Out of Control Cornell Instructor

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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. </p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>“In my experience professors don’t get classroom training, per se.”</p>

<p>That was my first inclination as well, then I recalled that my wife, who is an adjunct, attended a teaching seminar held by her university. I don’t know what the “full-timers” get, but one can hope it was more extensive than that. Though certainly nothing like the classroom training that high school teachers go through.</p>

<p>I certainly agree that if the student is yawning to disrespect the professor, he’s totally out of line. But, I think the disruption from the audible yawn pales to the disruption the professor caused through his outburst. Some are praising him for dealing with this insolent student, but he could have dealt with it by making one quick quip and then getting back to his lecture without skipping a beat. Who hasn’t had a teacher say something like “If I’m boring you, feel free to leave,” or “If you’re tired, feel free to take a nap, just don’t snore", or “I know this is boring, but is it that bad?” or even a serious, “Please don’t disrupt those students who want to be here.” Instead he threw a fit and threatened 220 innocent (mostly freshmen) students with detainment, he questioned the honesty of his TA, he strangely talked about going to his “bad side”, and in his demand for politeness in the classroom, he screamed “walk the hell out”… , “ …get over it”… , then he called the yawner a loser and to top it off he asks the other students to turn the yawner in anonymously. He didn’t deal with the problem; he made a joke of himself. If you go to Campus Basement you’ll see Squeeze My Tees is selling “Yawn Outside” tee shirts and the students from the class are staging a “Yawn In”. </p>

<p>This is not such a big deal that I think Cornell should rebuke the guy or deal with it in any way, but I think the professor needs to learn better ways of dealing with his frustration. Maybe this is a case of the students teaching the professor and since he acknowledges in his rant that 220 students “know better”, maybe he should listen.</p>

<p>Yes, I imagine if he could have a “do-over” he would take it.</p>

<p>Yes, and don’t we all have those moments we wish for a do-over? I’m just glad my moments haven’t been caught on video and put on the internet!</p>

<p>I fail to see the big deal about the video. That hardly rates being called an “outburst.” I don’t have a single problem with what he said / did. Young adults can and should be expected to hold to standards of common courtesy.</p>

<p>A friend has posted this video on her facebook page. This video has definitely made the rounds. None of subsequent comments were supportive of the professor. Different “audience”, I guess. Maybe only the friends who agreed with her original comments about the video commented… maybe.</p>