The Many Types of Professors

So many people tell you that college is different from high school and it’s true. I think the sole contributor to this change is obviously the difference in teaching styles. Professors teach in a completely different manner than your education major high school teacher. At every University there are a few select types of professors that I believe you should be aware of before entering any institution.

Past Professor: This professor at one point in time was at the top of their academic field. They are now out of touch with the members of their classroom and aside from their abnormally slow speech they usually have a particularly hard time hearing any question you ask. “What is the page requirement?” will more than likely lead you on a longer discussion about a political reformation you may have or have not talked about in recent lectures.

Progressive Professor: This professor is not too far removed from you in age or ideas. They are up to date with what is happening not only in their academic field, but also in the latest entertainment fads. They encourage you to think for yourself and their classrooms are a place for discussion. The assignments are mentioned in passing and they are not really sticklers for format, but rather content. They encourage any radical new ideas and or any thought that goes against the main stream. Sometimes when you see this professor you may think to yourself “self, I might be friends with this person… if they weren’t my professor.”

Passionate Professor: This is a professor who is excited not only that you are in their class; but that because of your attendance you have now showed that you too are passionate about their field of study. If you are a student who is not outwardly excited about the joy of chemical equations or molecular structure you might find this professor to be a little over zealous.  Do not be frightened if they begin to yell or move around the room frantically flailing their arms in the air. They are simply excited to share their passion with you.

Peculiar Professor: This professor is not so rare. This professor thinks that they are absolutely the most hilarious person in the world. So much so, that they may even die laughing at their own jokes in the middle of a lecture. (If this happens again, don’t be alarmed give a fake sympathy laugh so they can feel comforted that someone else gets their humor and move on. This professor may wear awkward sweaters, huge glasses, mismatched colors, and or black and brown (because we all know black and brown makes a frown). When you are in this class you will probably feel awkward FOR this professor, but they have been doing this for a while so they are comfortable being who they are.

Finally Power Professor: This professor for some reason struggles with the idea that any younger twenty-something student wants to disrespect them. They will probably restrict your seating, or make sure you do not leave until they say so, or may even tell you if you can or cannot use your laptop. Although, all of these things probably have good reason with normal professors, with the power professor they will reply with the infamous word “because I said so.”
Some of these professors, we can all agree, sound kind of ridiculous. It’s true, you will encounter professors you don’t like, but that is one of the ways college teaches you! You may not like your boss one day, but he is still your boss and you still have to listen to him. Having these professors has given me the opportunity to learn to appreciate, and even sometimes embrace, their wacky personalities. It’s all part of the college learning process. :)