UNITED STATES—I have had plenty of professors throughout my college career, both as an undergraduate and a graduate student. I am a firm believer that teachers are some of the most underrated individuals in our society. I mean the ability to teach is no easy task to say the least. However, I’ve never ran into a professor that I hated. I’ve respected tough teachers in the past because they pushed me to reach my potential, however, it’s one thing to be revered and one thing to be despised.
I’ve debated back and forth rather I should release the professor’s name, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I won’t do that out of respect. However, I will deliver the name of school and the department that the professor works in. The professor works at Michigan State University in the Sociology department. I mean I had heard horror stories about this individual, but I’m a believer until I see it, I can’t believe it. I was debating rather taking the class or not, but I needed another elective for graduation, plus it was a class only ONCE a week for 4 hours. ‘I’ll take it,’ I told myself!
However, shortly after entering the class, it became a realization that all was not as it appeared. The professor strolled into class looking vibrant and energetic, before unleashing pure hell on the class. I mean this was the first day of class people, so imagine what would happen after we actually began learning material. This was a professor who was no tech guru, which I can understand not everyone is. However, who the hell tells the class they CANNOT use computers to take notes, but you’re using a computer to present your notes? A bit of a hypocrite there people.
We receive the syllabus for the class and I’m completely dumbfounded by what I’m reading. I will admit I did my homework on the professor before taking the class because I wanted to be aware of their credentials, and they were impressive indeed. However, their level of arrogance was so disturbing I wanted to vomit. Just because you think you’re great does not make you great. There is a reason PRIDE is the worst of the seven deadly sins people, because it ultimately leads to all the others.
This syllabus was UNLIKE anything I have ever witnessed from a professor. You cannot wear hats in the classroom, ok, that one I can understand slightly, but forcing all students to sit up front and not be allowed to sit in the back or where they pleased baffled me slightly. I think a student should be allowed to sit where he or she pleases. The HIGHLIGHT of no technical device of any kind was noted yet again in the course syllabi and this professor even took a girl’s phone while she was putting it away.
However, the one thing that bugged me most about this professor was their ability to embarrass students for the sake of pure embarrassment. While they made the argument time and time again they had no desire to embarrass people I found that hard to believe. Watching this individual constantly poke at students who were not speaking in the tone or manner that they preferred was boiling my blood. I mean how the hell can you get mad at someone for clearing their throat before they actually begin speaking. I do it all the time, I want to ensure my cadence and voice is clear when reading material. That was not the worse, this professor made one girl CRY in class, so much to the point that once the student and professor exited the class, chatter amongst us was influx and many of us were STUNNED by what we witnessed.
I was most peeved about this professor constantly, and I mean constantly correcting students who were NOT SPEAKING with proper English. I understand speaking in proper English, but you CANNOT expect someone to talk the way that you talk, life doesn’t operate that way people. So after hearing this professor rant about how great they are and just making students feel like complete idiots we get a break. It stunned me to see more than half of the class get up, pack their books and walk out of class noting they weren’t keeping the course.
What’s worse, the professor indulged in seeing this. Who does that? How in the hell is this professor still even teaching at this university? It’s a complete travesty and the Sociology department at Michigan State University should be looking very closely at this professor and their tactics for teaching and how they behave in the classroom. I will admit the professor was frazzled when they suspected a camera was recording what was transpiring in the classroom. Hmm, I thought that was interesting, because perhaps that is something that should transpire. Allow the university and the department to examine what teaching techniques best help students learn.
I have had plenty of tough professors and I enjoy a challenge, but a challenge does not mean degrading, disrespecting and just being spiteful because one can. That is the problem with tenured professors, they suspect they are untouchable. But in life no one is untouchable, you can teach this week and be gone next week. Here’s hoping someone takes action against a professor who has no reason to be in a classroom, none at all.
