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Originally Posted by Martian
A reputation as a hard ass is a very good thing for a professor to have. You definitely want that if you can get it. Remember, you're not there to make friends with the students, you're there to teach them the material and make sure they do what they have to do. That goes for TA's as well. This, unfortunately, isn't a situation where you'll catch more flies with honey.
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The best professor I have ever had was a hard ass in the classroom but your best friend outside of it. He, over many years of teaching, had perfected a balance between caring for students and busting their asses. He wasn't afraid to take students down a peg or two in the classroom by pointing out flaws in their arguments, reasoning, etc, but if you went to his office hours he was really interested in getting to know YOU.
Over time, Gilda, I hope you can become to your students what Dr. Ahearn was for me.