Letter to the Editor
Recently Hip Hop mogul Bryan “Birdman” Williams sent the nation into a media frenzy after his five-minute appearance on The Breakfast Club—an American syndicated Radio Show based in New York City. Last Friday, Birdman showed up to the Breakfast Club hot as fish grease, demanding the radio show personalities “put some respeck” on his name.
Like Birdman, I am hot as fish grease. I am sick and tired of paying for lectures and having to listen to arid and lackluster professors lecture on x, y and z.
It is my humble opinion that teachers should exude confidence and enthusiasm while teaching. Why should I, as a student, care about the subject when the professor lecturing is as dull and monotonous as a Ben Stein Dry Eyes Commercial?
One would think that a teacher, after witnessing her students on a daily basis probe their Facebook profiles instead of pay attention to her, would reexamine her teaching style; however, some professors just don’t get the hint—or maybe they just don’t care.
Whatever the reason might be, if you tend to have a reserved or introverted personality then you should not teach. In addition, if you are a grad student teaching just to incur some free coins or a prorated tuition, but strongly could care less about student success or teaching in general, then you should not teach.
Teaching goes far beyond being able to master and comprehend material. Instead, educators should be flamboyant, engaging and approachable facilitators of wisdom and practicality who usher students onto paths of intellectual inquiry and adventure.
So please, professors everywhere, in the words of the late Bob Marley, “Lively up yourself,” and put some “respeck” on my time!
Malik R. Pridgeon is a sophomore public policy leadership major form Cordova, Tennessee.
