A Professor's Perspective on Modern Education

College is a much different institution than it was decades ago. From my perspective as a student it is quite clear that many students don't exactly make productive use of their time here, as participation is quite low during classes, and overall there are many students who just don't seem interested in learning. Many people seem to go and get out, maybe it's because it's not as much about learning for them as it is about simply doing enough to get the grade and, eventually, the degree. Well, this is at least how I see it at the Community College that I attend. I could be wrong in regards to other schools, and I hope I am, but I don't have a frame of reference for that.

It led me to wonder how a teacher feels about the situation, so I interviewed Lori Maida, a Sociology Professor at Westchester Community College, whose course (Intro to Sociology) I took during this past Fall 2013 semester and whom I developed a rapport with. As a Professor she was enthusiastic about what she taught and encouraged participation through discussing the topics we learned about. I spoke to her in order to gain insight into the state of modern education and what is happening to it from the perspective of a modern teacher.