I had three classes yesterday which were the last of the semester. At the end of each class students clapped for the professor. Why? I just don’t get it.
Yes, I really enjoyed some of the classes and also respected the vast majority of my professors. But the fact is that I pay over thirty thousand dollars a year to sit and listen to these professor talk. The fact that they should be good at their job is expected. If I for some reason expected professors to be bad at their job, and then by some twist of fate, they greatly exceeded my expectations, then I might be inclined to clap for them. Fortunately this is not the case. I generally don’t stop and clap for a McDonald’s employee who made me a particularly good Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, no matter how much I enjoyed it. I generally don’t clap for service providers, no matter how important their service may be.
I clap for performances. Theater, live music, et cetera. I don’t expect professor to perform, I expect them to teach.
I wonder what the professors are thinking when the students clap for them. Do they appreciate it? Or do they think its ridiculous? I suppose it depends on the particular professor.
Either way, I thanked the professors but I didn’t clap.