Getting to Know Your Professors: Communicating Professionally
Contributed by Speak Up for Kids Student Intern Team — This article was developed through the combined efforts of multiple student interns, each bringing unique skills and perspectives to support life skills education for foster youth.
Overview
The jump between communicating between friends, family, and teachers can be substantial. A college environment demands a greater level of professionalism because it’s meant to equip students with the abilities they need to enter the workforce.
Why Communicate at All?
As difficult as communication on a professional level can be, it’s pivotal to any student’s success because regardless of what career path you have in mind, professionalism is a must for any profession. Building your skills in this area before you enter into your career can help set yourself up for success. Below we’ll take a look at some of the nonverbal and verbal ways of communicating with your professors, the benefits of each, as well as what can happen if you don’t communicate effectively.
Nonverbal Communication
Effective professional communication has several components, not all of which deal with speaking directly. Important components to be aware of are some of the ones that allow you to communicate without even talking.
Timeliness - Showing up to classes, office hours, and other academic activities on time or even early.
Appearance - Dressing in appropriate attire.
Body Language - Sitting up straight, keeping your attention on a professor as they speak.
Timeliness
Timeliness is important because it communicates to your professors that you have the ability to commit time to their instruction and that you’re serious about your academic career.
Making sure you arrive on time to your classes can also help with your understanding of course material and improve your grades as well.
Constantly showing up late to your classes communicates a lack of time management and disinterest in course content.
Appearance
How you present yourself is also important, as just like with timeliness, it tells your professors that you’re serious and shows that you respect their teaching environment.
It can also help you make a good first impression which can improve your standing with your professors before you even talk to them!
Strolling into class looking like you just rolled out of bed projects a lack of seriousness and tells your professors their class isn’t important enough to warrant putting yourself together.
Body Language
We communicate so much through our body language. When listening to your professors speak, you should make sure you’re sitting or standing with the proper posture, don’t slouch. Lean in a bit and keep your eyes focused on the speaker.
Proper body language can position you to a headspace that is ready to listen and shows your professors that you’re interested in and respect what they have to say.
Poor body language can communicate disinterest in what your professor has to say, and horrible body language, such as laying with your head down on your desk, can be considered rude!
Verbal Communication
The better known verbal components of communicating are just as important.
Engagement - Listen to instructor feedback and ask questions.
Build a Relationship - Asking your professors about their lives before or after class, getting to know them better.
Be Concise - Get to the point of any questions you have and use proper dialogue or grammar depending on the mode of communication.
Engagement
Engagement with your professor should be perpetuated by you. Professors don’t hold your hand, so if you have a question or need assistance you often have to be the one initiating a conversation.
Listening to what your professor is saying when you ask them something and then continuing to ask for clarification shows an interest in course content and that you have the drive to improve in your understanding of it.
Don’t just respond with a “Yes” or other one word responses. Not engaging actively in the conversation can communicate that you’re just there to get the answer and leave. Many professors want you to know why an answer is correct.
Build a Relationship
Building a relationship with your professors can foster a mutual respect between both student and instructor.
Developing a rapport, or a friendly relationship, will show your professors that you’re invested in their lives just as they are in yours.
If you need advice or are looking for potential internships or letters of recommendations, building a relationship with your professors at the start of your college career allows you to plant the seeds that will grow into new opportunities in the future.
Be Concise
Being concise in your communication with your professors shows them that you can communicate on a professional level and that you respect their time.
Being prepared by knowing exactly what questions you have and clearly stating the goal of your conversation makes for more efficient conversations, you’re not the only student who will ask questions!
Poor dialogue in a spoken conversation or poor grammar in a virtual conversation displays a lack of professional skills and can hamper your professor if they need to ask for clarification on what you’re asking them.
Final Thoughts
One of the most important parts of communicating professionally with your professors is to analyze them and format your communication with them according to their preferences and personalities. Some professors will be more laid back, while others will provide you with definitive guidelines on how they want you to communicate with them. In summary, communication with your professors can be thought of in two ways:
The nonverbal means of communication, Timeliness, Appearance, and Body Language show that you have the ability and desire to present yourself professionally.
The verbal means of communication, Engagement, Building a Relationship, and Conciseness, show that you respect your professors’ teachings, time, and your relationship with them.
