I am
currently releasing a new teaching book (see information at the bottom of the
page). I needed a back cover for the
hard copy, so I pulled out one of my favorite blog postings. It will look great on the back of that
book.
Plus,
as we inch closer to starting a new semester, this is the perfect time for all of
us to start thinking once again about the wonders and joys of being a college
teacher. If you’ve ever been to one of
my teaching presentations, you already know my goal: To be a 5 percent better teacher in the
coming year than I was last year.
JOE
HOYLE’S
TEN
COMMANDMENTS FOR EXCELLENT TEACHING
(1)--Walk in every day
adequately prepared. Truly great
teachers create lesson plans as if today’s class is the first one they have
ever taught.
(2)--Have a true sense
of what you want to achieve. Great
teaching requires great goals. A
well-articulated goal provides a beacon that will direct every class action.
(3)--Impart a sense of
excitement about the material. Human
nature dictates that students work harder if they feel a sense of value about
the material. Great teachers share the
importance they have discovered about the subject matter.
(4)--Engage students
so that at least half of the energy for learning comes from them. The best teachers say the least because the
students carry on much of the discussion.
(5)—Be fair to all
students. Educational success falls
apart immediately if students come to believe the teacher’s treatment is
unfair.
(6)--Stay as far away
from memorization as is humanly possible.
Education needs to focus on using information rather than memorizing it
(7)--Care about each
student as an individual. Each
student brings a unique set of talents and challenges with them. Teachers need
to realize that each person in that classroom is unique, a human being with a
personal story unlike anyone else.
(8)--Make efficient
use of class time. Those minutes
are like precious gold. Guard them
carefully.
(9)--Work to teach 100
percent of the students and not just the top 10 percent. The best teachers manage to involve every
student. Ten percent of the students
should do ten percent of the talking.
(10)—Will never agree when students claim, “I am stupid,” “I am lazy,” or “I
cannot do this.” Nothing is ever
gained from holding on to negative beliefs about ourselves.
MY NEW TEACHING
BOOK
About 15 months ago, I read a sentence in a book written by Rick Rubin, a well-known record producer,
“The
world isn’t waiting for more of the same.”
I have thought about those words for a long time. My new book is my response. It is primarily for accounting teachers but anyone who is interested in teaching might find the Introduction worth reading as I try to explain what 55 years of being in the classroom have taught be about teaching college students.
At the link below, you will find a free, downloadable version that is available for your students, your colleagues, and anyone else who might find it helpful. The current version is virtually complete and already available, but I will have the final version on the site in about 7-10 days. Please consider sharing the link. I truly believe that college education desperately needs to (1) get better and (2) get cheaper. This is my attempt to help.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/400/
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