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During college, you form a lot of different of relationships …some of them with difficult professors or teachers – that you’ll want to fix. With this in mind, the ability to communicate is one of the most important soft skills. The college environment gives a perfect opportunity to master it. After all, you will be experiencing competitive group mates and demanding professors. These people will give you a chance to polish your communication skills.
Maybe you already can think of a difficult professor you’re dealing with right now – who does not seem to be impressed by your knowledge or skills.
Moreover, he is skeptical about your answers and assignments. He was happy with your essay only once – ironically, when a professional EssayPro writer created it for you. The paper was immaculate, so he did not have a chance to criticize it. But other than that – he always has an ironic remark when it comes to you.
Know this now: You cannot please everyone. There will always be people who question your ideas and points of view.
And your difficult professor is not an exception.
No worries. I’m here to help.
As you might know, I am a bestselling wellness author with about 2 million books sold globally.
Plus I founded a groundbreaking video course called The Anxiety Cure.
I love sharing tools to help people live their happiest and and most fulfilling lives.
With this mind, I created this article all about how to fix your relationship with toxic teachers.
Alright, let us play this game. And please get this right. The purpose of all the below-listed techniques is not to humiliate your teacher or undermine his authority. These are ways of perfecting your communication skills. Leaving him no chance for unjustified critique.
It is important to draw a clear line between good questions and just questions here. If you ask general questions on the subject, it may only reveal that you are unprepared or do not understand the topic. This will only encourage your professor. Not in a good way, though
But if you do some outside reading on the topic, some extra questions will come. And your teacher will see the interest in the subject in your eyes. It would be ideal if your professor published a related article. If you read it and bring up one of the points he mentions – the wall of misunderstanding between you will give a big crack.
This is another way to ask good questions. But you need to make sure that:
It is a great way to show your commitment to the subject. And to make your teacher’s heart melt.
We know the temptation is overwhelming. But accusations of bad teaching methods will only make life more difficult for you. Besides, there is a way to understand: is it bad teaching or being tough? If you ask what the purpose of each specific task is, you will see that your professor knows what he is doing. But he is tough.
Also, you can be under a false impression. Why do you think that your professor is demanding because he dislikes you? Perhaps it is a challenge that you should overcome to fulfill your potential.
On the one hand, do not shift all the responsibility to your teacher. But if you feel that your effort was unfairly underestimated, do not turn the other cheek. Politely ask to explain what should be improved in your assignment. If you find the remarks constructive, make conclusions to avoid the same mistake next time.
Once again, you cannot change your professor. But you can adjust. Improve your studying habits. This includes but is not limited to:
If it happens that the stubborn professor teaches your major, be ready go the extra mile and think outside the box.
Your fellow students can be your saving boat. Organize study groups. It is a proven fact that one can fully master the subject by teaching. So work on tough problems together with your fellow students. You can take the role of the teacher one by one.
Let us also approach this from a different angle. Try to understand what exactly makes your teacher so difficult for you. And check out the best recipe to put an end to this.
They tend to:
None of the 6 ways to fix the relationship will work in this case. Fortunately, you will not come across many such professors. But if you do, report to the college administration. It does not matter how smart they are. You deserve respect.
They tend to:
Stand up for yourself respectfully (do not blame the professor, remember?). Approach them personally and ask them to give a comment on your essay. Then move on to discussing your grade. You can also write an email and ask for a definitive list of things to improve for the next essay.
They tend to:
Well, I guess you would have to be a model student. Do not neglect the tasks, even if they are dumb. They still count toward your grade.
They tend to:
Bombard them with questions. It may be impossible to follow their reasoning in class. But if you privately ask specific questions, it can help. You can approach them both personally during office hours or via email.
Of course, our four-type classification is very basic and straightforward. There can be many “subtypes.” We are all personalities, so a lot of factors matter. Your professor’s temper, background, and zodiac sign, at the end of the day. You cannot keep all these combinations in your head at the same time. But at least you know some approaches.
There are alternative methods such as:
But I do not suggest resorting to them unless there is no other option. In some specific situations, like with rude teachers, notifying the administration is the only way to go. But do not drop the class immediately just because you dislike the professor. Give it at least a week or two to try to fix your relationship with this toxic professor. And then make a decision to become a better version of yourself. A model student for your teacher and a brilliant communicator for yourself.
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