tl;dr: Don't be a dick and act like a damn professional.
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Friday, November 7, 2014
Professionalism - Comp Tales Response 8
I immediately pulled out comp tale 92. This story enraged me in just the few short paragraphs written. I'm not sure what made me more angry, the fact that this GTA was demeaning his students (particularly by not fostering a good learning environment) or the fact that he was rude and demanding--they're both pretty terrible. I've worried about professionalism in my class--with cursing or how to dress--but never to this extreme. I've come to the conclusion that, especially as a GTA, there isn't much professionalism demanded from you, but it's still expected to some degree. So when do we cross that line of professionalism into being unprofessional? I think, especially since this is college, that we have a bit more leniency when it comes to teaching (i.e. jeans are okay on occasion, if you say "ass" the world won't crumble, etc). How much is too much though? I like to work as if every day is important to show my professionalism. I am, in fact, guiding students through their education and need to present myself in a way that they respect me (while also gaining respect from my peers).
tl;dr: Don't be a dick and act like a damn professional.
tl;dr: Don't be a dick and act like a damn professional.
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One of the more shocking aspects of my undergrad career was transitioning from that super rigid environment created by my very "professional" high school teachers to a much more laid back, conversational environment created by my college instructors. You're right that there is a degree of professionalism to maintain, but at the same time, you don't want to be too rigid, I don't think. You need to foster relationships and develop a rapport with your students. Sometimes that means dressing casually and swearing class. I don't find things like that particularly unprofessional. It's an interesting line to straddle.
ReplyDeleteI've come to realize that the way we dress and the way we behave is how we brand ourselves. Do we want people to think of us as just TAs who can get away with more? Or do we want them to think of us as potential job candidates? And again, what kind of job candidate? The same goes for how we brand ourselves to our students. How do we want them to think of us? It seems like you agree, Jeremy.
ReplyDeleteYour question about dress is interesting to me. With my previous classes, I had always gone the extra mile to present myself as a professional, dressing in dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses, fixing my hair, etc. With this class, since they told me I seemed intimidating (which still floors me), I have consciously tried to appear less formal. This class is very open and engaging. I don't know how much of an effect my laid back attire had on the class' overall personality, but I definitely think that by changing my clothing to reflect a more approachable attitude, students definitely seek me out more outside of class than in previous semesters.
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