We’ve got our routine for attending courses well rehearsed. From choosing a familiar spot in the classroom to waiting fervently for the coffee break. Me and my classmates, we are experts in assessing whether a course is amusing or dull. We share amongst each other how stressed we feel about the assignments or how our sleeping patterns have collapsed.
But who thinks about the professors? Have they gotten a good night sleep? There is a chance that before showing up that morning they had to skip their beloved breakfast to rush in time for class. Sometimes I wonder if they are as clumsy with computers as we think they are, or if having to set up a projector fast enough in front of impatient students just makes them really nervous.
What type of stress stories do professors share with each other? Maybe they dream of interacting with continuously active students. Still, at times they have to face a large percentage of them lost in the screen of their laptops. I bet even the coldest, toughest professor has second thoughts when choosing the optimal lecture content that can hopefully keep students from falling asleep.
We never make room in our minds to speculate on their experiences, but when it comes the time to evaluate them, students hold nothing back. We ruthlessly demand efficiency, consistency, and relevance in the class. We point out professors’ weaknesses and speak up about which of our expectations they failed to meet.
I cannot help but wonder how professors might receive such harsh opinions about their work. To be honest, I don’t know how I would react. Would I feel satisfied or disappointed with my own performance? Would I reflect over missed opportunities with students, or feel that all the words I said were misinterpreted or in vain?
I feel like professors are these mysterious creatures we hardly get to know at all. Yet we sit there in the classroom every week and listen to them talk for hours while ignoring what is really going on in their minds. Which silly insecurities they have? What makes them deeply sad? What keeps their motors running or what makes them feel proud?
But we do not earn our good grades by empathizing with professors. Still, we sure would love if they thought of us, students, with such consideration.
~ Patyt
