One priceless skill to have today is the ability to apply the knowledge that everyone is different, everybody comes from a unique background and they all need to be treated uniquely. We interact with people daily and our experiences in the past define how we interact with them. Knowing how to work with any type of person can truly be lifesaving especially for learners who meet these risky types of lecturers at university.
1. Strict Lecturer
Tough cookie, the no-nonsense lecturer who doesn’t allow anybody to enter class after their arrival. They consider discipline as the single most important attribute of success and they will shove it down your throats like a plumber unblocking a sewer line. They have been brought up by strict and demanding parents, taught to meet deadlines, never disappoint and always be accountable for their actions.
How do you deal with such?
You’ve got to follow instructions and stay low key. These types of lecturers are usually perfectionists who don’t understand why people can be late for lecturers, fail to do assignments and not get A’s.
2. Ticking time bomb lecturer
You can easily spot them; whenever placed in an awkward position, one that threatens their ego, they retaliate in a submissive manner then go blank or change the topic. You might think they have forgiven and forgotten but in the real sense, they have just piled up the frustration.
One day someone will do one small mistake and all hell will break loose. They will lash out on the unfortunate victim and the entire class showing you their true colors. Sometimes they take issues so personally that they begin to find ways to mess you. Like supplementary exams and the likes.
How do you deal with such?
Once you notice a ticking time bomb lecturer, avoid pressing their insecurity buttons. If you happen to do so, go and apologize sincerely. If your ego is bigger than theirs is, get ready for a rough ride.
3. Emotional Lecturer
Unlike the ticking time bomb lecturers, emotional lecturers don’t pile up their frustrations. Rather, they get down immediately and express their emotions without fear of contradiction. You talk to your neighbor during a lecture and she will stop the lecture, delve into your case and tell you how disrespectful you are. Then she goes further to condemn the entire generation X, mention all the problems we have today and claim they are self-inflicted. Before you know, its 30 minutes to the end of the lecture.
Remedy?
Honestly, I don’t know, when he or she is onto you, relax and take all the blows without fighting back. Then after the lecture, go and apologize. They are normally so nice especially if you show them a ‘spoonful’ of respect.
4. Professor
In this case, the professor is the type of lecturer who is a master in his subject and a noob in teaching. They spent years pursuing education, have attained numerous accolades and are probably the emblems of academic success. Yet, when it comes to delivering the information to learners, it’s a shame.
These are probably the most dangerous types of lecturers in university since they totally obliterate the academic progress of learners. Universities pay them loads of cash to stick around in order to improve the institution’s status but they have no idea how students suffer in their hands.
They rarely attend lecturers. When they do, they brush through abstract concepts like its freaking ABC as students stare with total bewilderment. They don’t give good notes but rather entire books as references which if you begin to study without guidance, it won’t take time before you give up.
When exams come, students pass as if it’s a joke. You move to the next academic year where there are units, which require a good foundation from the previous year. That’s when you realize the professor wasted you big time. Honestly, younger, more energetic and devoted lecturers should be hired instead.
Remedy?
Professors almost define the 25-75 rule, they teach 25%, the other 75% is your effort, only that in this case its 10% vs 90%. You need to take that unit and tackle it with no mercy. Go to the library, google and watch YouTube tutorials, etc.
5. Boring Lecturer
Boring lecturers are in ample supply. They get into the lecture room, take a book or laptop out and start talking. They talk, write on the board, talk some more, walk around or stay in one position, write on the board then ask, any question? Nobody seems to be following.
Rather, there is some noise in some corner of the room while the other corner is populated by students seriously drooling. The room is rarely half-full, populated only by the academically serious faction of the class.
Remedy?
Normally, these lecturers provide very good notes despite their lousy teaching skills. They also know how to guide their students on what is testable in the exam. If you religiously attend their lectures, you already have 40% of the grade without revision. They are also good at responding to questions. Leveraging on these attributes can really boost your grades in their units
6. Storyteller
The favorite ones of all types of lecturers yet if not well regulated, they might end up wasting so much of your class time, which cannot be recovered. They commence the lecture well by immediately digging into content but on the way, 20 or 30 minutes later, something strikes their mind and they begin to derail from the topic.
They narrate past stories, discuss politics and corruption, give some very actionable life improvement lessons; all of which are good but the hard truth is by the end of the lecture, less is done. Students love these lecturers because they are interesting but if you are not careful, you might be the looser.
Remedy?
This might come off as rude and ‘utiaji’ but when the lecturer derails and starts narrating stories among other things, raise your hand and interrupt the circus by asking a question related to the topic. This will draw his/her attention back to the job.
Are there any other risky types of lecturers I have left out?