On Teaching: Consistency
Yesterday, I was chatting with a couple of colleagues. I mentioned to them something that my teacher told me as I was finishing my PhD and writing my teaching statement to apply for faculty positions. Prof. Koros told me that one of the important things with respect to student expectations is consistency. It is OK to be too strict or too lenient or to find your own middle ground; so long as people know what to expect, they will not find it difficult to adapt to your requirements (an assumption here is that these requirements are reasonable).
I remember my student days, when we initially disliked a faculty, Prof. Mahajani, who would close the class doors at exactly the right time (e.g., 9:30 am; never at 9:29, never at 9:31). No student will be allowed in the class after that. Attendance requirement was enforced. After our initial inconvenience, it is we who adjusted to his strict requirements. Our class nominated him for the best teacher award.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment