Today is the last day of the school year, completing ten years of college teaching for me. I thought I might reflect back on that with a list of things that I, as a teacher, have learned. Those who have taught for any significant amount of time won’t find any surprises here, but I know that some of my readers are new or aspiring teachers, and perhaps some of my thoughts can spur yours. I am not pretending that I apply all of these effectively, but I do believe in the value of these principles.
1. Love what you teach. Students can tell if this is your job or your passion. If it’s not your passion, make it your passion or move on. You can make it your passion by studying it more, seeing its relevance more, and dialoging with others more.
2. Tell them why. Tell them why you’re teaching what you are. Tell them why you give certain readings and assignments. If not, they may think it’s because you simply need some kind of evaluative measurement. And if that is true, find something else. There is too much that needs to be taught that no one needs to waste a single assignment. But they need to know why, because they may not be able to figure it out. Even when you tell them, they may not believe you, but at least they’ll recognize that you believe you have a reason for everything.
3. Be clear. This is especially true with instructions. Students are like us – easily distracted and forgetful. You can treat them like adults and also explain things clearly. Tell them they will be held responsible and then do so.
3. Challenge them. They don’t always like the process, but they like the result. They love to have a paper they can be proud of, an exam that reflects lots of learning. Those who don’t probably don’t belong in college; don’t cheat the ones who do because someone whines.
4. Don’t be boring. Being boring is more than just the tone of your voice. You are boring
if you are reading off a page to them, and you are boring if you’re giving them blanks to fill in. You are more likely to be boring if you are tired.
5. Give them pictures. I believe the old adage that a picture is worth 1000 words. Teaching drives me as a photographer, not the other way around. The Pictorial Library and Historic Views series exist because I need millions of words for my classes. You can describe with words and every student will get a different picture in his/her head. Use a picture and you’re less likely to fail to communicate.
6. Make them know it all. Students learn 10% when they listen and take notes, and 90% when they study for the test. Make the test easy and they’ll study light and remember little. Of course, if your subject doesn’t matter, make it easy.
6. Mix it up. Have a contest, play a song, get a few students to act it out, hold class outside. Sometimes if I want to really throw them off, I let class out a few minutes early.
7. Give them a little extra. A little bit goes a long ways and they appreciate it.
8. Pace yourself. Believe or not, students don’t like it when you don’t get to the end of the subject matter at the end of the semester. Being long-winded on an early subject with the result that a later subject gets skipped is not fair to the subject or to the class.
8. Stop teaching. When the class period is over, your time is up. I didn’t learn this as a teacher, but as a student. Students have a limit and, for some, it’s before the class period is over. For the rest, it is when the class period ends. When you go long, no one is listening. Save it for next time.
9. Lie a little. You can give a class a hard assignment and tell them that it is easy and they will all be frustrated. Or you can tell them that it is absolutely brutal and that they will likely fail, and then it won’t seem so bad to them. I do this not only for class assignments but for hikes. They get to the top and say “that wasn’t so bad,” but I know good and well that they would be cursing my name if I hadn’t prepared them for Everest. Morale matters and creating the appropriate expectations is vital to that.
10. Love them. Not as a gimmick to get your message across, but because you’re not doing this for money or prestige but for them.
Todd, thanks for this, it was really helpful and as one of your students, I can say that you strive to do all of these very well.
But that part about ‘lying’ about the hike was a bit off. You remember in Fall 99′ when we (17 of us) did that 21 mile hike in Galilee! Wasn’t prepared for that; it kicked my butt! Great memories!.
I wish more of my teachers would have endorsed your point 4 (don’t be boring)
I’ve found point 5 (pictures) to be so true in my first year of teaching. Giving lectures to 70 18-year-olds (some non-believers) about the New Testament would not have kept their attention; but I made it a point ot have power point presentations every lecture about cool stuff like the templ, Maccabbean revolution, paintings about the life of Christ, and yes, I even logged onto bibleplaces.org and listed to you read Mark 4 at the cove of the sower! They loved it – and it helped me keep their attention for the rest of the lecture.
number 10 (love them) is of course the most important. They’ll listen to you if they know you care for them. If you DON’T love them, and are still a good teacher, they may learn a lot but I don’t think it’ll sink as deep, if you know what I mean. May we all strive to love our students.
Thanks again Todd, for the blog and your example as a teacher.
ps
Todd – great post. As I think back to teachers I didn’t learn very much from in my years of education, all were habitual violators of these lessons. This perspective makes me wish I had had you for a class when I had the opportunity; nonetheless the extent to which you live these statements is visable not only in your classes but in so many other teaching situations in life!
Todd, great list. And thanks for the posts. I frequently enjoy what you write. As a pastor, I find the same applies to Sunday school, Bible study, etc. What we need are more “passionate” teachers. Thanks!
Todd, this is great. Thank you for sharing.
Good stuff.
Point #8.
I really like my OT prof that I have now. However, doing Exodus through Judges in the last 2 class periods – frustrating!
Thanks, Todd. For the ten points, but more for the ten years.
Great post and advice. You are an excellent teacher and never boring. You taught me a lot about the tool of Powerpoint.
these are going up on the wall, and I second the call for ten more years, God willing.
i really liked number 6…both of them.
Todd, I especially want to thank you for #3, 6, and 9. I am sure that no class will be able to replace yours as my absolute favorite in college. (It probably helps that I took it in the Holy Land.)
Congrats on 10 yrs
Todd-
tomorrow I take my last test to, Lord willing, finish my goal of earning my teaching credential (I know how you feel about those who set out to graduate and never do;). So, I read each of your ten points hungrily. I know what you mean about teaching with pictures. One of my best lessons this semester during student teaching, was on the Renaissance and its architecture. I used my pictures that I took of Rome while on Travel Study break at IBEX! I was so excited about them and so were the students. I loved it!
I didn’t really get what you meant by #7? I don’t know if I missed the sublties in it, or if I’m just too literal?
Thanks for the 6th year of your teaching (2002-if I did my math right).
Todd,
Great words of wisdom. I’m going to share this with my credential class. It is advice that can easily be applie to my high school classroom.
Brian
Amen to what Gunner said.
What a sweet grace of God that He has given you these years. I know that His name is being glorifed because of it.
Thanks for your faithfulness-
Jodi D.
Todd, similar to what Ilena said, I too finished my last class and am about to turn in my last homework assignment. This is the end of school as I know it and I wanted to thank you for all 10 of those points. You were faithful to each of those while I was in Israel and as a result left a lasting impression on me. You bless us because you rise to a higher level then most college profs would, you do challenge and instill the desire to learn and for this I won’t ever forget History of Ancient Israel class nor my experience of #10 as you loved me through the first grade I got in HAI and helped me to finish strong. Thank you for being a part of my 17 years of school, even for one semester. As a girlfriend (for right now) of a teacher I hope that I can encourage him in all of these points. I am praying for you and for your family. With Love, Ashley Ryan
Dear Todd and Kelli,
I was there when you got to lead your very first field trip back in January of 1994, thanks to Bill, football, and that post in the Hinnom. You started the trip, if I recall, by climbing on top of the bus to get our hacky-sack.
It was evident then that you were an amazing communicator with a love for the subject, the students, and the Lord of the Word.
Congratulations on Ten Years. It is an honor to serve with you from afar.
i agree with gunner and jodi. thanks, todd!
Todd,
I too am thankful for the ten years the Lord has given you. Many people love the Lord more because of what they have learned from you in and out of your classes. I know that all you taught me still leads me to praise God today.
I find myself often watching teachers to learn from their teaching styles as well as from what they are lecturing on. I love to learn and I want others to love it too so I want to teach well. The things you shared were so good and so true. They weren’t new to me, however, because I learned them from observing your teaching. Students in your class can’t help but be challenged and love it.
Thanks for all your hard work. I look forward to working with you next year and learning more from you.
-JK
Todd,
I loved your thirteen things you learned in ten years of teaching. One of the most valuable ones is #2; communicating “why” you are assigning the students a particular task. This allows students to view the class from a different point of view and makes the task more reasonable. If you assign 80 pages of reading and tell them that it won’t be on the test (but that it will be good for them to know) just doesn’t cut it from a student’s point of view.
I also appreciated #3 (the second one). I know I hated the process of writing a ten page paper for (unfortunately) the first time while I was there. It taught me how to write a senior paper of 30 pages and I am truely grateful for your editing and encouragment through the whole time that I was in your classes.
I pray you stay strong in your teaching career, wherever it takes you. Your many words of wisdom have stuck with me for a long time and I hope that I can communicate half as well as you to the people I teach.
ssh
Thanks to everyone for their comments.
Ilena – by giving them something extra, I mean something that they know is above and beyond. It shows them that you’re not just going through the motions, but you’re fully engaged and you really care. It can be anything from a prize (yes, even college students like these!) to dinner at your house to a campout. Not everything will work for everyone, but something will.