Significant Career Lesson From A Professor At CSU Long Beach
A significant lesson Herman learned as a professor is that "everyone has a story," and treating students with respect and kindness, recognizing their potential struggles, is crucial. Being flexible and caring for students as human beings, not just ID numbers, creates a safe learning environment where they feel like "they belong in the classroom."
Empathy, Student Support, Inclusivity, Higher Education, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Herman Singh
Professor
CSU Long Beach
CSU Long Beach
Economics
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Treating everyone with respect and kindness is extremely important, as the classroom might be their safe place.
2. Being cognizant that students have a lot on their plate and remembering your own college experiences helps in understanding their situations.
3. Caring for students as human beings, not just an ID number, and being flexible to accommodate their individual circumstances is crucial.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
The one lesson I've learned, and I try to remind myself of every semester before it starts, is that everyone has a story. Anyone who walks into your classroom has a story.
Whether they share that story or not is completely up to them. But treating everyone with respect, kindness, and making them feel like they belong in the classroom is extremely important.
That classroom could be their safe place, perhaps their only safe place. It could also be where they learn something new, whether they like it or not.
I think it's important to check myself in situations. Not everyone has a perfect day, and I certainly don't. It's important to be cognizant that students have a lot on their plate.
I think back to my time in college; I had a lot going on, and these students have a lot going on too. Some feel open enough to share with me, and when they do, I let them know I've got them and not to worry.
Everyone is human, and people have many things going on. So, trying to be flexible and actually care for them as human beings, not just an ID number, is really important.