Letting Go of the Reins
Sometimes we are so concerned with following our lesson plans to the letter that we miss what is truly important: teaching moments. A teacher has to learn to listen to his or her class and realize when...
View ArticleMetaphor for Teaching: The Teacher as Midwife
The midwife is still my favorite metaphor for teaching. I don’t think there’s a metaphor that more aptly captures the complexity, power, and richness of the dynamic relationship between teachers,...
View ArticleThe Truly Heroic
I was reading something yesterday that referenced Stephen Brookfield’s The Skillful Teacher. The first edition was published 1990, a second in 2006. The book is a classic. A lot of books in my teaching...
View ArticleTransforming Your Teaching Style: A Student-Centered Approach
When I started teaching 27 years ago, like the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz I believed that just having a brain would make me successful. And so each class session I would literally “take the stage”...
View ArticleGood Teaching: The Top 10 Requirements
1. Good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason. It’s about motivating students not only to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful...
View ArticlePreparing Teaching Philosophy Statements
Although they are a fairly recent innovation, most faculty are familiar with teaching philosophy statements. Many have prepared them for job interviews, for promotion and tenure dossiers, for teaching...
View ArticleKeeping Teaching Philosophy and Instructional Practice on the Same Page
“Conscientious pedagogical reflection is necessary to produce a complete, well-developed teaching philosophy. The absence of pedagogical reflection can result in daily instruction that fails to reflect...
View ArticleFinding the Inconsistencies
The previous blog post featured two quotes advocating reflection about teaching philosophy and teaching practice. The goal is to discover discrepancies (if there are any) between what one believes...
View ArticleBeing Ariadne: Helping Students Find Their Way
Thinking and writing metaphorically is often a recommended way to clarify one’s approach to teaching. Having a particular mental image provides a reference point, or compass, to guide teaching...
View ArticleTeachers as Guides: A New Appreciation for an Old Metaphor
Still finishing up? I remember one semester when I was doing my final grading in my office on a Saturday morning. It was very close to Christmas. I finally finished, submitted the grades, and...
View ArticleFour Characteristics of Successful Teachers
The quest to identify the ingredients, components, and qualities of effective instruction has been a long one. Starting in the 1930s, researchers sought to identify the common characteristics of good...
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What Students Want: Characteristics of Effective Teachers from the Students’...
As an undergrad, I put myself through school waiting tables – a truly humbling experience that made me a better instructor. With a mission of 100% customer satisfaction and my livelihood on the line,...
View ArticleEnhancing Out-of-Class Communication: Students’ Top 10 Suggestions
Out-of-class communication makes student-teacher relationships more personal and contributes to student learning. It is also the wellspring for continued academic exchange and mentoring. Unfortunately,...
View ArticleHelping Students with Disabilities Reach Their Educational Goals: Reflections...
There has long been the debate as to whether college is right for everyone. I follow the school of thought that college should be open to everyone and they may decide if it is the right fit for them....
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Strategies for Writing Better Teaching Philosophy Statements
Teaching philosophy statements are now prepared for a variety of reasons: as part of a job application process; to be included in a promotion and tenure dossier; for a teaching award; or to foster...
View ArticleNine Characteristics of a Great Teacher
Years ago, as a young, eager student, I would have told you that a great teacher was someone who provided classroom entertainment and gave very little homework. Needless to say, after many years of...
View ArticleRemembering Our Mission to Teach
Have you ever become so frustrated with students and overwhelmed by your workload that you start questioning what you are doing? At times it can feel suffocating. Baruti Kafele, an educator and...
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Three Teaching Styles
The most effective teachers vary their styles depending on the nature of the subject matter, the phase of the course, and other factors. By so doing, they encourage and inspire students to do their...
View ArticleIn Defense of Teaching
Mark Twain once remarked that “All generalizations are false, including this one.” It seems that we are in a time—an educational crossroads of sorts—when teaching is overgeneralized to the point where...
View ArticleSix Questions That Will Bring Your Teaching Philosophy into Focus
Earlier this year, a couple of contributions to The Teaching Professor (Haave 2014) and Faculty Focus (Weimer 2014) discussed the place of learning philosophies in our teaching. The online comments to...
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