WHAT DO COLLEGE STUDENTS REALLY WANT FROM THEIR TEACHERS?

Just a reminder that my new teaching book (Transformative Education – How Can You Become a Better College Teacher?) can be downloaded for free at the University of Richmond Scholarship Repository.  The book has been downloaded (on the average) every 2 hours and 47 minutes since being made available on August 23, 2023.

          https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/

In addition, I have started a podcast that you can listen to wherever you go for your podcasts.  It is titled, Transformative Teaching—Stories That Inspire.

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As I travel around speaking with college teachers, I often hear a lot of cynicism.  “Students don’t want to work.”  “Students don’t want to be pushed.”   “Students don’t want to think.”  “Students are only interested in grades especially if they don’t require effort.”

Last week, I decided to see if those assertions were true.  Do my students prefer an easy experience?  To find out, I assigned them to write a paragraph describing their best college teacher so far in their educational journey.   I asked them to tell me who had been their best (not favorite, but best) teacher and why they made that choice.

The only rule was that they could not choose me.  At 76, I hope I am not in need of obsequious flattery.

The assignment was not graded.  The students received no credit.  (I will explain the rationale for the assignment at the end of this post.)   I just asked them to write a paragraph.  In response, most of them wrote several paragraphs if not pages about one teacher or another and why that student found the teacher so inspiring.  

Here are several very typical examples of the descriptions that I received.  IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A BETTER TEACHER, LOOK FOR THE WORDS AND SENTIMENTS THAT GET MENTIONED MOST FREQUENTLY.   You'll be surprised by how much this tells you about what students want.  

Try this with your own students.  They will literally tell you what they prefer in a teacher.   They will provide you with excellent guidance.  Because of confidentiality, I have disguised the identity of the professors and their courses.

“(Professor X) turned what could have been a boring class into a class I will never forget.  …  Not only did (Professor X) make these classes more fun and interactive, but she also gave really good feedback on every single little assignment I turned it.  I could tell she was passionate about the material she was teaching, and she was also passionate about her students learning and improving.”

“(Professor X) has had a great impact on my academic journey and career goals.  He teaches in a way that ignites a sense of enthusiasm for (the subject matter), transforming what could have been mere coursework into a genuine passion.  He organizes and presents complex information in a digestible manner.  He is dedicated to facilitating comprehension while simultaneously fostering an environment of active learning.”

“I loved every moment of her class.  I attribute this to how interactive she made every single class.  …  Additionally, she cared for every student.” 

“(Professor X) held review sessions every Sunday before our weekly quizzes and refused to leave until every student was confident in their ability to get an A the following day.  Each day that I walked into his class I was excited to learn something new about (the subject matter) and apply it to the real world.”

“His enthusiasm ignited a newfound interest in exploring (the subject matter) from unconventional angles, sparking my own interpretations and theories.  Over time, I eagerly contributed to class discussions and developed the ability to articulate my thoughts effectively.  …  Remarkably, what began as a compulsory course evolved into a transformative experience, reshaping my attitude toward (the subject matter).”

“The assignments in the class are fun to complete and have helped me to retain the concepts far better than if I had just read them on a powerpoint.  It is also apparent that she loves what she teaches and as a student it is obvious when a professor does not love the subject they teach and it reflects in their teaching.”

“Rather than just lecture and have us do readings about what it is like to be of a certain demographic in the United States, she sent us out into the greater Richmond area to witness it ourselves.  …  She taught us how to expand our view on the human condition and to use our time wisely.”

“(Professor X’s) never-give-up attitude turned what could have a stressful class into a fun learning experience.  Instead of spoon-feeding us, he’d give us just enough info in his notes to figure things out on our own.  Under his guidance, I not only nailed (the subject matter) but also learned a ton about bouncing back from setbacks.”

“He fostered an environment where students actually learned.  Many college classes have become rote memorization and regurgitation.   As a student who does not enjoy writing, (Professor X) found a way for me to grow as a writer and enjoy doing it.” 

“This class truly challenged me to think differently.  It allowed me to understand what the true reason for coming to college is.  I was challenged not just to take basic notes in class, but to question the readings we did to succeed.  …  (Professor X) was an important figure in my college career as he pushed me to understand what a college education should really look like.”

I could include many more excerpts but I suspect you get the point.  What descriptors do you notice being used by these students:  caring, enthusiastic, exciting, passionate, interactive, transformative.  Students certainly do know when a teacher is having a positive effect on their lives and appreciate what they are getting. 

Want to be better teacher?  Here's an idea.  Pick one of these characteristics that appeals to you and work to be better at it.  Make it a constant focus.  Don’t try to be all things to all students.  Pick one positive characteristic this semester and spend some time thinking how you can be better at it.  Your students will appreciate the effort.

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One final thing.  How did I justify this assignment to my students?   I asked the students to spend their time picking their best teacher and writing the paragraph.  I did not want to waste their time.  Because I did not want to influence their selections, I told them that I would explain my reasoning after the assignments had been turned in.  I felt they deserved to know.  Here is what I wrote to them.

“In a couple of years, you will be out of college and, more than likely, in an adult job.  It is not a long time.  I would love for you to be just as successful in your career as you want to be.  I truly want you to succeed or I wouldn’t waste my time pushing you so hard in this course.

 "You will need to know (the subject matter) in order to succeed in the world after college no matter what you eventually do.  You don’t have to be an A+ student, but you do need to know a good amount of (subject matter) knowledge.  However, I am convinced that each of you will leave this class with, at least, a decent understanding of (the subject matter).   No one this semester seems intent on not learning.

"But, you need more than a knowledge of (subject matter) to succeed.  You need to know how to be a leader, because before you know it, you will have 1-4 people reporting to you and then 10 and then more and more.  Success goes beyond mere knowledge.  It is also about leadership.   In fact, the ability to be a good leader might be the key ingredient in success.

"You have had many teachers over the years.  In my mind, teaching is about leadership.  The teacher takes a group of students who might not actually want to learn and marches them to a goal of actual learning.  I gave this assignment because I wanted you to think about how those teachers manage to do this.  How do those teachers lead a class into doing what works best for them?  If you can figure out their magic, it will show you a type of leadership that works and, maybe more importantly, shows you a type of leadership that appeals to you.  Most people become a type of leader that resembles what they themselves like. 

"I want you to think about (the subject matter) and come to understand it all.  Trust me on that.  But, I also feel that developing leadership skills will be important if your career is going to be what you want it to be.  So, think about the paragraph you wrote and what you can learn from it about leadership – literally from your own words."

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In case you want to hear more of my thoughts, I recently appeared in the 514th episode of the fabulous podcast, Teaching in Higher Ed.   Here is the URL:

https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/transformative-education-lessons-from-more-than-50-years-of-teaching/