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How Professors Show They Care

Never is that old saying, They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, more true than in student-faculty relationships. Research confirms that teachers who convey genuine interest in students’ success cultivate more productive learners. So here’s a question we recently asked a few BYU faculty: “How do you show students you know who they are and that you care about their success?” We posed this complementary conundrum to students: “What makes you feel that a professor knows who you are and is committed to your academic growth?” Here are some responses to our admittedly non-scientific, non-comprehensive, but revealing survey:

From faculty:

  • “Require the best from your students; give challenging and unique assignments. Your departure from mediocrity demonstrates true concern for students’ education and your passion for the subject matter. Mutual respect grows when we expect of others what they are capable of achieving.”
  • “Listen carefully when students make comments in class and respond in a respectful manner, even when you must offer correction.”
  • “When a student scores poorly on a test or assignment, ask him or her how you can help. Although this may seem intrusive, the student almost always appreciates your concern.”
  • “Encourage students to take advantage of your office hours, and greet them warmly when they stop by for help.”
  • “Reply promptly to student e-mails and otherwise make yourself as available as possible to help.”
  • “Monitor student attendance and participation, both in class (perhaps via i-Clicker) and on Blackboard, to determine which students may be struggling and in need of special attention. The occasional personal visit, e-mail message, or phone call can work wonders.”
  • “Invite students to inform you before an anticipated absence to allow a one-on-one exchange regarding missed content and assignments.”

From students:

  • “I can tell a professor cares when he or she lets me know exactly what is expected of me in a course—I hate trying to guess what the professor wants me to do.”
  • “A professor learning my name is a nice touch when that’s possible, but even more than that, I appreciate a professor who listens to me and cares about what I say.”
  • “I like a teacher with a sense of humor. I learn better that way than when everything is always serious.”
  • “My favorite teachers return my assignments promptly.”
  • “I like to do things in class rather than just sit through a lecture every time. A thoughtful professor recognizes that many of us read the assignment outside of class and knows we don’t want to endure a rehash of the same material via a PowerPoint lecture.”
  • “I learn better from a professor who is kind than from one who is cynical or just neutral toward me.”

For additional information on this subject, please investigate the following resources:

  • “The emotional aspect of the teacher-student relationship is much more important than the traditional advice on methods and techniques of lecturing would suggest” (Ramsden, 2003), (http://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_39.pdf).
  • “Establishing and maintaining rapport with learners is essential for creating an engaging learning atmosphere for students” (http://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/profres/learn/rapport.htm).
  • “Faculty concern helps students get through rough times and keep on working. Knowing a few faculty members well enhances students’ intellectual commitment and encourages them to think about their own values and future plans” (Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education).
  • “Many faculty members want to learn the names of students in their classes—for good reasons. In several different areas, research shows that when instructors display a personal interest in students, it not only encourages class participation, but that kind of personal attention is necessary to maximize learning”(Learning Student’s Names).
  • “Rapport is tricky to understand. Perhaps that is why the voluminous literature on college and university teaching essentially ignores it. Rapport has been avoided in favor of other variables, such as methods of teaching, modes of testing, and techniques of assessing teaching effectiveness, which can be more readily conceptualized and manipulated. Nonetheless, it is worth considering the role of rapport if for no other reason than its contributions to effective teaching” (http://www.socialpsychology.org/rapport.htm).