Professor or Researcher?

Sometimes I sit in my classes and daze off in complete boredom as my professors read off power point slides. Some days are much more dry than others even if the topic being discussed may seem a bit interesting. Although professors have profound intellect and are very beneficial to their respected institutions, they may not be effective lecturers. The fact of the matter is that the reason professors get paid an enormous salary is because of their research contributions. Some professors can be a valuable asset to their research based universities and not to their students. I currently have a professor who barely teaches the class and continuously leads boring lectures but gets paid $130,000+ a year. I am certain she does not get paid this staggering amount for her ability to actively engage students in lecture and provide them with a priceless education. Another professor of mine gets paid $200,000 a year and I can also assure he does not get paid this amount for discussing course content 1 hour a day, 2 days a week. Some professors may be exceptional researchers but may be terrible lecturers. All I know is that if universities want students to walk away with wisdom and a quality education, they should make sure a professor is proficient in actively engaging students and keeping their interest levels high. Don’t get me wrong, some professors are absolutely phenomenal and continuously arouse student interest. However, these professors can be hard to come by at research institutions and are often contracted lecturers. I write this piece after discovering the salaries of professors who I believe are not up to par in conveying information to students. In no way am I bashing professors and I credit the ones who produce the future professionals in society. All I’m saying is that professors should make the learning experience engaging and memorable for students. It may be difficult to constantly keep students’ attention but reading off power point slides verbatim doesn’t help either.