From time to time, I will post some suggestions for readers to consider and to comment on as they plan their journey to and through graduate school. So for those who have ears, here are my ideas, for all its two cents of worth, about those “everyone recommends” professors.

Like in undergrad, there is, as we say on the island, the coconut radio, broadcasting, spreading, and connecting information and, of course, gossip (you know you tune in for it) to people. For listeners, you can found out those “everyone recommends” professors, based on all different kinds of criteria. Before following these recommendations, I would read each professor’s biography first, located, for most of the professors, online. Look for what the professor’s field of expertise is in and other relevant information. Email them if you have questions about the syllabus or their teaching style. Know that your mandatory field placement days will limit the range of professors and classes you have to choose from.

However, my ultimate suggestion, for those with the coconut radios tuned in, is to remember that as a learner you have considerable power and control over your educational experience. Your first thought might be to select the professor who only has one paper assigned rather than three. Regardless of the paper and even the professor, what you seek and expect to learn is what matters most. Learning, of course, is not just about being taught. It’s also about your own engagement with the material, with your classmates, and with your field placement. You have the power to direct the scope and depth of what you learn no matter who teaches it. However, you will not have time to learn it all in graduate school; that is not the goal. Attending graduate school is about you learning how to think, to critically analyze, and to research at a more advanced and self-directed level. It’s about you realizing that you’re the best teacher you will every have.

…until next write…

…together in the struggle…