What makes certain college classes so difficult to teach?

As a junior who's starting to look at college courses, I'm really interested in learning about the challenges from the instructors' perspective too. What are some of the hardest college classes to teach and why does that stand? Is it the content, student engagement, or some other factor?

Great question! As you've identified in your post, there are several factors that can make certain college courses challenging to teach. Here are three key factors:

1. Content: Subjects that dive into abstract, complex or highly advanced material can be difficult to teach. For example, a course in Quantum Physics or Advanced Thermodynamics requires the professor to explain incredibly complex and abstract concepts. The instructor must have a deep understanding of the material, be able to break it down into understandable parts and communicate it effectively to students.

2. Student engagement: Courses that struggle to naturally engage students can be hard to teach. For instance, subjects that are perceived as 'dry' or 'boring' often struggle with student engagement. Similarly, large introductory courses like Bio 101 might have hundreds of students, and it can be challenging to foster a sense of community or individual engagement in these settings.

3. Prerequisite knowledge: Courses that assume a high level of prerequisite knowledge can be tough to teach. Some advanced-level courses require students to have grasped foundational concepts that were taught in earlier classes. If students are struggling with these foundational concepts, it can make teaching the advanced material more difficult.

Of course, remember that a good instructor can make a huge difference. Their passion for the subject, teaching style, and approach to student engagement can make challenging content accessible and interesting. So while these factors can make certain classes tough to teach, a great professor might relish these challenges and turn them into positives!