As the semester progresses, many professors, myself included, as the semester progresses, are beginning to firmly nestle ourselves into the trappings of college life — paper grading, lectures or discussions, conferences and committees. Regardless of what activities academics immerse ourselves in, teaching remains the most crucial aspect.
Earlier this year, at the end of this past spring semester, I received an email from my dean informing me that I had been selected to receive one of the faculty teaching awards that are given annually by the college. I was elated to hear such splendid news. That news quickly spread throughout my department and I quickly became the recipient of numerous email comments expressing hearty congratulations from a number of my colleagues, including my former department chair who had written a mesmerizing, eloquent and supportive letter on my behalf.
As someone who has been told by a number of students, fellow colleagues and even some senior-level administrators that I am an effective teacher, I found it reassuring that such acknowledgment had been recognized in such a public manner.
I have been a professor for almost two decades and have taught at every academic level and various types of courses — freshmen, upperclassmen, honors, graduate students, etc. I am well aware of the fact that teaching is a skill that is complex. There is no one method that is the standard.
Indeed, good and effective teaching can manifest itself in a multitude of ways. Both professor A and professor B could be outstanding professors and yet employ diametrically diverse teaching methods in their courses. In essence, there is no one pathway to effective and innovative teaching. That being said, I would argue that there are a combination of qualities that distinguish good professors from poor ones. A few of them are:
· An engaging personality
