Thursday, December 01, 2005
News you can Use
There's an odd tradition in law school to give the professor a round of applause at the end of the last class.
I don't remember doing this in college. I wonder if this is standard procedure at other law schools/graduate schools. I also wonder how we knew to do it last year ... did somebody have a 2L friend who told them to do it or did the entire class do it out of a spontaneous feeling that this was the right thing to do?
I think it's a nice gesture, and some professors seem to be genuinely moved. Other professors, though, look uncomfortable and practically sprint out of the room.
The practice has its quirks -- for example, a round of applause from 120 people in a large room doesn't seem strange at all, but in a 12 person class in a small room, it's a little weird. Last year, we had one professor for the entire year. I can't remember if we clapped at the end of the Fall semester, but I don't think we did. At least that would make sense under the logic of the whole regime.
And although every professor gets at least a perfunctory round, the level of enthusiasm definitely varies according to the class's opinion of the teacher. I hope the professors know that.
Today I have my last class with Grandpa Jack, my favorite professor thus far in law school. This is my second class with him, and I don't think he teaches anything else that I can take. I would take every class with him if they let me.
I'll clap extra loud -- both because I respect him and because he's elderly.
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I don't remember doing this in college. I wonder if this is standard procedure at other law schools/graduate schools. I also wonder how we knew to do it last year ... did somebody have a 2L friend who told them to do it or did the entire class do it out of a spontaneous feeling that this was the right thing to do?
I think it's a nice gesture, and some professors seem to be genuinely moved. Other professors, though, look uncomfortable and practically sprint out of the room.
The practice has its quirks -- for example, a round of applause from 120 people in a large room doesn't seem strange at all, but in a 12 person class in a small room, it's a little weird. Last year, we had one professor for the entire year. I can't remember if we clapped at the end of the Fall semester, but I don't think we did. At least that would make sense under the logic of the whole regime.
And although every professor gets at least a perfunctory round, the level of enthusiasm definitely varies according to the class's opinion of the teacher. I hope the professors know that.
Today I have my last class with Grandpa Jack, my favorite professor thus far in law school. This is my second class with him, and I don't think he teaches anything else that I can take. I would take every class with him if they let me.
I'll clap extra loud -- both because I respect him and because he's elderly.
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