I havent yet graduated but still:
Boring professors who are too serious and no jokes in class are definitely off!
Reading notes in between a class is PATHETIC and we kind of endup making fun of the prof and never ever take him too seriously!
Expression and accent is very important! Monotony makes me fall asleep and bad accent drips the profs image!
Lastly..... Confidence is very very essential! If a pro doesnt have confidence in what s/he's teaching then the class will have no interest in what the pro is trying to teach!
My $2/100
Confidence, knowledge, wit and empathy are all important, agreed, but academics are usually hired on the basis of their research, their publications, (in recent times) the sort of funding they are able to attract; in truth, and sad to relate, teaching ability comes bottom of the list when hiring, and that is a huge pity because it is what students remember. However, remember that the imperfect person in front of you is usually a specialist in their field; unfortunately, quite often, this does not include an ability to teach - or "perform" - in front of a class. If you get this in a teacher, it's a huge bonus.
I once had a professor who was the most delightful, decent and humane individual in the faculty. He was a renowned scholar, endlessly generous with his time, his encouragement, his support; later, when I taught under him, I learned to treasure his intellectual and human qualities. He spoke six languages fluently, but, unfortunately, was unable to teach in any of them. He suffered in front of large groups (but did well in small group situations where the students treasured his knowledge and engaged with him.)
BTW, I disagree re your comment on reading notes between classes. Speaking from experience, you don't carry around every detail in your head from year to year; you need to refresh your memory, and reading notes between classes is exactly the way to do that.
Genuine enthusiasm can't be beaten. When the teacher loves the subject and loves teaching it then it's much easier to learn. Being underprepared is the worst thing, not knowing the slides because you haven't seen them since you gave the same presentation last year is no good.
Yes, agree completely.
I am a sophomore almost a junior:
Have attendance points so people attend class.
Usually having notes in ppt or pdf is nice just incase a student misses class is always very nice.
Try to be funny, and have fun projects for the students to do, the best way to learn is to interact with the subject. Always give out an email and encourage to ask question through that incase they are too shy to do so in class.
Just some suggestions
Re attendance, college students are college students, and I tell them that I am a paid teacher, not a police officer. They are big boys and girls; it's up to them to attend, having choices is a part of being an adult. I rarely have attendance points unless it is the policy of the place I work for.
Re notes, other posters despise teachers who read from notes; as a student, I did too. I'd never give out notes - for one, my lectures tend to be bullet points, and added comments that I talk around and add to - most of it is completely unscripted (but not unplanned). Anyway, they are meant to read original sources, and they have tutorials, and office hours to ask questions. Agree entirely re encouraging questions and discussions and laughter; a good atmosphere works wonders.
Not sure exactly what you mean by this, but your professors have to look over notes sometime. They don't keep a semester worth of material for 1-4 classes in their heads. A good teacher changes up their material from year to year to remain current, anyway.
I make a point of getting to class early and I flip through the discussion questions I've written down from earlier that day and possibly jot down more - I'm there primarily to field any questions students have before class, but I'll be damned if I just stand there staring at the wall for ten minutes.
However, reading from notes mechanically in class is dumb - just distribute the notes and let them read them on their own time.
Agree broadly with this. To AppleInk on superb history teachers, the chap I revered as a teacher had us silent, listening, as well; sometimes, I would stop writing, put my pen down, and simply listen. It was a journey well worth taking. And yes, he had notes, which he consulted sometimes, as he talked and walked during the class.
Cheers
