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."