I believe I can shed some light on what separates a good professor from a bad one, me being a full-time student.

That being said, experience has taught me that a good professor goes beyond someone that can prevent a dry lecture from putting the class off from the material. I'd like to share some of the ways that I judge quality in an educator.

Good Qualities:

1. Your professor is well respected by faculty and students alike. An excellent way to forecast the abilities of a particular professor is to see how he or she is judged by his or her peers. This is something that you can find out before your first class meeting by word of mouth, or even doing some preliminary research on the internet. A word of caution: surveying websites such as ratemyprofessors.com have phony postings, some are plain slanderous - use multiple sources to gather information.

2. Your professor is easily accessible. Professors can be busy people. So busy to the point where reaching them in person may not be the best option. A good instructor should have multiple avenues to reach them in the event that an urgent question should arise.

3. Your professor is organized. Class becomes much easier if there is a clear outline of class objectives, rules, and most importantly, test dates and grading scales. The organized professor will also show up to lecture on time as well as give fair notice if they won't be able to give a class.

4. Your professor has had a great deal of practical experience in his or her field of study. Their wisdom that has been garnered over the years will be imparted to you through their lectures.

5. Your professor is an excellent communicator. Not only in the sense that they can convey ideas to you clearly through spoken word, write neatly on whiteboards, or cute powerpoint presentations. Rather, they should readily and eagerly answer questions when appropriate, breathe life into required readings, and be the bridge between the student and the textbook.

and most importantly in my opinion...

6. Your professor is enthusiastic about the subject! The best professors I've had were the ones that became actively involved with how the class material is digested by students. They ask the intriguing questions that require thinking outside the text, stir your curiosity in the subject matter, and ultimately pass that enthusiasm (and consequently a better grade) to you.

Bad Qualities:

1. The professor exhibits inconsistencies in how the class is run. Although there's nothing wrong with variety, constant change in class policies can be headache and can catch you off guard.

2. Your professor is difficult to understand. A professor may have a soft voice, have a dreary monotone voice, writes in illegible markings on the board, or even a heavy accent can make learning that much more difficult for you.

3. Your professor picks favorites. You usually want to avoid a professor that lets his or her most well-liked students get preferential treatment. While it well may be benefiting from such a professor, remember that it can work the other way for you too if get on his bad side. Your efforts should determine your grade, not your relationship with your professor.

4. Your professor has bad hygiene. Yes, there are some professors out there that have a funky smell. And yes, even if you do not sit in the front of the class it can effect you.

Asker's Rating:

Permalink | Report