Out of Control Cornell Instructor

sylvan8798
Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:02:44 +0000

monydad:

I think profs get less classroom training than high school teachers do.

In my experience professors don’t get classroom training, per se. They often serve as TA’s in grad school, where they might get a 3 day seminar on teaching tips. After that, they are thrown into a classroom if they speak adequate English. Acting as a TA can be far different than actually being the professor, since the expectations are vastly different.

So they graduate with a PhD and get a faculty position on the strength of research and their modest TA experience, and have basically their own many years as a student sitting in the classrooms of others as their guide. Dealing with the reality that not everyone in a class will be as motivated as they most likely were can come as a shock. Behavioral issues are a learn-as-you-go matter. In fact, the whole thing basically amounts to on-the-job training.