Archive for April, 2011
Book Review: “What the Best College Teachers Do”
I recently finished reading Ken Bain’s What the Best College Teachers Do. In this book, Bain explores what differentiates a truly good teacher that engages students and facilitates learning from one that is simply going through the motions.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because Bain hit on points that align with my current teaching philosophy while providing ideas that I could implement in my own courses to strengthen the learning experience. The common thread connecting all of the book’s suggestions is that teachers should respect their students, create an environment in which students feel empowered to take control of their own educations, and give them opportunities to engage in critical thinking by grappling with real-world issues relating to the subject matter. This book is a must-read for any current or aspiring educators.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book:
“The best teaching occurred when people came into their classes filled with intentions to stimulate their students’ interests, to communicate clearly and effectively, to help everybody understand, to provoke responses, to foster deep thinking, to engage, and to entertain multiple perspectives.”
“I cannot stress enough the simple yet powerful notion that the key to understanding the best teaching can be found not in particular practices or rules, but in the attitudes of the teachers, in their faith in their students’ abilities to achieve in their willingness to take their students seriously and let them assume control of their own education, and in their commitment to let all policies and practices flow from central learning objectives and from a mutual respect and agreement between students and teachers.”
“The best teachers ask themselves what they hope students can do intellectually, physically or emotionally by the end of the course and why these abilities are important.”
And, my personal favorite:
“The moments of this class must belong to the student, not the students, but to the very undivided student. You don’t teach a class. You teach a student.”
