I love to teach. For me, nothing compares to the experience of helping students understand the relevance of sociology to their everyday lives. Effective professors demonstrate excellence in enthusiasm, relevance, rapport, organization, consistency, and knowledge. The first element present in effective instruction is enthusiasm.
Students truly appreciate professors who have a passion for their subject matter and for teaching.
Enthusiasm has a way of rubbing off on students. Students who are enthused about the class are more likely to remain interested, enjoy learning, and question course material than those students who are indifferent. In addition to projecting my voice and making exaggerated gestures, I bring students a sense of excitement by seasoning class discussions and lectures with funny jokes, emotional stories, and outrageous examples. When completing their evaluations of my instruction, many of my students credit me with making the material more enjoyable than they had expected, and a number of those students go even further to acknowledge the importance of my enthusiasm in their understanding of the course material. Establishing the relevance of the course material is also necessary in maintaining student interest and encouraging critical analysis.