Occasionally in my academic career, i've encountered a teacher who i thought was lousy. I wasn't, however, consciously aware of the criteria i was using to make this determination. Perhaps the professor simply used a teaching method incompatible with my learning style and other people might have thought that he was wonderful. I began to wonder if there was a widely accepted definition of what makes a good teacher. That way, if i thought a teacher was bad, i would have at least some data to back up my claim.
My curiosity lead me to a book called What The Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain. In it, he explores the results of his study which sought to catalog traits common to the "best" teachers across the disciplines. First, that involved defining what exactly makes a great teacher. In his opinion, the best teachers fundamentally changed the way students thought about a particular discipline. The best teachers inspired lasting curiosity and new ways of thought. Success wasn't about test grades; it was about deep learning.
The book makes it clear that there is no one best way to teach a class. Different teachers can use different methods with equal success. However, there were some themes that did seem to be universal among the teachers in the study. For example, the best teacher always made sure the material they were covering were relevant to their students' lives. In a specific anecdote, Bain tells of mathematics teacher Donald Saari and his "WGAD" principle which states that at any point during the course his students can ask "who gives a damn" and he can always tell them why it's important. If it's not relevant, why put it on your syllabus? Along the same theme, the best teachers also typically use cumulative exams. The information learned doesn't become less important after you take a test on it. Additionally, the best teacher use grades as a way to help the student realizes what they don't yet know. After an assignment is graded and returned, the student should have the opportunity to learn the parts that they got wrong and resubmit the assignment. This way, the focus is on really learning the material not just getting a good grade. I was pleased to realize that many of these qualities i had come to realize on my own, perhaps as a result of my greater-than-average number of years in school.
I was especially interested in how all of this applies to mathematics. Often people assume that math is completely different from all other disciplines, and i think that's unfair. I think some of the blame for that falls on teachers. Math is never about solving for x. It's about finding the number of people an elevator can hold, determining how fast a machine can produce bolts, or minimizing wasted wood in a construction project. Math shouldn't be about memorizing the quadratic equations, it;s about thinking like a mathematician by using numbers to solve real world problems. All branches of math are connected to the experiences of everyday life.
I liked many of the ideas of the book but i am concerned with how they would apply to all situations. For example, when classes are customized to a particular group of students, one might not cover the same material from semester to semester. This may cause a problem when enrolling in a class like Calc 2 taught by a different instructor. How can a smooth transition be guaranteed. Also, the book specifically covered college teachers and the ideas might not transfer well to high school teaching as well. That's because the book stresses being honest with the students about the amount of work involved and if they are not willing to put forth the effort, then they should drop the class. High school students seem to have less freedom to make such decisions. Finally, the book seemed to assume that professors sole purpose is to teach. From what i understand, they are also expected to do research and, in some cases, secure grants for the university. The last chapter does touch in this, but i still wonder how those two obligations can be balanced. As Bain noted, the best scholars in a discipline don't necessarily make the best teachers.
As you can probably tell, this is something i'm interested in and plan to learn more about. I'll keep you posted.
Posted by Matthew at October 9, 2005 07:49 PM