Students Please, Tell Your Professors What You Need
Your professors are there TO HELP
Dear Students,
Please, tell your professors what you need…
We Do Think About You
I’m not sure what you imagine when picturing your professors together: gathering at meetings, discussing courses, curricula, and concerns. When we chat about the inevitable issues that crop up over the course of a term. That one projector in that one classroom that never works. That one section in the online gradebook that never weights correctly. That one student in our class who…
Yes, it’s true. We talk about you. But not in the ways you might imagine.
The number one thing I hear from colleagues about students? “I wish they would have told me sooner…”
That’s right. You have problems. We usually have solutions… or at least the ability to connect you with resources and accommodations that will get you closer to those solutions. So, if you are in our classes and experiencing confusion, difficulty, hardship, or crisis please: tell us what you need!
But We Can’t Read Your Mind
We are not mind-readers. Well, after working with students for decades some of the more experienced and perceptive professors may seem clairvoyant. But, for the most part, we don’t know what’s going on with you - what you are facing - if you don’t tell us. Whatever the problem, food insecurity, family issues, illness, childcare, technology, financial distress, anxiety, mental health… please do not choose to suffer in silence or wait for us to notice that something’s amiss. Often we are teaching multiple, sometimes overloaded courses and advising or supervising additional students. Working at a smaller institution I have the luxury of smaller class sizes where I can usually get to know students at least on a surface level. But that still doesn’t make me a mind reader.
If you don’t show up, I don’t know what’s going on. If you are one missing student out of an auditorium of 200 or one discussion forum out of the four we are currently moderating, we may not notice. Especially now, when so much of our work will no longer be face-to-face for the foreseeable future, online ice-breakers, introductory activities, and discussions will only tell us so much about you. We can’t see that you don’t have a personal laptop or the course text, or that you’re looking anxious or unusually pale. We can’t linger after class, hold regular office hours, or walk-and-talk on our way to The Next Thing.
So please, take that step. Reach out.
Action Step: stop by the office, stay a minute after class, send us an email… a carrier pidgeon and tell us what you need! If it helps your teacher or professor better understand your unique situation and in turn helps you learn and perform to the best of your ability, I promise, your communication is welcome. It may sound cheesy, but most of us become educators because we care. We care about you and your success and we want to help. Just ask.
On Feeling Intimidated
As a disclaimer, I know it’s easy for me to say all of this from the other side of the desk. Every professor and teacher is different: we can be a weird, quirky, capricious, and sometimes intimidating bunch. If you are unfortunate enough to be dealing with an educator who is not receptive to your honest and respectful communication I’m truly sorry. However, if you are simply unsure or too nervous/scared/intimidated/worried-about-repercussions-or-possibilities-for-awkwardness-and-uncomfortability then I’m going to encourage you to focus on the potential positives here. Best case scenario you make a connection, gain an academic ally, and get something you need that will help you succeed.
Be cool, excel in school,
MARYREDINGWRITES
