There’s been debate for many years about what makes a good college teacher. Is it lively lectures, a good sense of humor, or solid lesson plans?
According to Ken Bain, the author of What the Best College Teachers Do [Harvard University Press, 2004], the actual classroom performance of teachers is not the most important ingredient. Instead it's “how they achieve their results.” Bain took on a fifteen-year study of the subject looking closely at a number of college teachers who met two major criteria:
- Most of the students in the class were highly satisfied by the teaching and inspired to learn more.
- Most students in the class learned what was important to the discipline.
Number two is, admittedly, a more difficult outcome to define. But, Bain combined evidence from other teachers in the specific disciplines, and also accepted the fact that some good teachers stretched the boundaries of what may be the standard learning objectives of a certain field of study.
Good College Teachers Take Risks
Ken Bain writes in his book, “Indeed, most of the highly successful teachers in the study broke traditional definitions of courses, convincing us that success in helping students learn even some core material benefits from the teacher’s willingness to recognize that human learning is a complex process.” In essence, breaking the rules sometimes is a good thing.
“Good teachers try and try, and let students know they try,” says Richard M. Reis, Ph.D. Stanford University in his November 11th 2008 Minnesota State University Newsletter essay entitled “What Makes a Good Teacher.” Reis says no matter what teachers do in the classroom, it’s imperative that to “let our students know that we can't think of any place we would rather be at 8:10 on a Friday morning than in a class with them talking about the difference between a comma splice and a run-on sentence.”
Still, says Bain, the most important element of what makes a good teacher is whether the college student is learning “deeply.” He explains in his book that the goal is not for the student to just “learn the material” but to have a greater understanding and to “get into” the material and to “make sense of it all.”
What Makes a Good College Teacher?
Considering the teaching elements studied in Bain’s book and suggested by professors who work closely with teaching resource centers at colleges and universities, here is a list of what many educational professionals would consider five steps to becoming a good college teacher.
- Good college teachers are experts in their field, know their disciplines, and seek new knowledge without hesitation.
- Good college teachers break the rules in the classroom. They see the importance of students learning core material, but also believe the material must fit into a larger understanding and they seek to find unique ways to impress this upon students.
- Good college teachers connect with their students. They find ways to motivate, to approach the classroom work in a positive manner, and instill confidence in students.
- Good college teachers are available to students. Although good teachers are often very busy, they find time to make individual interaction with students a priority in the classroom, but most importantly outside the classroom.
- Good college teachers listen to their students. They adjust lessons to the needs of the students, they are not afraid to be wrong or challenged, and they allow for an open and honest learning environment.
Aspire to be Unique
Teaching is a profession that requires a firm commitment. This includes knowing and understanding your discipline, continuing to grow with the changes in your chosen field, and a dedication to caring about your students. All of them. Those who struggle and those who are highly motivated. Above all, good college teachers strive to find new approaches, new ways to connect with students, and unique teaching methods to cut through the clutter, old school memorization and recall, and deliver a authentic learning experience.
David Berner - David W. Berner is a journalist, documentary producer, writer, and teacher. He writes frequently about literature, music, broadcasting, ...
