By Brittany Tankersley | Photographer
Professors know when students don’t know the answer to a question. So why do they continue to play this game to embarrass students? I am not talking about the professors who randomly pick students from the roster to answer a question. Instead, I am referring to the professors who make an effort to single out students to humiliate them for not memorizing every aspect of the curriculum.
This degradation game is a strange power trip for professors. What do they get from making their students embarrassed and anxious? The short answer: nothing. Instead, they create a hostile learning environment where students are scared to attend class for fear of being called out in front of their classmates. According to the Walpole Student Media Network, cold-calling negatively affects students’ mental health, leaving them with self-deprecating thoughts on top of preexisting stressors.
“For some students, cold-calling is their biggest nightmare, and often, the anxiety takes over their ability to think or even attempt to form an answer,” the column said. “The fear of embarrassing oneself in front of their peers and failing to impress the teacher is enough to make one forget what class they are in. This unnecessary stress falls onto a student’s shoulder, along with the many other concerns and tasks that they have to cope with in one day.”
Some students are generally more introverted or reserved and are not comfortable answering questions in a classroom setting. By making this choice for students and forcing them to speak without their personal desire, the trust between professor and student is diminished. According to Psychology Today, cold-calling on students can be seen as disrespectful toward a student’s ability to make decisions for themselves within the classroom. As college students, we are autonomous and capable of making the choice to answer a question or not. Taking away this decision reduces college students to a premature level simply because of a professor’s need to express superiority over his or her students.
Many professors utilize cold-calling as a way to increase participation within the classroom. However, according to researchers at the University of Tennessee, participation levels were not increased through the usage of cold-calling. Instead, researchers reported an increase in anxiety and nervousness in students. With similar student performances utilizing voluntary and involuntary responses, why would professors continue to sacrifice the mental health of their students?
If a student knows the answer to a question, let them answer it. But if they don’t, don’t shame them. Teach them. Professors need to show more compassion to their students for showing up and attempting to learn instead of criticizing them for how much of the material they retained.
