A post by an X user, depicting an WhatsApp interaction between him and his teacher, has triggered a thought-provoking discussion among social media users. The post delves into the professor's reaction to the student’s text requesting attendance. While some were puzzled by the teacher's response, others talked about effective communication in educational settings.
X user expressed his confusion in a post, saying, “Someone please explain what I did wrong here lmaooo.” He shared a screenshot of his message asking if attendance would be given if a group from their batch goes to an event. He addressed the professor as doctor, wrote his query and ended with a “Thank you.” The teacher’s response was a curt, “Is this how you talk to teachers?”
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With over 6.7 lakh views, the now-deleted post had collected nearly 11,000 likes. The share had further prompted people to post varied comments. An individual reshared the X post and added, “Indian profs and bosses have a worse superiority complex than colonial lords.”
How did others react to this share?
“Obviously, you should say respected dear esteemed prof Dr xyz ofc,” joked an X user.
{{/usCountry}}“Obviously, you should say respected dear esteemed prof Dr xyz ofc,” joked an X user.
{{/usCountry}}“What happened after,” asked another who goes by Marzi. The original poster (OP) replied that he went to the professor's office and cleared the misunderstanding, adding that the teacher was offended as he didn't use “ma'am or respected ma'am” in his message.
A third person suggested, “The tone of the message might be misinterpreted. In a foreign context, yes, it's formal and polite. In India, Big no. I got a huge scolding when I sent messages just like you in my college days. Always use apologetic tones like "Could you", "Please", "Requesting", etc.
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A fourth wrote, “What she, or any Indian professor, actually wants is this: Dear [Professor's Name], I hope you are doing well. My name is NAME, and I am a student in the AIML program, currently enrolled in your Computer Networks class. I’m writing to kindly request your understanding, as I, along with a few other students, will be participating in an important event today for which I am also presenting. We would like to humbly ask if it would be possible for us to be marked present for today’s class, as we are contributing to this event. Your support in this matter would mean a lot to us. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. We truly appreciate your understanding. Warm regards, NAME.”
What do you think about this exchange between a student and his teacher?