Do Professors Talk About Their Students, Publicly or Secretively?

Have you ever imagined or wondered of a group of emeritus professors with grey beards sitting around in a room gossiping about the latest incoming student, with pipes in their hands? An image that is both comical and scary if true, although hopefully far from accurate. So, what I'm wondering is: Do the university professors really talk about their students? And if they do, what do their conversations revolve around? Are these conversations strictly professionals or are they gossip?

Well, it is okay if you ever had given it a thought because the fact is: A school/university is a social environment. In that sense, it is possible that under certain conditions professors may discuss among their other students whose behaviour is in or outside the daily norm.

Let us say, there is a student who dressed in a unique way or got some unusual tattoos someday, or if there is some romantic relationship between two of their students that is observable. They also observe some unusual behaviour from one of their students, for example, sudden failure in their class, depression, anger, missing classes, etc. A dramatic change in physical appearance of the student can also be talked about by professors, for example, weight loss or weight gain. These can be some of the cases when professors may extend a conversation about the student to other students or colleagues.

WHY DO PROFESSORS TALK ABOUT STUDENTS IN THEIR LEISURE TIME?

Since students are a big part of a professor’s life, their entire schedule is spent around the students and therefore, the maximum they observe and notice about is,students. I have always wondered the same but since my mother is a university professor as well so I once brought the topic into the picture while we were sipping evening tea together. What she tells me that they discuss students both in casual situations or professional settings.

She also tells that at times, faculty discusses bad experiences with any student or about the performances of students with another faculty. Sometimes to get advice, sometimes to vent, and sometimes because the student has done something amusing. Sometimes the student's name is used and sometimes it is not. In between our conversation, there was a point when she came up with, “It is not that we have only students to talk about,” and we laughed.

There can be other interesting questions that may come out of student’s curiosity like, do my professor remembers my name when he/she talks to other students or colleagues, or do professors have a crush on students or is it always the other way around? Are professors influenced by student’s dressing sense or appearances?

DO THEY HAVE FAVOURITE STUDENTS TO TALK ABOUT?

If it feels like your professor plays favourites, you’re probably right, to some degree. Here is what Quinnipiac professor R has to say about her experience regarding the favouritism and that she definitely gets to know and like certain students more than others. “As a writing instructor, I get to know my students on a more intimate level, reading literally hundreds of pages of their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs about the world by the end of the semester,” she says. However, even students who aren’t teacher’s pet can still make a lasting impression. “Some students stand out among the rest for their wit, their candour, or even their constant need to challenge me on every point I make.” So, if you wonder if being professor’s favourite is of any use, it is. It gives you many reasons to get attached to your professor which is NOT CREEPY.

DOES A STUDENT’S APPEARANCE INFLUNCE PROFESSORS?

The effects of beauty in academic institutions have been studied very little, and most of the studies have examined the effects of students’ beauty on teachers’ evaluations of them. As per the research by a psychology explorer, “Teachers’ expectations influence children’s academic performance, and there is a Pygmalion effect in the classroom. Teachers tend to expect higher achievements from attractive students, and students fulfil these implicit expectations. Even the teachers propagate their observations and set the same standard for the other colleagues as well, on the basis of which the next professor/person sees or precepts the student” So if you wonder if there is any effect of student’s beauty on professors and if talk about it, they do.

So, all the university students out there, this is the time you can bring a new change in you so that your favourite professor makes an interesting conversation about you. Even if they talk good of your ort not, a little gratitude for their service goes a long way. Thank them for their dedication towards your future and how they are working towards shaping the lives of thousands of students.

We at My Assignment Services ensure that every student issues are addresses and talked. As most of our experts are ex-professors, we understand every nitty-gritty of it.