations. The professor should want you to be successful but should also want you to learn something while being challenged. They should aim for a happy-medium relationship. They should challenge you to the point where you are fully engaged and thinking about the material, but should not push you so much that you are stressed about the result and pay no attention to the learning process. College students have their plates full but so do professors. Instead of piling on extra assignments that they will dread grading, there should be a middle ground where the students engage in Socratic discussion. This way the professor could see if they taught or planted the material effectively and the students themselves would be able to learn from the different points of view and perspectives of their peers.

There is a method to this madness. The professor has learned what works for them and stuck to it, but most students do not prefer to listen to a professor lecture for the whole class period and pour information onto them. It is the same feeling as when you are a regular at a coffee shop. The barista will often greet you by name and remember what your regular order is. The key is building relationships. It helps you to learn the material because the class is structured more like a conversation and place to bounce ideas around. It helps the professor to create and establish connections with each student as a person, rather than a number from the roster. Students will feel more engaged and pay attention in class, promoting a positive learning environment.

An example of an engaged professor would be my first-year English professor. Not only did we write research and persuasive essays, but we also got to venture out into the real world and write about our observations and experiences. We got to learn the ins and outs of campus, but the class also set us up for success. Her lectures were not cut and dry; she tried to incorporate a variety of activities and encouraged us to share our ideas. In the end, this benefited all of us. Overall, a good professor can change a life, inspire it, or motivate you to do great things. Class should be a place where we learn and engage with one another and not a place we dread.