Opinion

When it comes to learning, it takes two to tango

By Prof. Steven Weinstein | February 20, 2006

To the Editor: In his latest op-ed ("Professors' Mortal Sins," Feb. 15), Michael Kreicher '08 complains about the difficulty of his Spanish class and the failure of some of his professors to entertain him sufficiently to capture his attention for 10 hours per week. Kreicher notably admits to doing virtually no work outside of class, except when it comes time to prepare for exams or to write papers. Having taught for three years at Dartmouth, I now teach at the University of Waterloo, a public university in Ontario where students take five courses per term, and where not a few of them do so while holding down full-time jobs, and I find it hard to generate much sympathy for Kreicher. While I do not doubt that some of his professors are less than outstanding, I would point out that it takes two to tango, and that the prospect of teaching a class full of Kreichers, a class full of students who not only can't be bothered to prepare for class but who nevertheless expect to be entertained, is not a prospect which is likely to bring out the best in the professor.