Four Key Qualities of Good Teaching

Last year, I had the honor of receiving the Distinguished Teaching Award at UMass, Amherst…really it was “a” DTA…I think there were five recipients in all.  But still, it felt good to be recognized, especially in a field where recognition rarely extends beyond the immediate classroom experience.

 

After I won, more and more people started to ask me about good teaching.  Of course, sometimes the questions come out sideways: So, what makes YOU such a good teacher?  

Despite the questionable sincerity, these interactions forced me reflect further on teaching and student feedback and distill the key elements of my experience.  So here’s how I answer:

1) Create a meaningful classroom experience -- Most students don't know why they are in college, nevertheless why they are in my class.  Being able to craft a compelling narrative that connect with the students and that helps explain why the work matters will go a long way.  After all, if the students are bought in, than everything else falls into place. 

2) Value the knowledge that students bring to the classroom -- everybody has something to offer, you just need give your students a chance to share and contribute. The key is to be able to take their knowledge and experience and connect it back to the course content and the larger narrative of the class. 

3) Balance preparation and spontaneity -- it's easy to prepare and it's important to prepare, but if you focus only on preparation you tend to get bogged down talking about the trees while missing the forest.  Spontaneity creates the opportunity for dynamic and lively discussion.  It opens up the opportunity to value the knowledge and experience that your students bring to the classroom – the very thing that you can’t know or prepare for ahead of time.

4) Put students first –in grad school, we’re taught strict reverence for our discipline, but that doesn't always translates to good teaching; we’re taught to put content first and students second…or third.  What does it mean to put students first?  Part of that is valuing the knowledge that they bring to the classroom.  The other part is investing time in students: that means flexible office hours, reviewing drafts, and answering emails 24/7.  It entails a challenging commitment to students.  But it's a commitment that pays off tenfold in classroom outcomes.