By Emma Whitaker | Reporter
When a typical Baylor student goes through four semesters of college classes, it’s inevitable that many pass through the mind and become forgettable. Only a few stand the test of time. Only a few become classes the student will remember going forward.
Wichita, Kan., junior Julia Rogg said her favorite class at Baylor was Social Dance, which is taught by Regina Nix.
“My arm was in a sling for the beginning part of the semester, and Professor Nix took the time to encourage me and make me feel known. I love when classes bring relaxation and joy, and that’s exactly what she brought to the equation,” Rogg said.
Rogg said teachers that genuinely care about their students’ feelings and success are what change a class from good to great.
“My favorite class was World Cultures with Dr. [Lynn] Tatum, because it was eye-opening to understanding cultures that I knew absolutely none about. It was an open discussion-based class that was honest about big topics such as Islam,” Quest said.
While many students agree that discussion-based classes are more engaging, many students disagree on structure dynamics within a class. Depending on a student’s personality, different types of teachers are enticing.
“The professor was loony. Not his personality necessarily, but the structure. I like that in a professor,” Quest said.
A free-spirited student might prefer a less structured class environment, because it takes the pressure away of being exact. However, a more structured student might get anxiety from the same setting.
Rogg has strong feelings about disorganization within a classroom.
“I’m the kind of person that needs an assignment to be laid out clearly, and prefer a more structured classroom,” said Boerne junior Mary Claire Brock.
Rogg has strong feelings about disorganization within a classroom.
“I hate a disorganized professor,” Rogg said. “It adds to the stress of the class.”
Denver junior Mykenna Nichols says she dislikes when professors think they are motivating students by discouraging them.
“I’ve had a really terrible experience with a professor in the sciences, and he does this. It gave me major anxiety during tests because he would say ‘I can stare at all of you and see who is going to be a doctor based on the way you take a test.’ It just feels super condescending, and no one can work well under those conditions within a classroom,” Nichols said.
Extreme negative and positive elements of a classroom often reside in a student’s memory best. Nichols said that while she has had a few tough professors many were life-giving and exciting to be around. She is thankful for Baylor’s professors, and the motivating atmosphere that often resides within the school’s halls.
