Want respect from your professor? 

It’s pretty simple really.

College professors can be intimidating but remember there are people just like you and me.  You have a professional relationship with your professor.  Getting assignments done on time and not making excuses go a long way towards gaining respect.  So does paying attention in class and taking notes and not being on your cell phone.  The truth is, if you want your college professor to respect you, all you have to do is respect them.  It’s a pretty simple two-way street. 

How can you show your professor respect?  Here’s a couple of very simple ways!

1. Remember teaching is a J-O-B.

Yes, teaching is a job.  While most of us love it, we don’t love everything about it.

Some days it is the greatest job in the world.  Some days we don’t want to be there any more than you do.  We all have bad days at work.  And we have job related stress – planning courses, sitting on committees, and doing research are all required parts of our job.  Just because you only see us a couple hours of the week doesn’t mean that we aren’t working hard behind the scenes.

2. Respect our time.

We have a life outside of work and we have real problems, just like you.  We have grass to mow and dinners to fix and laundry to fold.  We have to help our kids with their homework and take them to their extracurricular activities.

Second, we have real problems at home too - Divorce, counseling, financial worries, family member sickness, alcoholic family members, etc.  You name it, chances are one of your professors this semester has it.

What does this mean for you?

• We cannot be available to answer your questions 24/7.
• We need to shut it down in order to do the best job we can in the classroom.
• Ask that you respect our evenings, weekends, and holidays.

It’s simple really.  Give us time to reply to your requests.  That means, be proactive.  Don’t wait to the last minute to email us.  And don’t get frustrated when you don’t get a reply as soon as you would like.

Remember, most of us absolutely love teaching and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  But we still need a break from all of it. 

We have a life with just as many problems as you have.  We just don’t share it with you. 

Respect our privacy and time away from the office.  Treat us with respect and we will do the same for you!