Professor won’t or can’t teach (what to do)
About the author
Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.
What to do about a bad professor who can’t teach
You’re in class and realize that your professor isn’t teaching well.
You can’t understand the concepts and are wondering how you’re going to get good grades in this class when you don’t even know the material.
You find yourself struggling and aren’t sure what to do.
Can you even do anything about it?
As a professor myself, I am going to help you understand why some professors aren’t good teachers, ways to avoid these professors, and how to handle it when you are in their class.
And I know a thing or two. I’ve had some of these professors in my own college experience, but I have also evaluated some of these professors professionally.
But first, I need to explain something.
What makes a bad professor?
Here are my top 3 examples of bad teaching by professors
Professors who don’t share real-world examples
Professors who can’t convey ideas
Professors who are boring and lack passion
I needed to put that out there first.
If you expect your professor to be so entertaining, you feel like you should have bought tickets to the show, you might be overestimating the college experience.
You are being taught by intellectuals. We don’t necessarily have the best jokes or are the most entertaining. We know our subject well, and sometimes it might not be the most exciting thing to sit through a lecture.
It shouldn’t be an awful experience, but don’t expect an unforgettable lecture.
Okay, now that I’ve got that out of the way, I need to talk about what would be defined as bad teaching.
Professors who don’t share real world experiences
While some professors have practical experience, others don’t.
What I mean is that some professors may have worked in the field that they’re teaching about, while others just know the topic because they completed a graduate degree.
I did both. I worked in my field, and now I work in academia.
Sometimes I think that this can help me teach the material better because I have more real-world experience.
I use examples of what has happened in my discipline to help students understand the concepts. It can go a long way.
It doesn’t always help professors teach better, but I can see how it can add some value for students.
So maybe bad teaching consists of a professor who doesn’t know anything about their field other than the research and what is taught in the books.
Professors who can’t relay ideas well
These professors may really know the information themselves, but just don’t quite hit the mark when explaining it to other people.
Maybe they can’t find the right words to explain it.
Maybe they teach at a higher level than what students can understand.
Or they don’t organize the material in a good sequence that makes the most sense.
This might be the most concerning one because students won’t ever be able to really learn the material because it isn’t being taught in a way that students can understand.
The professor is boring
And monotone.
You’ve probably had one like this.
They’ll put you to sleep faster than counting sheep.
This professor may stand behind the podium. Never moves. Never asks engaging questions.
Maybe they read from the book or recite their PowerPoint presentations. And they don’t use a variety of teaching methods.
You might ask yourself if you even need a professor because you could do that yourself, on your own.
I’ve really seen all these types of professors, to some degree.
Why some professors can’t teach
Okay, I have to say that a small fraction of professors will fit into this category.
Let’s dive in and talk about why professors can’t teach sometimes.
New professors
These professors haven’t quite learned the ropes.
I hate to admit it, but I have improved so much throughout the years.
I know that I have found ways to better explain the material to help students understand it more through my years of experience. I get better every year and keep improving.
You just get better as more time passes, and nothing quite helps more than sheer experience in teaching.
The professor starts to know what works, and what doesn’t work.
They’ll have more confidence and know how to manage the classroom better.
So maybe your professor is just a new professor and time will make them more effective.
They don’t know the information
If a professor is incompetent, they won’t be able to teach students the information because they simply don’t know it.
Maybe they had to take over a course at the last minute and are struggling with the material.
Or the college may have asked them to teach a course for the first time, and they don’t quite know that area well enough yet.
While we are typically educated about all topics related to our field, we aren’t typically experts in all areas.
So, I am rusty in some areas compared to others.
I usually teach the same courses each term.
But occasionally I must jump into a course I haven’t taught in a while.
If I don’t really prepare, I may not do as good of a job.
This could be your professor.
Is it their first time teaching this course? Or has it been a while since they taught it?
Maybe it’s a new textbook.
All these things could have an impact.
Not trained to teach
Believe it or not, professors rarely get any type of education in teaching methods (pedagogy).
When professors are completing their graduate degree, it is very unlikely that they take an education course regarding teaching effectiveness.
Unless that’s their field.
Otherwise, professors are taking courses related to their discipline.
Some professors get their graduate degree, and decide to go into teaching but with no experience in teaching.
It’s a learning experience.
Now, some colleges, mine included, offer lots of ways to improve your teaching.
We have lots of internal professional development, conferences, and assistance from administration to improve our teaching style.
Not all colleges have those resources for their faculty.
Most of the time professors are just working on professional development in their field.
And that’s the focus of most institutions.
Unfortunately it may not change much at those colleges.
No passion, don’t care
These professors may be those who are near retirement and just checked out.
Or that are using this profession as a stepping stone for another job.
It could be that they just don’t care much about educating students and are just looking at getting a paycheck.
Lastly, their college could have low morale and they just hate their job.
Either way, it could impact their teaching performance.
What to do if you have a professor who can’t teach
If you find yourself in these circumstances, and don’t know what to do about it, there are a few suggestions I have for you.
Drop the course
This depends on how far you are into the semester.
If you are in the first week of class, is it possible things will get better?
If not, you might be able to drop the class and enroll with another professor.
Do this carefully though. You might get a worse professor by doing this.
If you are going to fail the course because you just can’t understand the material, you could drop the course before the withdrawal deadline, and take it with another professor later.
Make sure you understand any financial aid repercussions before doing this though.
Push through it
While this isn’t probably the most popular opinion, could you try and push through it and do your best.
I say this because it could make you a better student and make you more resilient.
Maybe you’ll need to work harder, get tutoring, or study more.
I like to compare this to the real world.
When you are in your career later, you might have some difficult tasks or terrible bosses. And you’ll have to put in the extra work just to get by.
This might be a good way to start practicing for your career later.
Talk to your advisor
Go talk to someone who can help.
Maybe they could assist you in learning about your options.
Can you drop the course?
Can you take another class?
Do you even need this class to graduate or are there other options?
They may have some excellent advice for you or refer you to a college resource that can assist.
Go to tutoring
Is there a teaching assistant that can help?
Some universities have teaching assistants (T.A.) that can assist you. Try to reach them and schedule an appointment to go over the material.
Does your college offer tutoring services?
Some colleges have free tutoring services that they contract with. Others can at least point you in the right direction.
Take a studying seminar
While we would like to blame the professor for bad teaching, maybe there are some skills you could learn to be a better notetaker.
Or some study tips to help you be more prepared for tests.
Some colleges offer regular seminars throughout the semester so check with your college (maybe counseling services) to see if there are some options for you.
Otherwise, there are plenty of online resources.
Record the lecture
If you are having trouble understanding the material, it could be helpful to record the lecture so that you can go back and listen to it.
You get to listen to the lecture, at your own pace, while taking notes. And replaying difficult parts over and over.
This can help you slow down the lecture and really let it sink in.
You can get a voice recorder that has a USB connector so you can plug it in directly to your computer and transfer the data more easily. The technology has really improved.
PRO TIP : Check with your professor to make sure they allow students to record their lectures first.
Get a classmate’s notes
Other students might take notes in ways that can help you understand the material better than your professor.
So ask someone if you can borrow their notes.
PRO TIP : Ask to scan their notes on your phone instead of re-writing them or taking them to copy. They probably don’t want another student taking their notes from them.
Get accommodations
Are you having difficulty understanding the material because of a disability?
There are lots of disabilities that can impact a student’s learning.
If you have been diagnosed with a disability, connect with your college’s disability services to learn more about your options.
How to avoid bad professors
Here are my top 4 ways you can avoid bad professors who can’t teach
1.) Go to a community college
2.) Read their reviews
3.) Talk to other students
4.) Check their evaluations
Take classes at a community college as much as you can
At a 4-year university, the professors are likely tenure-track. This means they are trying to complete research and publish to get tenure.
It could mean less focus on teaching. But not always.
Or the classes are taught by graduate assistants, and they likely have very little experience teaching.
But at a community college (2-year), the professors primarily teach the courses, and these colleges usually have more focus on teaching rather than research.
And at a community college, the professors have higher teaching loads per semester. This means that they teach more classes each term compared to most professors at a 4-year university.
So the more times that they’ve taught the class, the better they get.
Read the reviews
I don’t normally recommend this, but it can be helpful.
Can you go to a professor rating website, and see lots of the same issues being mentioned in the reviews? It could be an indicator of bad teaching.
Please don’t let a few bad reviews keep you from a professor though. Take it with a grain of salt and look for patterns.
Talk to other students
Get their recommendations.
Seriously.
Next time you find yourself in the halls, in a study group, or socializing, ask them who their favorite professors are and if they recommend anyone.
You’d be surprised how much you’ll learn from other students.
Check their evaluations
Not every college will do this but check online to see if your university publishes the professor’s student evaluation results.
This will really give you some insight into the professor’s teaching abilities.
They usually come in the form of ratings within multiple categories.
Check them out and see what other students think of the professors before signing up.
My professor doesn’t teach during class?
Some college professors may not teach much during class and this can be a normal occurrence. However, it could be problematic if students aren’t able to learn the material. Some professors may used a flipped classroom approach where they have the students do all the presenting and they are there to organize the material. Other times the professors are just inexperienced or burned out and don’t care.
It is not ideal if a professor isn’t teaching the material unless they have a successful flipped classroom. If your professor isn’t teaching, you should examine their class and figure out if they are using this approach. It can be common. Professors will use the students to teach each other the material because sometimes students learn better from their peers.
However, some professors are just burned out and may be close to retiring. Maybe they are just unprepared for the lectures and turn on videos or assign in-class assignments too often.
Some professors could also be very inexperienced and may not feel confident enough to teach a class full of college students. You should find out how long your professor has been teaching. If they are relatively new, this is likely the reason.
When I was in college, I had a professor who only told stories about their research experiences. I learned absolutely nothing from him. And I did terrible on the exams because he never taught the actual material. It was an awful experience and I know what you are going through. I luckily passed the course.
You probably want to know what to do when your professor doesn’t teach. The most obvious answer is to write this on their course evaluations. Most colleges will have course evaluations for their professors and you should mention this. These evaluations are usually viewed by the professor’s boss.
If you are struggling because of their teaching style, you should try and get some academic assistance. This isn’t completely ideal, but at least you can try and catch up on your own.
Final Thoughts
You may not always be able to escape bad professors, but there are lots of things you can do to push through it.
And with these suggestions, you’re sure to find something that can help you now and in the future.
Don’t worry too much about it because this semester will be over before you know it.
And hopefully you won’t have to take that professor again.
But if you do find yourself having another professor who you don’t think can teach, try some of my solutions first before you call it quits.
You got this!
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