> So many professors would [...] say things like "...and the proof is trivial" or "...it obviously follows that...", and I'd sit there wanting to shout "NO, NO

> So many professors would [...] say things like "...and the proof is trivial" or "...it obviously follows that...", and I'd sit there wanting to shout "NO, NO it's not obvious!" Agreed. What makes a great teacher is not the depth of their knowledge of the subject matter, but how well they are able to put themselves in their students' shoes and overcome the "Curse of Knowledge"[1]. Unfortunately for students, university professors are usually hired for the former (knowledge & research) and not the latter (real teaching ability). [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_knowledge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_knowledge