DEFINING THE BEST [Funmi Amobi]

This blog captures the discussion of the thinking and instructional practices of outstanding teachers in the introduction to Ken Bain’s (2004) book, What the best college teachers do.

Are great teachers born or made? Bain studied sixty-three of the best college teachers in the United States to capture and document their thinking and evidenced-based instructional practices in order to address the question that other teachers might ask, specifically: How did they do it?

The definition of excellence in teaching derived from the instructional practices of these outstanding teachers affirmed that they attained significant success in facilitating their students’ learning. Specifically, they made lasting, sustained and positive impact on how “students think, act, and feel” (p. 5). Furthermore, the professors selected for the study had to meet two critical tests. First, they had to show irrefutable evidence that students were greatly satisfied with their teaching to the point that they were inspired to continue to learn long after the class was over. Second, they had to demonstrate that what students learned was derived from learning objectives which were adjudged to be valuable and substantial by scholars in the discipline or field of study.

The evidence of sustained and deep learning was not predicated on seemingly favorable students’ comments related to their success in accomplishing the work required in a course. Rather, the evidence was extrapolated from comments that pointed to how the learning experiences that students encountered in a course stimulated their ability to develop multiple perspectives and metacognitive skills.

1. What do the best teachers know and understand? The best college teachers have extremely deep knowledge and understanding of their teaching subjects. This should come as no surprise since people are not likely to become outstanding teachers unless they are well-versed in what they teach. However, having deep knowledge of the subject and possessing the capacity to clarify deep concepts, break them down, and simplify them to students is a separate matter. The best college teachers have extraordinary capability to facilitate student learning and understanding of the deep, foundational and overarching concepts and principles that encompass their disciplines.
2. How do they prepare to teach? The best college teachers consider their teaching a serious intellectual pursuit that is equally as important as their research and scholarship. When the outstanding teachers selected for the study were asked to describe what they asked themselves when they prepared to teach, their responses did not follow the usual teacher-centered patterns related to what they will teach or how they will test. The questions that the best college teachers asked themselves focused on student learning objectives rather than what the teacher will teach or do.
3. What do they expect of their students?  The best college teachers expect more from their students, not in terms of imposing busy work that do not produce lasting impact on student learning. Instead, they focus student learning on authentic, real-life learning objectives.
4. What do they do when they teach? The best college teachers create a lively learning environment, what Bain (2004) called a “natural critical learning environment” where students encounter problems and real-life tasks which challenge them to deal with abstract ideas and force them to reconsider their assumptions and their perspectives on reality. Consequently, they create learning environments where students receive formative feedback to improve their learning, have frequent opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers, and are empowered to own their own learning.
5. How do they treat students? The best college teachers tend to have positive perceptions of students. They hold a belief that students want to learn and that all students can learn. Furthermore, these outstanding teachers evince openness in their classroom interactions with students. They often communicate with students about the successes and failures of their own academic journey therefore, creating an environment for students to be introspective about their learning.
6. How do they check their progress and evaluate their efforts? The best college teachers use an orderly approach to assess their own teaching and make requisite adjustments on a consistent basis. With outstanding teachers, evaluation of student work serves a dual purpose: to assess student attainment of specified learning objectives, and to gather feedback on the effectiveness of their own teaching actions.

Bain (2004) did not leave the reader with the impression that the outstanding teachers featured in the study are superheroes or that they are above any forms of lapses in judgement and performance in their teaching. Rather, he stated emphatically, “Nobody is perfect” (p. 19). The best college teachers do have bad days, and they do experience failures and frustration in their efforts to reach students. However, they do not engage in the practice of blaming their teaching challenges on students. Outstanding teachers use those challenges as fodder for reflection on their teaching.

Finally, Bain enjoined other teachers to use the thinking and instruction practices documented in the book to engage in continuing critical reflection on their teaching. Also, he reiterated that  college teachers need to deem their teaching as valuable intellectual work that can be improved by observation, critical analysis, reflective conversations with colleagues, and by peer critiques because “good teaching can be learned” (p. 21).

Reference

Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.