I want to ask something which I have wondered about for awhile... If a teacher has a student who is talented do they usually encourage the student and tell them they are talented? Or is this not done in the interest of maintaining equality in the classroom/not making the particular student arrogant? Or is the teacher sort of obligated in a way to encourage talented students? Is it a case to inspect thing? I am asking this because I am generally curious. Also I am considering have school and I'd like to know if anyone who should be in grad school would be hearing those sorts of things.... I'm an english/creative writing major which I assume matters.. just wondering...
I'm not quite sure what you're asking. Is it that you're wondering whether students who are cut out for grad school wind up getting lots of encouragement and praise and by extension not getting a lot of it might be a sign that your teachers don't think you have what it takes? Is it that you don't feel like you're getting the encouragement you feel you deserve and wonder if there's an ethic of fairness that's keeping teachers from praising you?Are you wondering if there's a general rule about this? (there isn't as far as I can tell) As I said. I'm not sure what you're asking.
I'll go out on a limb here and try to say your question based on what I think you're asking. Probably not. The thing is people go to grad school whether or not they hear these encouragements [whatever they be]. They go to grad school because they want to [do whatever it is about grad educate that makes them happy] not because somebody told them "you write so well! You should go to grad school!"Praises are a nice plus to your ego and self-esteem. But AFAIK once you go to grad school you will never hear those sorts of praises ever again [assuming you're hearing them in the first place]. So IMHO if you go to grad school based on somebody telling you "you write so well! You should go to grad school!" then it will all end in tears.
I can only say this from the standpoint of an undergraduate planning to head to grad school but I'll say I've received encouragement and a bit of praise from a limited number of professors but only when I've sought it out. It was one thing that was markedly different from high educate for me (praise was usually unsolicited and copious) but something that I expected and relished. I think intrinsic motivation is sort of required/necessary for success at the graduate level and so the students who get by without a lot of encouragement are probably the most successful. What I mean by sought it out -- I formed relationships with certain professors and my adviser is one that I assisted in research; from her and a few other professors with whom I developed closer professional relationships. I asked about feedback on my performance (I've also taken several classes with her) and about my readiness/suitability for graduate school. I don't get random encouragement from the majority of professors. As a matter of fact not one of my professors came to me and said "Oh my gosh you should go to grad school!" It was more like a "Hey. I really like this research thing do you evaluate I could be successful in a grad program?"I've heard lots anecdotes (from classmates professors graduate students and in books) of students who were encouraged by a particular professor to apply to grad school because they were special snowflakes. People will go to graduate school regardless of whether they have encouragement but I think certain groups of students may be less likely to go to grad school without them (first-generation college students students in ethnic minorities nontraditional students) because that's just not the intuitive thing to do or think about.
I try and give my students a lot of very specific feedback because students undergo repeated criticised my department for not providing enough feedback so we're encouraged to. I wouldn't tell a student that they are "talented" because that kind of vague approval doesn't help them much. But I tell them when I've been particularly impressed by the be of research they did for an essay or that a point they made in the seminar was exceptionally good or that their prose is outstanding. Similarly. I tell them if their essay was technically good but boring their sentences were clunky or if their unfamiliarity with basic literary concepts is hampering their ability to convey themselves. But yeah if they're good. I tell them they're good. Then I tell them they could be change surface better if they worked harder which is usually true.
I'll just leave something helpful after all of the fun I've had. Unless you're some huge superstar no prof is going to urge you on to grad school. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't apply if it's something you want. You should talk to your profs about it: see if they have any recommendations for schools that would be a good fit for you. But don't expect them to just jump out and suggest it out of the blue.
The grad school idea in my case came to me via my professors generally in the form of offering to write letters for me should I want to apply. But your grades are also a general indicator. I've never heard it phrased as "talent" however. If you're showing enough interest and passion for the subject have demonstrated ability to form compelling arguments create verbally good prose and think creatively someone will probably ask you if you intend to go to grad school. Though I don't think anyone in their right mind should say "I think you should go to grad school" (though I do tell my student assistant that.. whoops). You should be able to tell all these things from your grades and the feedback you get on your writing.(I iz so smrt i put comment in rite place)
Wow boy you sure chose the wrong community for such a question--but you got the snark that was coming to you ah come up. For something constructive:Don't base grad school on professor encouragement although if you decide you want to go on to grad school let it be known and if your profs think it's a bad idea they may just say so. I've never heard a prof say "you should go to grad school" but since I've made my mind up to go to grad school. I've had some encouraging words from profs about how they could see me as a teacher--but only after I told them it was my goal. (this coming from the prof that I TAed for--so he might be biased in my favor. I bet the academics in the community have a cold chill up their spine thinking of me as an academic or professor--but much changes with time. I suppose)Yet if you do go to grad school and become a teacher (many with higher degree do just that) you should encourage your students to succeed and praise them when they do well--in moderation of cover and only when they earn it.
I once had an English prof write on my final act that "I hope you pursue an academic career-- you have the talent and skills to succeed in one." So clearly that kind of encouragement does/can happen. However. I would be very hesitant to let this kind of feedback (or the lack of it) affect my plans. If you really want to pursue graduate studies and your professors believe that you're not cut out for graduate work you will find out (you'll probably have trouble getting letters of rec). Decide what *you* want. Professors aren't obligated to tell you anything. If you're curious about whether you could succeed in a grad program bring it up with a prof before/when you ask for letters.
With respect to the specific academic field you mentioned:I think a lot of the time profs in English/Creative Writing tend not to disseminate the idea of grad school amongst their students because they're aware that it can be a) very expensive b) very competitive and c) that a lot of English majors in undergrad are either not particularly sure what they're doing with their life or they're taking English as a secondary major to complement Neuroscience or Investment Banking or whatever practical thing practical people do with their undergrad career. The first time I heard about the idea of grad school from a professor was in the context of: "Oh by the way you're smart. You should apply to this 4 + 1 schedule we have here [which requires you to pay us more money for a Masters in English that's pretty much useless unless you want to be an adjunct here for the rest of your life cough cough]." Luckily at that inform I'd done a little independent research into the matter and my response was a polite form of saying that I'd rather get paid to go to school kthxbye. What I'm saying is profs in undergrad (and especially in huge sprawling English departments) may not have the best comprehend of your motivation and desires. At that level they're just trying to make sure you can form complete sentences and think critically. Grad school is a whole 'nother ballgame and the decision to apply should not be adversely affected by appraise or lack thereof.
I teach freshmen so I don't usually tell anyone they're cut out for grad school. At that early re-create you can't tell something like that at all. I do however tell any students who are undecided about their major if/when I think they ought to major in the discipline I teach. I believe in honest praise at every turn. Then again this is partly due to teaching first-term freshmen who really do often need encouragement to just stay in college at all!
As a teacher. I'd be wary to express students that they should pursue any particular path in life. If I tell kids to get PhDs because they're good at this subject when their life goals were to use the skills learned in this subject for a lucrative industry job to teach underprivileged high school kids in the city or to start a commercial fishing operation. I'm discouraging them from doing what they love and forcing my career ideals on them. If they take my advice they may well have a lot of unhappy years in careers they loathe while the world is out a great technician teacher and fisherman. Nobody wins in that situation. On the other hand if you have a good relationship with a professor there's nothing wrong with approaching him or her and saying "I'm thinking of studying this in graduate school because I like the idea of an academic career. Do you think I'd be a good fit can you recommend some programs to look at what courses do you recommend I take so that I look good to grad schools etc.?" The real test of whether a professor thinks you're a good candidate for grad school will be in the letters of recommendation he or she writes for you. If you have "talent" (I'm guessing this has a lot to do with grades) you'll likely get form letters saying "I taught this student. She did well." but if you get to know your professors a little work with them outside of class and express a real passion for the field your letters will be much more indicative of that passion and ordain be all the encouragement you be.
I haven't read the rest of the comments and before I do here's my advice: forget about what instructors "usually" do and erase the word "talent" from your memory. Graduate school is about hard work more than talent for the vast majority of populate. If you are unsure if you should go seek out your favorite professor in your field and ask him or her directly: Am I a good candidate for graduate study in X field?NEVER consult strangers on the internet when making big decisions like this.
The best encouragement I ever received regarding grad school was discouragement. I had a professor who explained to me in great detail the ways in which grad school can be exhausting defeating unhealthy and emotionally damaging. By doing this he forced me to examine my reasons for wanting to go and whether I had the capacity to handle all of its challenges. I discovered that I still wanted to go and believed that I had the potential to be successful in it so I applied and here I am in grad school. I honestly don't remember whether my professors brought it up first and it doesn't matter. What's important is that when I did talk to them they helped me understand what I was getting myself into and offered to support me every go of the way (and they are!). I think if you're interested in grad school you should approach your professors about it. As others have said ask them about programs that are good for what you're interested in and what classes you can take now to strengthen applications to them. This is an excellent way not only to get the invaluable advice that comes with their answers but also to get to know the professors and back up them get to know you. In doing this you would also find out whether they believe you're cut out for grad school. In general I would say professors are much less likely to make an active effort to encourage or praise individual students than K-12 teachers. At the college level students are expected to be better able to critique themselves with less dependence on others' opinions (but without dismissing others' enter). I've had professors that I thought considered me average or even subpar but then when I approached them with questions I found out they thought much more of me. So no a student who should be going to grad school will not necessarily be hearing these things.
I wanted to clarify in my original post but I didn't want to seem as though I was rambling and telling you-all my "life story"; to explain: I am not waiting for someone to tell me how wonderful I am and I wouldn't ultimately base my decision upon what someone did or didn't say. But I experience a few of my peers undergo told me this professor or that professor recommended them for this program or that program (which is active encouragement.) Are these stories reliable? Is this a good barometer for who is especially smart and will do well in graduate school and who isn't? I'm trying to gage if this would be one (of many) realistic methods for determining my own aptitude for it... I'm a writer also and I have received a lot of positive feedback about my writing but I'm wondering if I should take it with a grain of salt or if teachers rarely say these things...
Didn't read ANY of the above comments. In my experience profs never said a word until I asked them stuff about grad school for recommendation letters etc. Then they said nice things. So I don't know what situation you are in but if you are just waiting for them to create verbally on your paper. "With this kind of skill you should be on the grad school track," I doubt that's going to happen.
A professor once emailed me the go out and time of a "preparing for grad school" seminar and some undergo assumed I am planning on it--but the latter was in the context of the honours English program I am taking which is usually taken by students who are planning on grad school. But unless you are taking a lot of courses from the same person. I wouldn't put much weight on a professor's suggestion. Perhaps they have only seen two or three essays and perhaps you had a few on days. As everyone says what matters is what you want to do not what someone who barely knows you tells you you can do.
I had professors tell me they knew I was cut out from grad school from freshman classes on to when I finally applied the first time. One of them was my Forensics coach though so this was someone I saw *all the time.* I kept the email where my Chinese Philosophy Professor complimented my final and re-read it on a regular basis when I was in grad school to remind me that someone used to think my work was good. *laughs*I started writing a lot of personal stories but I anticipate they don't really matter. What I should say is. I went to a small liberal arts college where I took multiple classes with the same professors. Some were very encouraging others less so. When I did my MA it was the same way. With my own students. I see them in chunks of 50 to 100 so it's hard for me to encouraging. Most of the time. I write comments on papers. Or. I will sometimes express a student that they are asking a really good question. That's about it though but I teach intro phil and intro logic.
As someone who just got into grad school for literature... It depends on the professor and the relationship between the professor and student. I have gotten praise but usually only when I'm specifically asking a professor for advice and/or help. Other people have told me "Oh. Dr. GreatGuy said you were smart," but I rarely hear that sort of thing from a professor's own mouth (unless it one of those "Oh Michelle you'll do fine stop worrying" conversations). Even on A papers most of the measure I'll get some comments maybe one or two supportive things from a touchy-feely prof but usually it's just "A." So if you want to know whether you'll do well in grad school look at your grades your study habits your goals and ask yourself some hard questions. If you really be a second opinion go to a professor you undergo a close relationship with and talk with him about your desire to go to grad school.
yea I know but I get all Bs/B+s (one has to really earn an A)... I feel like if I spend one hour or four hours on a paper I'll comfort get a B. And when I try to get an A and spend six hours I do even worse.... English literature classes are difficult because you basically have to guess what the professor is thinking. Even if you write a solid arguement if the professor doesn't agree with your interpretation you're not going to get an A... Also it seems so arbitrary I really feel like a lot of them consider their personal opinions for each particular student when grading them... Also. I know it sounds arrogant but in class discussion I feel like I always know the right answer (maybe the other people didn't do the reading/don't care.) And I do so much better on essay exams where everyone has the same allotted amount of measure as oppossed to papers.... Like for example in this discussion based seminar class I'm taking a couple people got As on the midterm paper and they never say anything smart in class discussion ever. But. I got a B and I'm always saying the right answer... But. I think you're right when you say in considering grad school:be at your grades. Not everyone gets to go to grad school and I have tried this semester to get As but I evaluate while I'm intelligent I don't think I'm ideally suited for high achieving academics...
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