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Old Sep 12, 2010, 11:20 AM
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I have a question. Do teachers/professors find it as uncomfortable to run into students outside of school as students find it to run into professors? I saw one of my professors this morning (I don't think she saw me-I was driving) and it totally wigged me out. It was just so wrong to have to see a professor outside of the classroom. Yikes.

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Old Sep 12, 2010, 12:40 PM
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googley, not all students are uncomfortable when they see their professors outside of class. I don't have a problem with it. I say hello, we chat for a few moments, and that is that. Probably most professors aren't uncomfortable with it. It has probably happened to them so many times.... Do you know what makes you uncomfortable about it? Are you afraid they won't remember you from their class so you aren't sure if you should say hi or not? If it was a huge lecture class I probably wouldn't say hi either, as I doubt the professor would remember the masses of students every quarter. But if it was a smaller class where the professor definitely knew me, then I would say hello.
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Old Sep 12, 2010, 01:20 PM
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As a former college professor, I can say that it never bothered me to see students outside of the classroom....In fact, I was always willing to chat with the student--and I'd say, "Hi!" But, of course, I did have some students who hadn't been to class lately or hadn't done very well....I could tell that they were trying to avoid me,....so I usually didn't make a major effort to confront them. But I always like to catch up on the news with former students. Yes, oddly enough, we do live regular lives outside the school environment!
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Old Sep 12, 2010, 03:01 PM
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I remember seeing my high school history teacher when I was getting my first degree and that was kind of weird as he was taking courses too, both of us at the same school He appeared to enjoy running into me (we were both between classes; I had been one of his "good" students in high school (he was one of the influences toward my majoring in history).).
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Old Sep 12, 2010, 11:56 PM
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personally, i love seeing my professors outside of school...it makes them human! i always assume they dont remember me or know who i am and i am 100% of the time dead wrong! i like having non-school-related conversations with them...its good times!
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Old Sep 13, 2010, 12:57 PM
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englishteacher englishteacher is offline
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I don't mind running into former and present students off campus, as long as I'm not somewhere that I shouldn't be...lol. Of course, after 12 years of teaching, I may not remember everyone's name.

The only time I don't enjoy running into students is when they decide that I'm their long lost best friend and they want to talk for 30 or 40 minutes in the grocery store....ah, I'm doing something....say hello, good to see you, catch up BRIEFLY, and then let's both get back to what we were doing.

I can understand why it is strange to run into teachers off campus, but keep in mind that we have lives off campus too...I go to bars, to the grocery store, to the mall, to Wal-Mart, just like lots of other people. Ultimately, professors are just human beings...flawed, confused humans...some are much more flawed than others...lol
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Old Sep 15, 2010, 06:32 AM
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LOL well, teachers are humans too. I was at a private school system for a while, and it was quite normal to see students off campus. Like another poster, I can't always recall names... and they can ours because they only had a few to remember!

Think about the members here who are or will be teachers... you'd say hi to them okay, right?
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Old Sep 22, 2010, 10:58 PM
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My former high school English teacher's husband worked at the University I first went to, so it was a little awkward at first, but they soon both became good friends of mine and I even visited their house and bought them baby gifts for their baby. We still keep in touch and meet up at the mall even somethings. I also have my former drama teacher on facebook. I think it's cool to keep in contact with them and to see what they're like 'outside' the classroom.
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Old Sep 22, 2010, 11:09 PM
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Well, I am not a teacher or a professor (although as soon as I get finished with my college credits I will be a substitute teacher until I get the job I really want), but it never bothered me to see teachers outside of school. I work for the School District now so I see a lot of my old teachers, and it isn't odd at all. We talk, ask each other how the other one is doing, no biggie. In fact, some of my teachers are now my friends. I also work with a lot of Administrators that were teachers at one time, and most of them are my friends too. I don't see anything wrong with it, we are all humans that are just doing our job. Teachers aren't robots or anything, they are regular people.
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  #10  
Old Sep 23, 2010, 12:22 AM
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melodie melodie is offline
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I did a bit of Bar work a few years ago, and I have to tell you -living in a smallish town, with limited night life - my "Kid's teacher's" were usually pretty embarrassed when they would stumble in the door of the pub I was working at full of Friday night bravado, and realize the "barmaid" was Little Johnny's" Mum. I think they were more embarrassed Monday morning, chalk in hand looking studious and responsible, saying good-morning....and trying to remember if they had done anything embarrassing on Friday night....not that I'd tell!!!!!!!!
  #11  
Old Sep 23, 2010, 09:13 AM
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Ha! So much for setting a good example! I remember hearing about how teachers years ago HAD to be the pillars of the community--or else they were out of a job! Women teachers had to quit when they got married. Can you believe that?

I found it a little hard to move from their formal names to their first names. I did become a good friend of one of my former professor--about ten years after the fact. She went from "Dr. White" to "Rita."
  #12  
Old Sep 23, 2010, 11:15 AM
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Fresia Fresia is offline
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Some of my professors it is awkward when see them off campus and others it is not, just like any relationship as some people you hit it off with and others you don't. When I used to teach in the corporate field, the same thing would happen; some would be uncomfortable talking if ran into to them outside of class and others not. Always tried to keep conversations brief though.

What is more awkward to me is that transition from last name to first name. This is more uncomfortable to me even being an older student. Especially if it is during a semester, when other classmates are still calling them by their last name and I have been asked to call them by their first. I can't do it in front of others, still insist on using their last name.
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