In his article Decoding Your Professors, John N. Gardner stresses the importance of students associating with their college professors. He explains that college professors are different from high school teachers; pointing out that most professors has never taken an education course, which high school teachers have. He describes the difference of treatment students receive from their college professors and high school teacher; highlighting that professors view their students as responsible adults. Gardner clarifies that professors do their job because they love the topic they are teaching. He further explains that professors do more than just teach their classes once or twice a week, they are often keeping themselves updated by constantly reading about the subject they are teaching. Then he stresses the importance of students actively engaging in class and interacting with each professor in their office hours. Gardner explains that professors may have different viewpoints than their students, but it is up to the students to evaluate and understand the opinions of their professors and defend their own views. He briefly summarizes tenure, which means that a professor may not be fired unless they do one of the extraordinary situations: an act of moral turpitude, insubordination, incompetence, and/or bona fide reduction in staff. He shortly addresses the higher expectations the college professors have for their students and the need for students to improve their study habits. Gardner concludes his article by emphasizing that professors want their students to have learned from their classes by the end of the semester and students should get the most out of their professors and counselors in their college years.
Reading Decoding Your Professors by John N. Gardner highlighted a challenge that I struggle with today. As a freshman in college I am still grappling with the idea of asking questions and engaging with my instructor. Gardner’s emphasis about students’ interaction with their professors in college makes me more anxious as I think of myself talking to some of my professors outside of class. I understand that his point about the relationship between professors and students is crucial to the student’s learning and academic success, but it is easier said than done. Throughout most of my educational career, I have learned to not ask questions or bother my instructor because they have more important things to do. Up until my first actual college class in the Summer Bridge Program, I have always gotten the idea that instructors must not be disturbed unless it a very crucial matter or they directly ask you. Although I have had these past experiences, due to the emphasis of student engagement with their professors by my own professors, counselors, college staff, and fellow students, I am aiming to be able to interact with my professors and more people.
In David C. Finster’s article Freshmen Can Be Taught to Think Creatively, Not Just Amass Information, he explains William Perry’s theory about students’ learning and how he has applied it to his teachings. Finster discusses the “progressive stages of development in young people of the ability to comprehend the difference between information and knowledge” and “nine distinct development positions along the way to maturity” from Perry’s work. He stresses on the point that good instructors will focus on teaching their students to critically think and build their students’ knowledge of the content; saying that most teachers “water down” their courses when there are “gaps in between the students’ intellectual development and their teachers”. He presents his favorite saying, “…the purpose of college is to calm the disturbed and disturb the calm”; explaining that a portion of good teaching is challenging the students to think while providing them with emotional and mental tools to help them solve their problems. Finster emphasizes on the point that the students’ freshman year is the worst year for “mass education” which further gives them the idea that the purpose of education is to collect information given to them. He concludes his article by explaining how he uses Perry’s model in his chemistry classes, acknowledging it’s guidance to his approach of teaching, and emphasizing on the point that any student can benefit from it.
Analyzing the information presented in Freshmen Can Be Taught to Think Creatively by David C. Finster was very educational. I do not recall being aware of work done by anyone that focused on the way students’ learn. The stages and positions described in William Perry’s work seem to be accurate based on my own personal experiences so far. I admire Finster’s honesty when he explains that he uses Perry’s model in his teachings. From the description of Perry’s theory, I can interpret that he is trying to explain how the guidance of the instructor plays a key role in students learning how to think critically. I agree with him that instructors play a big role, but we must not forget that it is also up to each student to take the initiative to learn and expand their knowledge; in this case moving from one stage of learning to the next. From Freshmen Can Be Taught to Think Creatively, I learned more about the process of critical thinking.