Could it be Any Hotter?

According to my official thermometer my office (2nd floor of our un-air conditioned home) temperature is officially 4,000 degrees. And here it is almost midnight.

The M&Ms melted right in the bag. They couldn’t wait to melt in my mouth. It feels like a chocolaty tube of toothpaste.

I’ve removed as much clothing as I dare—as my wide-open window faces the street. I’m surrounded by fans from around the house.

Nothing left now but to pray for the sweet release of death...

Realistic?

Many people have shared stories about teachers who touched their lives. If you haven’t read them, I urge you to take a minute and look at some of the heartfelt accounts on the earlier posts.

One trend I’ve noticed is that these “life changing” teachers tend to be folks who really got to know students individually, what was happening in their lives, and really put in the extra effort to make a personal connection.

One of the things about being a teacher at any level is that you see A LOT of people. My wife has over 100 high school kids each year. Given the limitations of time and space, is it possible to establish such a connection with all of them?

To give each child just 5 minutes of one-to-one attention each week would add up to more than 8 hours! That’s another full day every week. I wonder if that’s a reasonable expectation.

Your thoughts?

Discussion Point: What the Best College Teachers Do

This book is a look at a few exceptional teachers, but there are many others out there.

Please take a moment to think of a teacher you had (in school or elsewhere) that made a deep impression on you. Not merely one that you liked or that had a fun class—but somebody who challenged you and from whom you learned something of value. This would be a person whom you still think about today.

If you can, add a comment describing something they did that had a beneficial effect on your learning. It’s my hope that we might discover something in your experience we could bring to our own classrooms in an attempt to pay forward those learning gifts that we have received.

Book Analysis: What the Best College Teachers Do (Bain, Ken)

This really is a fantastic book, no matter what kind of teaching you do. It confirmed a lot of beliefs and ideas I’d come to over the course of my career that I’d never heard addressed before. Much of the reading I’ve done and Train-the-trainer type seminars I’ve attended have a lot to do with technique and little to do with teaching philosophy. In that sense “What the Best College Teachers Do” reminds me a lot of Dewey’s Experience and Education and Palmer’s Courage to Teach.

It also forced me to reevaluate some of my own beliefs. For instance, most of what Bain offers has to do with the many important parts of teaching that occur when you’re not actually talking. Like an iceberg, much resides out of plain sight. This book offers many ideas that subvert the traditional conventions about how to teach, what a teacher should think about and do, and even the nature of how we learn.

It’s empowering for me to think that good teaching, rather than being a gift granted to some chosen few, is attainable by those of us who are regular mortals with a desire to improve the quality of learning in our classes and a willingness to change and grow our own skills. Despite the cover art, that depicts a teacher doing a one-armed handstand, the practices Bain recommends aren’t techniques that require talents and skills that normal folks can’t master with practice. Rather, they are straightforward practices that can be incorporated with both feet firmly grounded.

I found myself wishing Bain had included more of the voices of the exceptional teachers they studied, talking about what they do, why, and how they go about it. Though the book is filled with examples—I wanted even more. Especially descriptions of the creative ways to present subject matter in the form of compelling questions for students to investigate. I think that one is probably more difficult to do than it appears on the surface.

Though the book is grounded in Bain’s research, you won’t find a lot in the way of presentation of formal results like you might see in a journal article. The book is mainly his conclusions bolstered by anecdotal evidence and examples. Even so, the arguments are artfully presented and likely to resonate with anyone who has spent significant time as either a teacher or a student.

I tried to provide a good flavor of each chapter in my chapter summaries, but I would recommend this as one of those books that’s worth reading (and rereading) in its entirety.

To further my learning, I’d appreciate it if you’d respond to the discussion point I posted. I’m interested to hear what you’ve got to say.

Regards,

--Patrick

Bain, K. (2004). What the Best College Teachers Do. Cambridge, MA, London: Harvard University Press.

Mary-Ann and Ginger, neck 'n neck

So far Mary-Anns and Gingers are tied. Who will win?

If you want to impact the outcome of this election drop by my island castaway poll in the right hand column. Let us know which member of the cast you most identify with.

...

Remember, if you don't vote, you can't complain about the results, little buddy.

Chapter 7: How Do They Evaluate Their Students and Themselves?

Here the author describes the process of assessment as a way of comprehending the progress students are making and whether the teacher’s efforts are suited to the learners and course objectives.

An easy trap is for assessment to emphasize recall of rote material from class, which tells little about learning and even less about the effectiveness of the teacher. Poor tests reveal student’s abilities to memorize or take certain types of tests and reflect little about their progress.

Exceptional teachers use assessment of learning to evaluate their teaching. The proper approach asks the question, “what intellectual and personal development do I want my students to enjoy in this class, and what evidence might I collect about the nature and progress of their development?”

Bain claims that emphasis on missed deadline penalties and activity type criteria (did the student do X number of activities) are arbitrary and put the attention on the grade rather than communicating useful information to the student. Similarly, taking a cash register approach of summing the scores of individual assignments is harmful to learning.

Bain forwards an approach that emphasizes looking at the quality of the work, not whether it met the “rules.” He advocates a good assessment should communicate to students the following:

+ Here is what makes your contribution valuable
+ Here is how you have developed
+ Here are ways in which you can continue to mature

In Bain’s section on practices, he suggests assessment comes from a deep knowledge of the individual, their ambitions, the way they process ideas, their temperament and the ways they reason. One method of developing this keep understanding of students is in making personal connections with them throughout the course both in and out of the classroom.

Students should have a clear understanding of the criteria by which they’ll be judged by clearly explaining that standards. Teachers can make use of take-home exams, or a series of comprehensive exams where only the last one is graded, since what they can do by the end of the course is what really matters most.

Evaluation of teaching can also occur throughout the course by means of a third party running a brief focus group with the class to find out how the teacher is helping and where he or she could do more.

This chapter offers some “radical” ideas about how we go about assessing learning and really has upended my thinking on this topic!

Chapter 6: How Do They Treat Their Students?

The author talks about some of the horror stories they encountered during their research.

Teachers who:
Belittled their students
Were combative
Threatened students
Refused to take questions
Criticized students
Sought to show how much they knew and how little students knew

The best teachers communicated a powerful concern for students and their learning. They made it clear they would do everything in their power to help students learn and master new abilities as long as students will engage in the experience. They reject their own “power” as teacher and instead forge deep bonds of trust with students.

Exceptional teachers look inward to their own practices when learning doesn’t take place, rather than placing blame on real or imagined student deficiencies. They go out of their way to make students feel at ease. They want students to get it, and feel a personal sense of failure when they do not.

The best teachers we’re candid about their own enthusiasm for the topic and their journey of learning, including their own struggles to understand. Basically, they demonstrate a basic human respect and concern for their students.

Chapter 5: How Do They Conduct Class?

Here bain argues that discussion of classroom techniques needs to occur within the context of some unifying principles. That is to say that lecture as a device of instruction is neither good nor bad, effective or not on its own. It’s just a tool that can be used effectively or not. Here are the seven principles:

1. Create a natural critical learning environment
Activities focused on important questions that naturally arouse curiosity and interest that can be examined with reason and critical thinking. A variety of classroom techniques can incorporate this, even lecture. Include safe practice and feedback and a shared sense of working together. The process should encourage students to solve problems for themselves—then get them asking what else they can figure out. Students are encouraged to develop and defend their own answers. Each step of the process of investigating the question leads to the need for additional information.

2. Get their attention, and keep it
This is done chiefly through provocative acts questions, and statements.

3. Start with students rather than the discipline
Rather than an outline of the topic, begin with something students care about, know, or think they know.

4. Seek commitments
Lay out the plans and a commitment for what you will offer as an instructor. Seek from students the commitment to decide if they want to pursue the learning and assist one another as a community of learners.

5. Help students learn outside of class
Encourage students to confront new problems and engage in self-directed investigation to clarify and augment what’s learned in class.

6. Engage students in disciplinary thinking
Assist students to approach questions in the same way that thinkers and professionals in that specific field do. This helps them to critically analyze the arguments they encounter from the instructor, the readings, and fellow learners.

7. Create diverse learning experiences
Variety of methodology addresses different learning styles and also allow for, as Bain describes it, both the systematic and the messy. You methods should allow for students to interact with one another, independently, and hear someone else’s explanations. Organize material so as to incorporate facts, experimentation, global insight...but also sequential understanding.

Bain discusses the craft of the teacher in putting these principles to work in the learning environment by approaching the interaction with students as a conversation rather than a performance. True, the best teachers give a lot of thought and preparation to what they’ll say and how they’ll say it—but are also responsive to the needs and input of the group. It’s important to be mindful of the size of the group and space where learning is taking place. Their speech is crisp and well-enunciated but conversational in tone.

Additionally, good teachers have a sense of the theatric, knowing when to pause for key points to land and how to pitch their voice for different effect, and constructive use of silence. As the author put it, they “can make silence loud.” They break themselves of poor presentation habits and nervous mannerisms. They can use storytelling to great advantage.

Bain says that these techniques and activities are all necessary but in and of themselves are insufficient—what’s needed in addition to that is a strong intention for the students to learn. The author notes that great teachers are not merely great presenters or discussion leaders, but rather describes it "as the relationship between a well built house and a good paint job."

Chapter 4: What Do They Expect of Their Students?

This chapter discussed valuing each student as an individual with a unique contribution to make. The approach is free of bias or stereotype, and relies on an instructor belief that every student can learn and achieve. Bain describes the many toxic effects of gender and racial stereotype can have on student achievement—and the need for strong trust, encouragement, and reassurance for all learners.

Standards for achievement are set high, but with assurances to students they can meet them and that they’ll receive help to do so. Teachers put the focus on excitement, meaningful goals, and intellectual curiosity rather than on “making the grade.”

The best teachers expect more, but not just by piling on the assignments. Learners are encouraged to produce exceptional works of art or complex and well-reasoned works of scholarship that are similar in quality to what artists and scholars create outside of school.

This makes me recall the inspirational video I put in “Shared Resources.” In that, the writing of the students being tutored was published in an anthology and they could see the final results of their work. This strikes me as a powerful motivational tool.

The author reiterates the need for challenge, practice, feedback, controversy, and reflection as part of the learning process.

Chapter 3: How Do They Prepare to Teach?

According to Bain, the traditional approach follows a transmission model where the teacher “does teaching to” the students by delivering truths about the topic. He contrasts this with a model where teaching is about managing learner engagement, encouragement, and creating a suitable environment for natural human inclination to learn can blossom.

The central questions about preparing to teach come not from what the teacher does, but rather what the student is to learn. Everything proceeds from that premise. Thus, planning is conducted backwards, beginning at the desired end state.

He provides four guiding questions:

1. What should students be able to intellectually, physically, or emotionally as a result of this learning?

2. How can I best help and encourage them to develop those abilities and the habits of the heart and mind to use them?

3. How can my students and I best understand the nature, quality, and progress of their learning?

4. How can I evaluate my efforts to foster that learning?

Bain begins with identifying a focus the course is to address. What’s the big question or questions this course seeks to answer? This is about generating student interest, curiosity, and excitement. Also at the forefront is identifying the thinking and reasoning abilities that will be required for students to tackle these questions.

The best teachers account for the mental models students arrive with that will need to be challenged. At this stage, a teacher would consider what knowledge the students would require, and how they might best obtain it. The emphasis remains firmly grounded in providing students what they’ll need to construct useful models, not on “giving” them information about the topic.

The author discusses at length in this chapter the need to have well-constructed problems and questions that challenge students to wrestle with important issues. Ideas in conflict are built into the DNA of the class to assist students in thinking critically about the issues.

What flows from these investigations are myriad tactical questions--like should the students problem-solve alone or in groups? How would groups be constructed? Should there be activities that will encourage group cohesion? How will questions for study be generated? How can I stimulate people to become self-directed in their learning?

Many of Bain’s questions encourage the teacher to recall how they learned the material--what questions they struggled with, and what methods they developed to make sense of the topic themselves. He also talks about the need for meaningful feedback and creating ways both teacher and student can evaluate progress.

I was really taken with this chapter. It seemed to me to revolve around constructing experiences that invite people to come learn and get interested rather than teaching at them and hoping some of it sticks!

Chapter 2: What Do They Know about How We Learn?

In this chapter the author cites research done at Arizona State University that shows physics students, even ones who earn higher grades, failed to change their firmly-held but incorrect beliefs about the nature of motion. They found that students finished the class virtually unchanged, having learned almost nothing but what was needed to pass the test. Even in the face of direct evidence that their beliefs were mistaken; students were unlikely to question or discard those beliefs.

Bain faults the instructors, not for lacking expertise, but rather lack of awareness of how people learn. They demonstrate an inability to organize information so that it is accessible to learners. They fail to anticipate where learners will struggle, and don’t spend enough time clarifying complex concepts for the novice learners. Also they failed to tap into the intrinsic motivatioons of their students.

In response to these problems, Bain identifies some key concepts.

1. Knowledge is constructed, not received

2. Mental models change slowly

3. Questions are crucial to creating opportunities for learning and making connections

4. Caring is crucial (whether students are intrinsically motivated to learn)

I found this chapter particularly interesting, because it articulated some questions I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Namely, how do you create an environment with the right conditions for learning—and why do subject matter experts so often struggle to effectively transfer what they know to others?

My takeaway for this chapter is that, rather than dispensing answers, great teachers will create situations that make learners question their assumptions and encourage them to seek answers.

So far I love this book. Maybe too much—because I’m taking notes as I find interesting points and re-reading sections, it’s taking me longer than I’d anticipated.

1) Get out the vote, and 2) A posting issue...

First, I want to thank those of you who are participating in my "describe yourself" poll (look to the right hand column at the bottom). I never would have guessed it, but so far the "Professors" are in the lead. :-)

Next--this is dumb--but I just realized that since each post ends up at the top of the page, this whole thing is going to be backwards (or upside-down at least?). I recommend reading from the bottom up if you want this page to make any sense at all. Man, blogging is complicated...

--Patrick

Chapter 1 - Introduction: Defining the Best

Hi Y'all,

In this chapter, Bain forwards his reasons for investigating this topic. He describes several inspirational teachers who are not only competent educators, but have a certain additional quality that makes a deep impression on their students both during and after the course. These are the “life changing” teachers you’ve heard about (or you may be one yourself!).

Bain defines excellence as having “achieved remarkable success in helping students learn in ways that made a sustained, substantial, and positive influence on how those students think, act, and feel.”

He and his fellow researchers searched for teachers that exhibited these qualities and studied between 60 and 70 of them. About half were studied intensively to try to distill what they think and do that makes a difference for learning. The chapters that follow will explore their conclusions.

Chapter 2: What Do They Know about How We Learn?
Chapter 3: How Do They Prepare to Teach?
Chapter 4: What Do They Expect of Their Students?
Chapter 5: How Do They Conduct Class?
Chapter 6: How Do They Treat Their Students?
Chapter 7: How Do They Evaluate Their Students and Themselves?

As a point of discussion, I’d be curious to see your comments on Bain’s definition of excellence. No doubt you’ve considered this topic yourself at least casually, so how would you define excellent teaching?

Happy blogging!

--Patrick

You've got mail.

Hey y'all,

My book arrived today! Don't you just love getting a package in the mail?

--Patrick

What the Best College Teachers Do (Ken Bain)

I selected this book because I have a couple of underlying beliefs I'll share with you.

1. I think teaching adults is much like any other vocation. Namely, that there is a bell curve of competency. Many teachers are in the fat part of the curve--what I would call "competent." They do a good job, follow the best practices, and students learn from them. That said, there is a point beyond that one can aspire to--where teachers achieve a higher level of excellence. This is the one (or if you're lucky more than one) teacher you always remember. The one who maybe changed your life. I'm interested in learning more about how one learns to become that teacher.

2. I believe that, apart from subject matter and desk height, there are no significant differences between teaching adults and teaching college students or high schoolers or corporate employees or anyone else. I realize not everyone shares this belief. In my view, humans of every age and circumstance are naturally curious, internally motivated, and want to feel valued and respected. They all need practice and feedback. They are more likely to thrive in an atmosphere of encouragement, challenge, and fun.

I don't teach college, but I'm hopeful there's much in this book that will directly translate and inform my work with adults.

Also, the Amazon.com reviews were gushing with praise. Nothing like unsolicited testimonials!

Now, all I need to do is stand by my mailbox and wait for my package to arrive. :-)

--Patrick