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Student upset with bad teaching styles, including bad jokes


We begin our journey through life with goals including, but not limited to graduating from college and having a great career in our chosen fields.

A college education is needed these days to obtain a decent paying job. So, if a college degree can lead to a rewarding career, then having caring and nurturing professors is crucially needed to have a wonderful college experience, thus leading to graduation and a great-paying job. It’s just a thought!

Students become even more driven for success knowing they have professors who are not here to make students’ lives miserable and to just make a paycheck, but professors who encourage and constructively critique their students.

Talking bad about students to others and talking to students with a bad attitude is so unnecessary.

Remember to treat others as you would like to be treated. We are all adults here, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Just be careful how discouragingly you talk to your students because if words could kill, one of my friends would have given up on life and died today. Besides, the very student you talk bad to could be one you need in the future. You just never know when, where or how it could happen. Just know that it could happen. It’s just a thought!

Professors often times forget several major things concerning their students. First, boring professors who are monotoned tend to lose the attention of their students very quickly. Thus, leading to me to my next point.

Monotoned professors tend to not have a sense of humor, but, other professors with this problem are not excluded. A professor never knows when a student walks into class having a bad day and a good jokes or encouraged, expressive class participation is just what is needed to make a student feel better.

Last, but not at all the very least, students have pretty much been bored for 50 minutes already. They do not need long-winded professors holding class another minute more. Those extra minutes, more than likely, will not make any kind of positive difference in a student learning extra about the given lecture.

If an exciting or upbeat lecture is given, a student will pay closer attention. I know all information being taught is neither interesting, nor exciting, but it can be taught in such a way that students will want to learn more. Holding class the entire 50 minutes or 50 minutes plus a few does not constitute a good professor. It’s just a thought!

I have had various types of professors. To the good professors, thank you for making learning fun, even when it is difficult to present the not-so interesting information. To the boring and mean professors, it is NEVER too late to change for the better. It’'s just a thought!

If this article should offend a professor, it must be you to whom I am referring to.

I am thankful and grateful to all professors, both good and bad, interesting and sad, for continuing your education and educating us. For without your expertise, we could not learn at such a fine educational institution.

Listen to your students and try to understand their needs and concerns and please, respect the opinions of students without the students’ grades negatively reflecting their opinions. Besides, how can you truly help a student, if you do not hear what they have to say? It’s just a thought!

In conclusion, professors, it does NOT hurt to have a sense of humor and to let class out a few minutes early. And please feel free to NOT be monotoned, to NOT hold class to the very last minute plus a few extra, and to NOT treat their students like dumb nobodies. Yes, I said it, "nobodies." It may not be a word in the Webster's dictionary, but I know that everybody know what it means. This article is just a thought, meaning, something to think about. Feel free to take it in to consideration. Hey, it's just a thought!

Naomi Whitson is a senior Communications major from Atoka, Tenn.