GOOD TEACHING: THE TOP TEN

REQUIREMENTS
By Richard Leblanc, York University, Ontario
This article appeared in The Teaching
Professor after Professor Leblanc won a
Seymous Schulich Award for Teaching
Excellence including a $10,000 cash award.
Reprinted here with permission of Professor
Leblanc, October 8, 1998.

One. Good teaching is as much about

passion as it is about reason. It's about not
only motivating students to learn, but
teaching them how to learn, and doing so
in a manner that is relevant, meaningful,
and memorable. It's about caring for your
craft, having a passion for it, and
conveying that passion to everyone, most
importantly to your students.

Two. Good teaching is about substance and

treating students as consumers of
knowledge. It's about doing your best to
keep on top of your field, reading sources,
inside and outside of your areas of
expertise, and being at the leading edge as
often as possible. But knowledge is not
confined to scholarly journals. Good
teaching is also about bridging the gap
between theory and practice. It's about
leaving the ivory tower and immersing
oneself in the field, talking to, consulting
with, and assisting practitioners, and
liaisoning with their communities.

Three. Good teaching is about listening,

1
 questioning, being responsive, and
remembering that each student and class
is different. It's about eliciting responses
and developing the oral communication
skills of the quiet students. It's about
pushing students to excel; at the same
time, it's about being human, respecting
others, and being professional at all times.

Four. Good teaching is about not always

having a fixed agenda and being rigid, but
being flexible, fluid, experimenting, and
having the confidence to react and adjust
to changing circumstances. It's about
getting only 10 percent of what you wanted
to do in a class done and still feeling good.
It's about deviating from the course
syllabus or lecture schedule easily when
there is more and better learning
elsewhere. Good teaching is about the
creative balance between being an
authoritarian dictator on the one hand and
a pushover on the other.

Five. Good teaching is also about style.

Should good teaching be entertaining? You
bet! Does this mean that it lacks in
substance? Not a chance! Effective
teaching is not about being locked with
both hands glued to a podium or having
your eyes fixated on a slide projector while
you drone on. Good teachers work the
room and every student in it. They realize
that they are the conductors and the class
is the orchestra. All students play different
instruments and at varying proficiencies.

2
 Six. This is very important -- good teaching
is about humor. It's about being self-
deprecating and not taking yourself too
seriously. It's often about making
innocuous jokes, mostly at your own
expense, so that the ice breaks and
students learn in a more relaxed
atmosphere where you, like them, are
human with your own share of faults and
shortcomings.

Seven. Good teaching is about caring,

nurturing, and developing minds and
talents. It's about devoting time, often
invisible, to every student. It's also about
the thankless hours of grading, designing
or redesigning courses, and preparing
materials to still further enhance
instruction.

Eight. Good teaching is supported by

strong and visionary leadership, and very
tangible institutional support -- resources,
personnel, and funds. Good teaching is
continually reinforced by an overarching
vision that transcends the entire
organization -- from full professors to part-
time instructors -- and is reflected in what
is said, but more importantly by what is
done.

Nine. Good teaching is about mentoring

between senior and junior faculty,
teamwork, and being recognized and
promoted by one's peers. Effective
teaching should also be rewarded, and
poor teaching needs to be remediated

3
 through training and development
programs.

Ten. At the end of the day, good teaching is

about having fun, experiencing pleasure
and intrinsic rewards ... like locking eyes
with a student in the back row and seeing
the synapses and neurons connecting,
thoughts being formed, the person
becoming better, and a smile cracking
across a face as learning all of a sudden
happens. Good teachers practice their craft
not for the money or because they have to,
but because they truly enjoy it and because
they want to. Good teachers couldn't
imagine doing anything else.

SELECTING A DELIVERY STRATEGY

Introduction

The term "delivery strategy" is overused

and often misunderstood. Books have been
written about it and often equate it to the
term "method." Most undergraduate
teaching-training programs even require a
course in methods. For the purpose of this
article, choosing a delivery strategy will be
presented as a choice among the lecture,
demonstrations, or discussion. The
common nature of these choices do not
answer the question How?, but focus on
the question, Why ? A series of questions is
presented to help you make a decision on
which delivery method to use.

4
 Choosing a Lecture

The purpose of a lecture is to clarify

information to a large group in a short
period of time. It is not to convey
information! Lectures require a great deal
of preparation time and need to be
supported by various audio-visuals. The
lecture is a great opportunity for
instructors to feed their egos! It is
instructor-centered. Handouts,
programmed instruction, information
handouts, modules, student presentations,
guest speakers, films, film strips, and
reading assignments are adaptations of
lectures.

The following questions should assist you

in determining the appropriateness of a
lecture.

1.What knowledge, skill, or attitude

needs to be learned?
2.How many students need the content?
3.Do all or most of the students need the
content now?
4.How much preparation time is
available?
5.Are you in command of your nonverbal
cues?
6.Can you develop interest in the
lecture?
7.Are there appropriate audio-visual
support systems?
8.Would a handout work just as well?
9.Can you devise means to ensure that
more than one sense is used by

5
 students?
10.Are there natural divisions that
equate to 20 minutes or less?
11.Would a videotape work just as well?
12.Do your impromptu lectures last 5
minutes or less?
13.Could you provide an outline of
important parts of the lecture?
14.What portion of your teaching time do
you spend lecturing?
15.Would a text assignment work just as
well?
16.Do you summarize regularly in the
lecture?
17.Do you pose questions in your
lectures?

18.Have you ever listened to or watched

one of your lectures?
Choosing a Demonstration

The purpose of the demonstration is to

transmit the big picture to a relatively
small group of students in a short period of
time. Demonstrations usually require a lot
of preparation time and must be supported
with various audio-visuals. Demonstrations
are particularly useful in teaching skills
and are more teacher-centered than
student-centered. There are several
variations of demonstrations. Projects,
peer tutoring, research papers, practice,
field trips, on-the-job training, simulated
experiences, and videotapes are
adaptations of demonstrations. The
following questions should assist you in

6
 determining the appropriateness of a
demonstration:

1.Does the learner need to see the

process?
2.How many students need the content?
3.How many students need the content
now?
4.How much preparation time is
available?
5.Can you tell and show the content?
6.Can you appeal to other senses?
7.Do you want the students to imitate
you?
8.Is there a-v support available?
9.Will the demonstration last more that
20 minutes?
10.Could you use a videotape just as
well?
11.Can you ask questions during the
demonstration?
12.Can the students take notes?
13.Will there be practice time for the
students?
14.Can the student easily identify the
steps?
15.Will you permit the students to ask
questions?
16.Is there only one right way?
17.Will you support the demonstration
with handouts?

18.Have you ever listened to or watched

one of your demonstrations?
Choosing a Discussion

7
 The purpose of a discussion is to solicit and
involve the student in content transmittal.
Discussions are limited to small groups and
require considerable time. The discussion
method does not require much audio-visual
support. This method is particularly useful
in an affective area. It promotes
understanding and clarification of
concepts, ideas, and feelings. There are
numerous variations, and the discussion
method can vary from teacher-centered to
student-centered. Role playing, debate,
panel discussion, reviews, supervised
study, brainstorming, buzz groups, idea
incubation, tests, show-and-tell,
worksheets, conferences, and interviews
are examples. The following questions
should assist you in determining the
appropriateness of a discussion:

1.Do you need active involvement from

the student?
2.How many students need to be
involved?
3.Must you hear everything being said?
4.How much time is available?
5.Is divergent thinking a desirable end?
6.Could you just as well tell them?
7.Can there be more than one right
answer?
8.Is there time to clarify differences?
9.How much control do you need?
10.Can you accept the students' views?
11.Can interest be aroused and
maintained?
12.Is there time to draw conclusions?
13.Is there time to follow up?

8
 14.What needs to be tested?
15.Is two-way communication necessary?
16.Are checks and balances available to
prevent certain students from
dominating?
17.Are there means to keep on the topic?

18.Have you ever listened to or watched

yourself in a discussion?

ENHANCING YOUR TEACHING

EFFECTIVENESS
Source Unknown

Accurately assessing your students'

developmental state can direct your
planning and impel your teaching. For
instance, recognizing a 16-year-old's
concern about his appearance and his
standing among his peers may promote
your rapport with him and eliminate
learning barriers.

Keep in mind that chronologic age and

developmental stage are not always
related. Throughout life, people move
sequentially through developmental
stages, but most people also fluctuate
somewhat among stages, often in response
to outside stressors. These stressors can
cause a person to regress temporarily to an
earlier stage. Sometimes a person may not
achieve the task expected of his
chronologic age. So you will need to
address your students at their current
developmental stages, not at the stages at
which you would expect them to be

9
 because of their chronological ages.

In some situations, hopefully most, you will

have time to sit down and develop a formal
teaching plan. In others, you will be
confronted with a "teachable moment"
when the student is ready to learn and is
asking pointed questions. Invariably, these
moments seem to come at the most
inopportune times. At times like these, you
face the dilemma: to teach or not to teach.
Having a knowledge of basic learning
principles will help you take best
advantage of these moments. Here are
some principles proven to enhance
teaching and learning.

Seize the moment

Teaching is most effective when it
occurs in quick response to a need the
learner feels. So even though you are
elbow deep in something else, you
should make every effort to teach the
student when he or she asks. The
student is ready to learn. Satisfy that
immediate need for information now,
and augment your teaching with more
information later.
Involve the student in planning
Just presenting information to the
student does not ensure learning. For
learning to occur, you will need to get
the student involved in identifying his
learning needs and outcomes. Help him
to develop attainable objectives. As the
teaching process continues, you can
further engage him or her by selecting

10
 teaching strategies and materials that
require the student's direct
involvement, such as role playing and
return demonstration. Regardless of
the teaching strategy you choose,
giving the student the chance to test
his or her ideas, to take risks, and to
be creative will promote learning.
Begin with what the student knows
You will find that learning moves faster
when it builds on what the student
already knows. Teaching that begins by
comparing the old, known information
or process and the new, unknown one
allows the student to grasp new
information more quickly.
Move from simple to complex
The student will find learning more
rewarding if he has the opportunity to
master simple concepts first and then
apply these concepts to more complex
ones. Remember, however, that what
one student finds simple, another may
find complex. A careful assessment
takes these differences into account
and helps you plan the teaching
starting point.
Accommodate the student's preferred
learning style
How quickly and well a student learns
depends not only on his or her
intelligence and prior education, but
also on the student's learning style
preference. Visual learners gain
knowledge best by seeing or reading
what you are trying to teach; auditory
learners, by listening;and tactile or

11
 psychomotor learners, by doing.

You can improve your chances for

teaching success if you assess your
patient's preferred learning style, then
plan teaching activities and use
teaching tools appropriate to that
style. To assess a student's learning
style, observe the student, administer
a learning style inventory, or simply
ask the student how he or she learns
best.

You can also experiment with different

teaching tools, such as printed
material, illustrations, videotapes, and
actual equipment, to assess learning
style. Never assume, though, that your
student can read well -- or even read at
all.

Sort goals by learning domain

You can combine your knowledge of the
student's preferred learning style with
your knowledge of learning domains.
Categorizing what the students need to
learn into proper domains helps
identify and evaluate the behaviors you
expect them to show.

Learning behaviors fall in three

domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and
affective. The cognitive domain deals
with intellectual abilities. The
psychomotor domain includes physical
or motor skills. The affective domain
involves expression of feeling about
attitudes, interests, and values. Most

12
 learning involves all three domains.

Make material meaningful

Another way to facilitate learning is to
relate material to the student's
lifestyle -- and to recognize
incompatibilities. The more meaningful
material is to a student, the quicker
and easier it will be learned.
Allow immediate application of knowledge
Giving the student the opportunity to
apply his or her new knowledge and
skills reinforces learning and builds
confidence. This immediate application
translates learning to the "real world"
and provides an opportunity for
problem solving, feedback, and
emotional support.
Plan for periodic rests
While you may want the students to
push ahead until they have learned
everything on the teaching plan,
remember that periodic plateaus occur
normally in learning. When your
instructions are especially complex or
lengthy, your students may feel
overwhelmed and appear unreceptive
to your teaching. Be sure to recognize
these signs of mental fatigue and let
the students relax. (You too can use
these periods - to review your teaching
plan and make any necessary
adjustments.)
Tell your students how they are
progressing
Learning is made easier when the

13
 students are aware of their progress.
Positive feedback can motivate them to
greater effort because it makes their
goal seem attainable. Also, ask your
students how they feel they are doing.
They probably want to take part in
assessing their own progress toward
learning goals, and their input can
guide your feedback. You will find their
reactions are usually based on what
"feels right."
Reward desired learning with praise
Praising desired learning outcomes or
behavior improves the chances that the
students will retain the material or
repeat the behavior. Praising your
students' successes associates the
desired learning goal with a sense of
growing and accepted competence.
Reassuring them that they have
learned the desired material or
technique can help them retain and
refine it.

COMMON TEACHING METHODS

From "Getting the Most out of Your AIDS/HIV
Trainings"
East Bay AIDS Education Training Center
Revised from 1989 addition by Pat McCarthy,
RN, MSN, 1992

14
 Lecture

STRENGTHS:
- presents factual material in direct,
logical manner
- contains experience which inspires
- stimulates thinking to open
discussion
- useful for large groups
LIMITATIONS:
- experts are not always good teachers
- audience is passive
- learning is difficult to gauge
- communication in one way
PREPARATION:
- needs clear introduction and
summary
- needs time and content limit to be
effective
- should include examples, anecdotes
Lecture With Discussion

STRENGTHS:
- involves audience at least after the
lecture
- audience can question, clarify &
challenge
LIMITATIONS:
- time may limit discussion period
- quality is limited to quality of
questions and discussion
PREPARATION:
- requires that questions be prepared
prior to discussion
Panel of Experts

15
 STRENGTHS:
- allows experts to present different
opinions
- can provoke better discussion than a
one person discussion
- frequent change of speaker keeps
attention from lagging
LIMITATIONS:
- experts may not be good speakers
- personalities may overshadow
content
- subject may not be in logical order
PREPARATION:
- facilitator coordinates focus of panel,
introduces and summarizes
- briefs panel
Brainstorming

STRENGTHS:
- listening exercise that allows creative
thinking for new ideas
- encourages full participation because
all ideas equally recorded
- draws on group's knowledge and
experience
- spirit of congeniality is created
- one idea can spark off other other
ideas
LIMITATIONS:
- can be unfocused
- needs to be limited to 5 - 7 minutes
- people may have difficulty getting
away from known reality
- if not facilitated well, criticism and
evaluation may occur

16
 PREPARATION:
- facilitator selects issue
- must have some ideas if group needs
to be stimulated
Videotapes

STRENGTHS:
- entertaining way of teaching content
and raising issues
- keep group's attention
- looks professional
- stimulates discussion
LIMITATIONS:
- can raise too many issues to have a
focused discussion
- discussion may not have full
participation
- only as effective as following
discussion
PREPARATION:
- need to set up equipment
- effective only if facilitator prepares
questions to discuss after the show
Class Discussion

STRENGTHS:
- pools ideas and experiences from
group
- effective after a presentation, film or
experience that needs to be analyzed
- allows everyone to participate in an
active process
LIMITATIONS:
- not practical with more that 20 people
- few people can dominate

17
 - others may not participate
- is time consuming
- can get off the track
PREPARATION:
- requires careful planning by
facilitator to guide discussion
- requires question outline
Small Group Discussion

STRENGTHS:
- allows participation of everyone
- people often more comfortable in
small groups
- can reach group consensus
LIMITATIONS:
- needs careful thought as to purpose
of group
- groups may get side tracked
PREPARATION:
- needs to prepare specific tasks or
questions for group to answer
Case Studies

STRENGTHS:
- develops analytic and problem solving
skills
- allows for exploration of solutions for
complex issues
- allows student to apply new
knowledge and skills
LIMITATIONS:
- people may not see relevance to own
situation
- insufficient information can lead to
inappropriate results

18
 PREPARATION:
- case must be clearly defined in some
cases
- case study must be prepared
Role Playing

STRENGTHS:
- introduces problem situation
dramatically
- provides opportunity for people to
assume roles of others and thus
appreciate another point of view
- allows for exploration of solutions
- provides opportunity to practice skills
LIMITATIONS:
- people may be too self-conscious
- not appropriate for large groups
- people may feel threatened
PREPARATION:
- trainer has to define problem
situation and roles clearly
- trainer must give very clear
instructions
Report-Back Sessions

STRENGTHS:
- allows for large group discussion of
role plays, case studies, and small
group exercise
- gives people a chance to reflect on
experience
- each group takes responsibility for its
operation
LIMITATIONS:
- can be repetitive if each small group

19
 says the same thing
PREPARATION:
- trainer has to prepare questions for
groups to discuss
Worksheets/Surveys

STRENGTHS:
- allows people to thing for themselves
without being influences by others
- individual thoughts can then be
shared in large group
LIMITATIONS:
- can be used only for short period of
time
PREPARATION:
- facilitator has to prepare handouts
Index Card Exercise

STRENGTHS:
- opportunity to explore difficult and
complex issues
LIMITATIONS:
- people may not do exercise
PREPARATION:
- facilitator must prepare questions
Guest Speaker

STRENGTHS:
- personalizes topic
- breaks down audience's stereotypes
LIMITATIONS:
- may not be a good speaker
PREPARATION:
- contact speakers and coordinate

20
 - introduce speaker appropriately
Values Clarification Exercise

STRENGTHS:
- opportunity to explore values and
beliefs
- allows people to discuss values in a
safe environment
- gives structure to discussion
LIMITATION:
- people may not be honest
- people may be too self-conscious
PREPARATION:
- facilitator must carefully prepare
exercise
- must give clear instructions
- facilitator must prepare discussion
questions

The Elements of Critical Thinking

(Helping Students Assess Their Thinking) by

Richard Paul and Linda Elder
There are two essential dimensions of
thinking that students need to master in
order to learn how to upgrade their thinking.
They need to be able to identify the "parts"
of their thinking, and they need to be able to
assess their use of these parts of thinking, as
follows:

21
• ·All reasoning has a purpose.
• ·All reasoning is an attempt to figure
something out, to settle some question, to
solve some problem.
• ·All reasoning is based on assumptions.
• ·All reasoning is done from some point of
view.
• ·All reasoning is based on data,
information, and evidence.
• ·All reasoning is expressed through, and
shaped by, concepts and ideas.
• ·All reasoning contains inferences by which
we draw conclusions and give meaning to
data.
• ·All reasoning leads somewhere, has
implications and consequences.
What follows are some guidelines helpful to
students as they work toward developing
their reasoning abilities:
1.All reasoning has a PURPOSE.
• ·Take time to state your purpose
clearly.
• ·Distinguish your purpose from
related purposes.
• ·Check periodically to be sure you are
still on target.
• ·Choose significant and realistic
purposes.
2.All reasoning is an attempt to FIGURE
SOMETHING OUT, TO SETTLE SOME
QUESTION, TO SOLVE SOME PROBLEM.
• Take time to clearly and precisely
state the question at issue.
• Express the question in several ways
to clarify its meaning and scope.

22
 • Break the question into sub
questions.
• Identify if the question has one right
answer, is a matter of opinion, or
requires reasoning from more than
one point of view.
2.All reasoning is based on ASSUMPTIONS.
• ·Clearly identify your assumptions
and determine whether they are
justifiable.
• ·Consider how your assumptions are
shaping your point of view.
3.All reasoning is done from some POINT
OF VIEW.
• ·Identify your point of view.
• ·Seek other points of view and
identify their strengths as well as
weaknesses.
• ·Strive to be fair-minded in
evaluating all points of view.
4.All reasoning is based on DATA,
INFORMATION and EVIDENCE.
• ·Restrict your claims to those
supported by the data you have.
• ·Search for information that opposes
your position as well as information
that supports it.
• ·Make sure that all information used
is clear, accurate, and relevant to the
question at issue.
• ·Make sure you have gathered
sufficient information.
5.All reasoning is expressed through, and
shaped by, CONCEPTS and IDEAS.
• ·Identify key concepts and explain
them clearly.

23
 • ·Consider alternative concepts or
alternative definitions to concepts.
• ·Make sure you are using concepts
with care and precision.
6.All reasoning contains INFERENCES or
INTERPRETATIONS by which we draw
CONCLUSIONS and give meaning to data.
• ·Infer only what the evidence implies.
• ·Check inferences for their
consistency with each other.
• ·Identify assumptions that lead you
to your inferences.
7.All reasoning leads somewhere or has
IMPLICATIONS and CONSEQUENCES.
• ·Trace the implications and
consequences that follow from your
reasoning.
• ·Search for negative as well as
positive implications.
• ·Consider all possible consequences.

www.criticalthinking.org

Copyright©Foundation for Critical Thinking

To contact author: [email protected] or

707-878-9100

Incorporating Instructional Behaviors That

Motivate Students

Hold high but realistic expectations for

your students. Research has shown that a
teacher's expectations have a powerful
effect on a student's performance. If you
act as though you expect your students to

24
 be motivated, hardworking, and interested
in the course, they are more likely to be so.
Set realistic expectations for students
when you make assignments, give
presentations, conduct discussions, and
grade examinations. "Realistic" in this
context means that your standards are
high enough to motivate students to do
their best work but not so high that
students will inevitably be frustrated in
trying to meet those expectations. To
develop the drive to achieve, students
need to believe that achievement is
possible -which means that you need to
provide early opportunities for success.
(Sources: American Psychological
Association, 1992; Bligh, 1971; Forsyth and
McMillan, 1991 -1 Lowman, 1984)

Help students set achievable goals for

themselves. Failure to attain unrealistic
goals can disappoint and frustrate
students. Encourage students to focus on
their continued improvement, not just on
their grade on any one test or assignment.
Help students evaluate their progress by
encouraging them to critique their own
work, analyze their strengths, and work on
their weaknesses. For example, consider
asking students to submit self-evaluation
forms with one or two assignments.
(Sources: Cashin, 1979; Forsyth and
McMillan, 1991)

Tell students what they need to do to

succeed in your course. Don't let your
students struggle to figure out what is

25
 expected of them. Reassure students that
they can do well in your course, and tell
them exactly what they must do to
succeed. Say something to the effect that
"If you can handle the examples on these
problem sheets, you can pass the exam.
People who have trouble with these
examples can ask me for extra help." Or
instead of saying, "You're way behind," tell
the student, "Here is one way you could go
about learning the material. How can I help
you?" (Sources: Cashin, 1979; Tiberius,
1990)

Strengthen students' self-motivation. Avoid

messages that reinforce your power as an
instructor or that emphasize extrinsic
rewards. Instead of saying, "I require,"
"you must," or "you should," stress "I think
you will find. . . " or "I will be interested in
your reaction." (Source: Lowman, 1990)

Avoid creating intense competition among

students. Competition produces anxiety,
which can interfere with learning. Reduce
students' tendencies to compare
themselves to one another. Bligh (1971)
reports that students are more attentive,
display better comprehension, produce
more work, and are more favorable to the
teaching method when they work
cooperatively in groups rather than
compete as individuals. Refrain from public
criticisms of students' performance and
from comments or activities that pit
students against each other. (Sources:

26
 Eble, 1988; Forsyth and McMillan, 1991)

Be enthusiastic about your subject. An

instructor's enthusiasm is a crucial factor
in student motivation. If you become bored
or apathetic, students will too. Typically, an
instructor's enthusiasm comes from
confidence, excitement about the content,
and genuine pleasure in teaching. If you
find yourself uninterested in the material,
think back to what attracted you to the
field and bring those aspects of the subject
matter to life for your students. Or
challenge yourself to devise the most
exciting way topresent the material,
however dull the material itself may seem
to you.

27