if only i’d known: how not to annoy an educator

As an undergrad I was a low maintenance student. It wasn’t uncommon for me to go an entire semester without exchanging a single piece of electronic correspondence with my tutors or lecturers. I went to class each week without fuss and handed in assessments on time, even if it meant not sleeping for two days straight… and sometimes it did.

Except for this one semester when I channeled all my neediness into my educators and amped it up 89 volts. My incessant need for external validation by complete strangers was treated outwardly with warm smiles and comments of reassurance.

However, since becoming a tutor I’ve realised that on the inside my tutors and lecturers alike were probably cringing and thoroughly annoyed. In light of such a realisation and because the last fortnight has been riddled with more stress than I care to recall, I’ve put together a list of things that myself and fellow educators prefer our students didn’t do. They’re mostly related to university students but could easily be transferred to other educational settings.

Please note, repeat offenders are especially heinous and looked upon less favourably.

1. Attend class with regularity. I had a student who had missed more than half of his tutorials for the semester. When asked why, he explained he’d been in Italy before the semester began and wasn’t used to attending class. Don’t tell your tutor this. It gains you no sympathy. Ever.

2. When you do attend class, don’t spend the lesson sitting in complete silence. When a tutor asks a question, it’s safe to assume they want an answer. Some questions are rhetorical. Most aren’t. You’d do well to recognise the difference.

3. Be conscious of the frequency of email correspondence. If you send as many emails to your tutor as you do your BFF, it’s safe to assume that’s too many. This includes emailing your tutor the night before an assignment is due, or worse on the day, to explain that you “forgot” to do it. Unless there’s been a serious misadventure (and partying the last three weekends to the point where you don’t regain sobriety till Wednesday is NOT a misadventure) we will lack sympathy and you will be forced to confront the penalty.

4. Don’t be the last person to talk to us at the end of EVERY SINGLE lesson. Waiting for everyone to leave to discuss the same thing you’ve been discussing at the end of every tutorial for the last 8 weeks is not our favourite pastime. University is about self-directed learning. We don’t just say that, we mean it.

5. Don’t turn up to class 20 minutes late and then ask to leave 15 minutes early. Many tutors adopt the approach that if you turn up after the roll has been marked and leave early, in their eyes and according to university records, you were never there. My advice is to use your power of invisibility for good.

6. Don’t record every word we say. With iPhones and other techy gadgets students tend to record lectures and sometimes even tutorials. Firstly, this is actually illegal. Secondly, you’re probably never going to listen to it and finally, did I mention it was illegal?

7. Be conscious of the difference between being needy and being enthusiastic. Educators love enthusiastic students and generally encourage their passion. But it’s important to note where the educator’s responsibility ends and yours begins.

8. Don’t flirt with your tutor. No really, don’t. It’s stupid and if we smile it’s because we’re too polite to LAUGH IN YOUR FACE. If you’re even mildly interested in pursuing a relationship, remember we’ve just heard you give a really uninformed answer to one of the discussion questions in class. Also, flirting won’t boost your grade. You’re confusing that with hard work.

9. Don’t pretend to do readings and think we won’t notice. We know when your responses are NOT informed; most of us are just too nice to tell you to your face.

10. Don’t answer your phone or text during class. We can see you doing it and we’re not impressed.

If you do engage in any or all of these activities with any frequency you might want to reevaluate. If problems persist, consult your doctor.

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