Class advises how to talk to teachers

The transition into a large university atmosphere can be daunting, but a series of workshops the IU Student Academic Center presents is designed to acclimate undergraduates to the challenges of college life. \nFreshmen, sophomores and anyone else interested in starting the semester off right might be interested in attending, said Jim Honeyford, a graduate student in religious studies and assistant instructor at the center. \nHoneyford led Tuesday evening's workshop, titled "How to Talk with Your Instructor." \n"People don't understand that professors and AIs aren't your enemies," said junior Andrew Bowers, who attended the workshop. \nA professor recently complained that none of his students come to office hours anymore, Honeyford said, and many professors say they find it refreshing to communicate with undergraduates. \nHoneyford said personal interaction is easily lost in a large research university setting. He said while some professors seem too busy to care about their undergraduate students, many are happy for the chance because they do not get to do it very often. \n"If your professor never asks students for feedback during a lecture, they probably do not want to be interrupted," Honeyford said. "If they ask questions and walk around the room, they probably welcome constant interaction." \nAt the start of the workshop, Honeyford distributed a handout listing five scenarios, each of which detailed a common reason why a student would need to talk with an instructor. After small groups discussed the scenarios, solutions were shared. \nOne of the common scenarios detailed a student who realized she would miss an exam because of a family wedding. Honeyford advised workshop attendees to check the syllabus at the beginning of the semester. If a conflict is inevitable, he advised talking to the professor in advance to humbly negotiate a solution. When asking to re-schedule an exam, Honeyford said to be flexible since a professor who allows this is doing the student a favor. \nAnother common scenario detailed a student who overslept and missed a discussion section. It is important to ask a classmate what was missed, e-mail the AI or discussion leader and go to office hours, Honeyford said. He said seeking out assistant instructors will show them you care about the class. \nWhile discussion to professors is not limited to direct person-to-person contact, Honeyford gave advice on how to best e-mail professors. He said students should be courteous, use a respectful tone and write complete sentences. He added, instant message shorthand is not appropriate for e-mails.\n"People make assumptions based on how you word your e-mails," Honeyford said. \nBowers said listening to the workshop made him rethink how he communicates with his teachers. \n"Asking questions helps you out a lot (in a class)," Bowers said. "(This workshop) made me realize I need to talk to my professors more." \nThe workshop will be presented again at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Ballantine Hall, room 109. \nThe Student Academic Center sponsors the Fall 2006 College & Life Long Learning Workshops, held each Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 7 to 8 p.m. Additional workshops for the semester are planned, covering a range of academic and time management topics. \nIn addition, the center is sponsoring the Study Smarter Workshops, which introduce study skills and strategies for test preparation, Honeyford said. \n"The workshops are nice because they are like an à la carte menu for study skills and strategies," he said. "You can pick and choose to attend what you are interested in." \nMore information about the Student Academic Center -- including a complete listing of all scheduled fall workshops -- can be found on its Web site, www.indiana.edu/~sac/.