As Grown-Up Professionals, Professors Need To Value Students’ Time And Meet Deadlines

Students learn a lot from what they see their teachers and elders doing and behaving, so professional behaviour is the least we can expect.

This post is not about all teachers but about those in the system who tend to repeatedly act in a not-so-punctual manner.

“We may assume that we keep people waiting symbolically because we do not wish to see them and that our anxiety is due not to being late, but to having to see them at all.” – Cyril Connolly

Professors, you need to do better!

It is no secret that, in college, we come across all sorts of professors. While some professors show respect for students’ time and are punctual in their work and job, some have no regard whatsoever for the precious time of students, which is quite sad.

Professors arriving late for class, extending the class beyond the scheduled end-time by more than the acceptable 5 minutes, not returning answer sheets back on time, not informing well in advance when they are going to remain absent are some instances of display of such behavior. A once in a blue moon display of such behavior is a different thing, but repeatedly acting in such a manner means that there is a need to do a lot better.

Students go to college to fulfill dreams and such behavior on the professor’s part can leave a student with lifelong feelings of bitterness and distress. One thing that we need to get straight is that professors are not doing students or anybody a favor of some sort by being in the profession they are in. Everyone is just doing their job.

Students may also have other commitments or stuff to attend to and keeping students beyond the time that they signed up for is neither right nor professional. These are things one shouldn’t have to tell grown-up professionals. Yet, here we are.

How can this state of matters change?

Enough about the problems. Here are some possible solutions to address the issues.

A class can decide beforehand how long they would wait for a professor to show up and then wait for that time (say, 10 to 15 minutes) before leaving. The class can ask a representative or representatives to hold the professors accountable every time they delay the process of handing back the answer booklets to students. This would, hopefully, make professors realize their mistake and make amends.

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Students learn a lot from what they see their teachers and elders doing and behaving like. Professionalism in work is very important and well-meaning professors would want their students to learn punctuality from them and apply it in their professional lives and otherwise.

Wherever they go next, students will take with them all the learnings and experiences that they have had thus far. This makes it crucial for professors to lead by example to imbibe punctuality in the students they teach.

Hope this post brings about real, positive changes.

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