Issue 19, Fall 2000

William A. McEachern, Editor

In a Nutshell

I believe my teaching has benefited from working on this newsletter, especially reporting the teaching ideas contributed by others in "The Grapevine." I recently won the University of Connecticut's 2000 Excellence in Teaching Award. At the risk of appearing self-indulgent, let me share with you a summary of remarks I offered at the award reception.

Emerson said, "The years teach us much that the days never know." What has a quarter century of teaching taught me? I have learned three principles for effective teaching: (1) have something worth saying, (2) say it well, and (3) get and give feedback. In a nutshell, an effective teacher focuses on the message, the medium, and the market. These principles may seem obvious, but success is a study of the obvious.

(1) The Message — Have Something Worth Saying: What is the most important use of today's class? What points do I want to convey and in what order? How will this class flow from the last one and set up the next one? I try to choose material that helps students the most. And I try to avoid the trap of selecting topics merely because they are relatively easy to explain.

(2) The Medium — Say It Well: As John Dewey noted, there can be no real learning without student interest. The key to saying it well is to stimulate student interest. First, I use examples that rely on student experience to build bridges from what students know to what they don't. I choose examples that need no explanation. Having to explain an example is like having to explain a joke -- the point gets lost. A second way of generating interest is variety. I try to mix it up, employing not only examples, but analogies, parables, proverbs, anecdotes, news stories, discussions, debates, exercises, experiments, games, blackboards, overheads, software, Web sites -- whatever applications that stimulate interest by helping turn the abstract into the concrete.

(3) The Market — Get and Give Feedback: How well am I coming across to students? By getting and giving feedback, I try to make sure that the message and the medium are on target for the market, whether that market is a large introductory class or a graduate seminar. Feedback mechanisms abound -- enrollment patterns, class attendance, early exits from class, body language, off-hand remarks, class discussions, questions, answers, office hours, e-mails, Web site use, exams, student evaluations, and so on. I use student feedback to fine-tune the message and the medium. But I must also provide feedback to students by establishing and reinforcing course objectives that are clear and unambiguous. I tell my students that I want them to be able to see right through me.

Top                                                                                                                                                                                          Next