As you probably already know, since it may have drawn you here in the first place, we have some great professors at Rose. Some are known for their wit, others for their dead-on teaching style, and then those golden gems that give us those wonderful “Wacky Prof Quotes” week after week.

However, after three years at Rose, I’ve come to notice, not necessarily “Bad Professors” that ruin the bunch, but rather, bad traits that have seeped in somehow. You know the ones, the professors that talk into the board, gesture so much that it becomes an interpretive dance, and are usually one inappropriate saying away from a well-established lewd comments blog. Granted, I’ve never had any professor who has embodied all of these, or even really more than one at a time (I imagine those type of professors tend to get weeded out during the interviews or, at the latest, within their first year at Rose).

However, it is note-worthy that these professors can balance themselves out (and sometimes even redeem these slight lapses in judgment or character) with their better traits. That is, the traits that we know the legendary professors hold near and dear to their hearts: explaining concepts and using analogies including real-world situations, walking through problems, getting excited about the material, being engaging by asking the students questions, being organized, and having a unique (but not too distracting) quirk.

However, it is note-worthy that these professors can balance themselves out (and sometimes even redeem these slight lapses in judgment or character) with their better traits.

Obviously having different types of examples (attacking the same problem different ways, or attacking different problems the same way) and methods of walking through them (professors walk through the problem, simple handout to do at home, or having students work on them in class) is a great way to ensure that the students are starting to grasp the material.

This is only strengthened by asking the students questions and making sure that they aren’t just repeating what you just said. Do they really get what is going on in class?

Sometimes this is hard, and that is where organization is key! If you, as a professor, find that you do not have a consistent bulleting/numbering system as an outline for your notes (and this applies even more so when writing on the board), then it is likely just as hard for students to follow your lecture. Having a consistent format for lectures helps students infinitely more than jumping from one white board to another and back while trying to explain one concept (unless you have prefaced this by explaining to the class this lecture structure—so we can leave room for it in our notebooks).

Yet, anyone can present material in class, but it takes a truly great professor to deliver it with style. Being excited about the class, even if it isn’t your, nor your students’ favorite subject, is key to getting the class revved up and more willing to accept the new information. I have had too many 1st hour classes, and I can tell that when a professor walks in with spunk and is ready with a “go-get-’em” attitude, that I need to make the extra effort to stay awake and really pay attention (even if I’m running on no sleep and the only thing I can think about is a nice warm bed and a great cat nap for the rest of the day).

The final trait is a sticky one. Having a unique quirk will define you as a professor for years to come. It can help you become one of the most popular professors in your department or even the entire school. I have heard great stories of professors and their wonderful quirks that lend to a students’ learning. However, if the quirk is a little too over the top, or too distracting, it has the opposite effect in the classroom: students have a harder time learning, either because it truly is distracting, or because it starts to impede the learning and dissemination of information. It is the question of, are you a big talker (one who uses his/her hands a lot) or are you an air-traffic controller? Are you thoughtful, or just scatter-brained?

Whatever the case may be, it is always important that the message of the class come through, and if you can sway students to your side with your great personality and charisma at the same time, why not have fun with it?