Qualities of an Effective College Professor

Qualities of an Effective College Professor

We all know good professors when we see them, and bad professors too. At some point in

time every one experiences good professor whether in a technical college or in the university. While

development of students to prepare them for future career is the vital role of a professor , many

professors still do not create interest in students to develop and progress. The difference between a

good professor and a bad professor is the teaching skills applied and perfected in college classrooms.
I thought back over my good professors and why they were effective. To be effective, good professors

are competent, are motivators and collaborate with students.
First, professors serve as mentors who guide students on a lifelong journey of growth and

learning. To be effective guides on this journey, professors must be competent. They must stay current

not only in their chosen profession, the profession of teaching, but also in the subject matter they teach.

Competent professor can be described as an expert learner, then the students he or she teaches can be

thought of as junior learners. Professionals are people who continue their involvement with the subject

matter after the formal coursework ends. Competent professors encourage active learning, because

active projects beyond lecturing instill a passion in students to continue to be involved beyond the

boundaries of the classroom. Effective professors desire to succeed in every aspects of teaching. Just

as professors recognize students who really try to be good students, Students also recognize professors

who really want to be good professors.

Additionally, good professors are motivators. Good professors try to motivate students by

working within their own incentive system. Professors who know their students likes, dislikes,

problems and personal issues are more likely to be able to “push the right button” and motivate

students to learn. Every student has its own characteristics and unique incentive system. The good

professor stays aware of trends and uses this information to modify motivational techniques. For

example, they are interested in more than just what students know. They are concerned about student

beliefs, values and relationships. More-so, they bring books, films and articles about the subject into

the classroom to help students think beyond the main aspect of the subject. Successful professors also

give their students confidence. They realize that what the students learn is less important than the

learning process itself. Learning instills confidence.

Along with motivation, good professors collaborate and treat students as partners. Students

expect to be treated as adults. When they deal with clerks, bankers or coworkers, they expect a

reciprocal relationship based on upon respect. Why should they expect anything less from a professor?

Professors and students who enter into a partnership both benefit from the participatory environment.

Collaborative teaching environment include the development of “learning contracts,” allow students to

have a stake in the development and outcome of the coursework. An effective college Professors cares.

Any human relationship, whether husband and wife, worker and supervisor, patient and health care

provider or professor and student requires caring social interactions. If these interactions are not

present, the students will try to create them. No matter how competent, creative or collaborative a

professor is, learning seldom occurs unless the professor cares. Part of caring is establishing and

maintaining trust. For instance, effective college professors build trust by allowing students to get to

know them. They share insights about themselves thereby giving students an appreciation for their

knowledge, expertise and experiences....