Teaching Tip: Characteristics of outstanding teachers
By: Barbara Millis
November 27th, 2006
Topic: Characteristics of Outstanding Teachers
Overview:
A student panel listed these characteristics of outstanding teachers:
- Teachers should be guides, not directors.
- Keep students interested.
- Use the Socratic Method rather than merely teaching facts.
- Help students see other perspectives: push their limits, perhaps playing devil’s advocate.
- Show respect for students’ opinions.
- Engage students.
- Add humor.
- Have a clear grading policy that includes feedback.
- Go beyond monotonous lectures.
- Be intellectually stimulating: virtually anything can be made boring.
- Exhibit passion!
Teaching and Learning Implications:
“Just do it [all]!”
Source: “Teaching and Learning Student Fishbowl at 41st Annual Conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council.
Barbara Millis, director of the Excellence in Teaching Program, can be reached at millis@unr.edu.
