As college professors, we hear it all the time, especially during the end of the semester, when it seems that’s the only time students decide to pay you an office visit.
“Excuse me, professor,” as they enter. Of course, you have heard it hundreds of times during your tenure. As you brace yourself for what is about to come, it seems that the words flow in slow motion: “Can you tell me how I’m doing in your class?”
This scenario is very real for faculty members. However, one must decide to ask the question, “Whose responsibility is it?” Today’s environment of accountability reflects both the importance and relevance of the question, particularly considering the changing landscape of higher education. But how do we begin to answer appropriately and without blame?
Without a doubt, faculty members play an important role in the success of their students. It begins even before the first day students enter the classroom. No longer should the first day of class become a courtesy to call the class roll, but an opportunity to set the expectations for the rest of the semester and establish mutual understanding via the student/professor contract.
However, before we get to this critical moment of review, perhaps some reflection on the particulars of the implied roles is warranted.
Teaching and instruction can be described in any number of ways, reflecting a continuum from facilitating memorization to masterfully elevating learning as an art form. Somewhere in the middle is effective teaching, with a goal of imparting knowledge – ideally both content-specific and relevant to life. At times, this responsibility unfolds easily with the desired level of engagement and effort. We find an optimal academic exchange reinforcing the joys of teaching and learning.
At other times, the dynamic may be rife with misgivings, resulting in “ugh” moments on both sides. What follows is a frustrating course experience where the connection does not seem to happen and the teaching/learning exchange becomes an exhausting process yielding less-than-satisfactory results.
