Karin Mika,Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

Connect with students on a personal level.

Create a zeal for the material presented.

Create a non-intimidating environment in which students are not afraid to make mistakes.

“[The classroom] environment is one in which students … feel at ease and are safe, are unafraid of making mistakes, receive periodic feedback …, and are encouraged to be active participants in class discussions.”

“[T]he best teachers reject the position of power in which they would otherwise naturally be. In an environment like this, teachers can help foster interactive participation and class discussion in which students are not afraid of giving their opinions or making mistakes….”

Excerpts from a book review of What the Best College Teachers Do, by Ken Bain, written in 2004. The review was published in the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Volume 19, Number 3, pp. 336-37.

Communication methods must suit the audience.

The audience has changed over time.

The professor’s relationship to the audience changes as the professor gains more experience.

Use intensifiers for encouragement.“Format is better.”“Format is much better!”

Never underestimate the value of “please.”

“Do not wear hats in the classroom.”“Please do not wear hats in the

classroom.”

Avoid sarcasm during student interactions, unless you’re sure the student would not become defensive, be offended, or be discouraged from returning.

“You again?”

“Good to see you. How can I help?”

Avoid declarations and instead explain “why.”

“Do not start the draft the day before it’s due!”

“It would be a good idea not to wait until the last minute to start the paper because good writing requires periods where the paper is set aside so that it can be revised with a fresh perspective.”

Reward the students with some praise, even though the product did not turn out as well as expected.

“Most students just did not understand what was necessary on this assignment.”

“The research on the memo was overall very good and in the coming weeks we’re going to work on discussing the strategy for addressing an issue of this type.”

Use your own disappointment on the result of a project for

introspection on how the assignment itself might be revamped.

Avoid making comments out of frustration, especially if the

frustration does not stem from the student who has asked a question.

Revamp your expectations the longer you teach. Try to recall what it was like to learn a new skill. Consider using others closer in proximity to the first year to review problems that might be assigned, or have research assistants complete assignments in order to determine what the best papers might look like.

If at all possible, be nice, and when you think that you are, think again and perhaps try to be a little bit nicer.

Learning does not occur when communication is shut down. The object is to find ways to keep the lines of communication open.

The End