As much as I may bemoan my station here at Romulus University, I still love doing what I do. Even in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be able to do what I love and make a living doing it.

Teaching students is not for everybody. I know I am a rare breed who enjoys interacting with students both in and out of the classroom. Sure, they may give me headaches on occasion with some of their boneheaded antics, but I don’t look down on them for not knowing things. That is why they are here in the first place. To learn from us. Sharing my knowledge with them and watching them finally grasp the concepts makes my day.

I have run into those individuals who don’t care to do the teaching part of the whole professor trade. I know some people are there for the research, and that is fine. Sometimes, it is in everybody’s best interest that they are not in front of the classroom because they are beyond socially awkward or are a total bore. If these charisma killers do have a teaching load, I hope the students can disguise their disinterest with some concealed ear buds to maintain their sanity.

I also met a lazy professor or two who have no interest in students or believe that they should know the material before they set foot into the classroom. The best example of this was our radio faculty at Remus College. The faculty’s goal was to have students on the air. However, this professor believed that students needed radio training before coming to her class. How is that even possible? Unless the kid was running a podcast in their bedroom, they are not likely to have any radio experience, period. Where are the students supposed to get this experience? They come to you for it. This kind of demand is like expecting a newborn to emerge from the womb with a proficient knowledge of geometry.

I think that kind of mentality bleeds into this third strain of bad professor, and they are the worst – the professors who do not want to be here. Unlike the professor who is all about their research or the lazy professor who wants to put in minimal effort, the self-loathing professor is a detriment to everybody. Students will always complain about professors. It is what they do. Look at me. I am a professor, and I am complaining about them too. However, what can a student do when the professor actively despises them? It does not matter what the students do. The self-loather would rather be anywhere but in front of the classroom.

How do they come to campus with this mentality? Why would anybody continue to participate in a job they can’t stand? Unless there are obligations that keep them bound to the campus (maybe they sold their soul to the provost), they need to leave. If you would rather have the students literally teach themselves instead of you taking command of the classroom, it is a pretty good sign that it is time to go.

I can’t fathom doing things like that. I feel guilty for letting my students leave class a little early. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I just told my class I refuse to teach them. If you want to learn anything in this class, you need to figure it out yourself. Oh, by the way, your first exam is next week. If I were a student and faced that kind of opposition, I would find someone on YouTube who knew more to explain it. At least they might be a little more entertaining.