My experiences as a professor (thus far)

I can truly say that my time in the classroom has been more than a rewarding experience. I've had the chance to meet many intrepid students who have already made an impact on the world. In my daily walk, my age separates me from many of my colleagues. This doesn't mean that I'm totally green when it comes to experience or than I feel that I adapt to new technology quicker. It means that my students have found it easy to relate to me and my teaching style. At times, I've found that we share some of the same interest. All of which, make for a wonderful classroom environment.

My goals as an educator include enabling my students to be true to themselves at all times and inspiring a new generation of scholars that will not only graduate, but go on to obtain terminal degrees. There are times where the paperwork seems insurmountable and the extra tasks tedious. Like Murphy's Law dictates, these are the times where my students tend to drop by. Sometimes the matters are serious, while other times, not so much. However, I'll never think twice about putting cumbersome paperwork aside to listen to the student. There is no deadline more important that someone's son or daughter. After many of these meetings, I feel energized and more than capable of completing previous tasks.

My most memorable moment in the classroom happened at Johnson C. Smith University. It was the start of the Spring 2007 semester and I had just finished preparing for my semester course load. The department chair at the time stopped by my office to see if I would be interested in taking on a extra course that needed an instructor. Seeing the invitation as an opportunity to teach a different course, I quickly accepted and began preparing for it as it was a day away. Keep in mind, the students who registered for the course had no idea who the instructor would be, or if the class would remain open. In my daily ritual, I wait until the moment the class begins to appear and start the lecture. This time, when I entered the class, the students stood up and started a round of applause. I was floored! I was so moved that it took me a moment to gather my composure. After I did so, I asked the students why they had done so. One student said, "Before you got here, we started to talk about faculty who we'd like to teach this course. When your name was mentioned, you walked in. We got what we wanted." I thought to myself. "I might not be so bad at this after all." As a result, The saga continues...

By Jemayne, Young Professor at Johnson C. Smith University and author of  Sole Food and Life Within The Dorm