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Ali Blumenthal for Reader's Digest Miss Pemberton and the Bee
In April 1952, I was 11 years old and in the sixth grade at William Cleveland Elementary School, in Houston, Texas. My teacher was Miss Ada Pemberton. It was spelling bee time in our city-students were issued booklets of words to study in preparation for the classroom spelldowns. They would lead to a schoolwide contest and eventual qualification for the citywide bee, where school winners competed for the honor of being the spelling champion of Houston.

The day before the classroom spelling bee, my youngest brother was playing with matches and accidentally set a fire in our apartment. My mother made sleeping arrangements for all of us and called the school in the morning to inform Miss Pemberton of the accident, knowing that the class spelling bee was that day.

When I arrived at school, Miss Pemberton pulled me aside. She asked if I wanted her to postpone the spelling bee to another day because of my upset about the fire. I told her no. That day, I won the bee for my classroom.

The next week was the school spelling bee, with classroom champions competing. I won again! The citywide spelling bee was one month away.

Every Sunday afternoon, Miss Pemberton would pick me up, and we would go to her residence, where she would help me practice by calling out spelling words. After a couple of hours, Miss Pemberton would take me to Rettig's ice cream parlor, where we would enjoy a hot fudge sundae, an indulgence I'd never had. We practiced every weekend until the citywide spelling bee with all the school champions from the Houston Independent School District.

I did not win the citywide bee, but I still felt proud to have participated. I also felt grateful that I had such a caring teacher in elementary school.
-Darlene Rabe, Houston, Texas
Pauline Jambard Became My Family Ali Blumenthal for Reader's Digest
I was nine when I arrived at the Children's Home in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1965. I failed third grade that year, barely made it through a second time, and had squeaked through fourth grade by the time I reached Pauline Jambard's fifth-grade class at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School.

I was convinced I wasn't "smart" like the other kids, and I hoped I could make it through fifth grade. Ms. Jambard took an instant liking to me. Of all the subjects in school, reading was my favorite. She would tell me, "Terry, you keep reading. If you can understand what you're reading, you'll be smarter than most kids." After I read all the books in our program, I started reading the classroom's set of Encyclopaedia Britannica. I couldn't find enough to read, and I started to really like school.

That December, the children's home threw a Christmas party for family and community members. My brother and I had no family to invite. I still remember looking up and seeing Ms. Jambard walk through the front doors of the children's home and realizing she was there to see me. That was the best Christmas of my life.

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After I graduated from Ms. Jambard's class in 1969, my brother and I moved, and I lost all touch with my teacher. In 1983, I was on a business trip and had to drive through Nashua. I took a chance and dropped by Charlotte Avenue Elementary. I was walking toward her classroom when she came out in the hallway and said, "Terry!" It was as if I had never left. I was in seventh heaven on my flight home.

We have stayed in touch, and I call Pauline at least once a year. Because of the confidence she instilled in me, I went on to have a successful career in engineering and law enforcement. I don't know if Pauline realizes how much she helped me, but I'll never forget her kindness and faith in me.
-Terry Fallon, Bellemont, Arizona
Mr. Bachmann Set Me on the Right Path
My wood-shop teacher, Mr. August J. Bachmann, was the most influential teacher I ever had.

I had gotten into trouble in his class: Another student had pushed me into a wood lathe, and I became enraged and began to hit him. Mr. Bachmann stopped the fight, but instead of sending me to the office, he sat me down and asked a simple question: "Penna, why are you wasting your life? Why aren't you going to college?"

I didn't know anything about colleges or scholarships. No one had ever considered that a fatherless boy from the poorest neighborhood had a future. That day, instead of rushing off for lunch, he stayed and explained possible education options to me. At the end of our talk, he sent me to see a secretary who had a child at a state college. This was in 1962 at Emerson High School in Union City, New Jersey.

Well, 53 years have passed, and what have I done with the knowledge he gave me? I gained a PhD from Fordham University when I was only 29. I taught English and social studies and then moved up the chain of command from teacher to principal.

I've sat on the board for Magnet Schools of America and represented that organization at the United Nations. I've won a number of prestigious educational awards. But where would I be if a truly caring teacher had not taken the time out of his lunch period to speak to me? It was without question only his confidence in me that propelled me forward.

I have repaid his kindness hundreds of times by encouraging misguided youngsters to aim higher. If I have saved any children, it is because of him. If I have been a successful educator, it is because I had a great role model in Mr. Bachmann.
-Robert Penna, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Like this series? We're happy to do it again. Send your stories about people who have made a difference in your life to rd.com/tributes. They may be teachers, neighbors, nurses, or clergy.If we publish in the magazine, you'll receive $100!

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3 Inspiring Teachers and their Life Lessons | Reader's Digest

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Ali Blumenthal for Reader's Digest Miss Pemberton and the Bee In April 1952, I was 11 years old and in the sixth grade at William Cleveland Elementary School, in Houston, Texas. My teacher was Miss Ada Pemberton. It was spelling bee time in our city-students were issued booklets of words to study in preparation for the classroom spelldowns.

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Short story for you

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I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging "knowledge society". Second, educators were a major part of the problem: they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure and shielded by a bureaucratic monopoly.

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Photographer: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images

Teaching may be more art than science, but the long-term benefits of doing it well aren't up for debate: Good teachers boost their students' performance on standardized tests, their chances of going to college and even their lifetime earnings. Whether countries prosper and grow depends on the quality of their teachers - which is why governments need to invest in raising standards.

Partly, this means paying teachers more. The public-school teachers striking for better pay in some Republican-controlled states have a good case. But improving teacher quality requires more than that.

The overriding priority should be to attract and develop greater talent. In the U.S., there's no national minimum standard for admission to teacher-preparation programs. Compare that to Singapore and Finland, whose students consistently score near the top of international assessments. Their prospective teachers are drawn from the top 30 percent of university students and must pass a series of exams, demonstrate math and language proficiency, and sit for interviews with teaching professionals.

In Finland, where teaching ranks as the most admired profession, only 10 percent of applicants for primary-school teaching positions make it through this process. Once admitted, they're required to earn a master's degree and complete coursework in their chosen academic subject, as well as drama, music and physical education.

This is where higher pay comes in - as a way to recruit better candidates. Teachers in high-performing countries earn salaries comparable to those of their academic peers. In the U.S., secondary-school teachers make a lot less than other college graduates. Linking pay to performance pushes the same way. U.S. school districts with merit-pay policies attract candidates with higher SAT scores.

Next comes training on the job. Teachers in Shanghai - which produces some of the world's highest-achieving students - spend their first year supervised by a more experienced colleague, who provides guidance on teaching techniques, lesson plans and student interaction. Matching young teachers with mentors sharpens their skills and makes them more likely to stick with the profession. In Toronto's schools, where new educators receive up to two years of mentoring, about 1 percent of teachers leave their jobs after their first year; average attrition rates in U.S. districts are 10 times higher.

Governments should encourage teachers to keep getting better, promote or give bonuses to teachers who pursue advanced degrees, and give teachers time to study and share best practices. Elementary-school teachers in the U.S. spend more than half the workweek teaching by themselves; their counterparts in Shanghai and Singapore spend most of their time working with other teachers. One U.S. study found that teacher collaboration boosts student achievement substantially.

There's no great mystery about what works: competitive selection and competitive salaries, plus incentives and opportunities for professional development. But the formula isn't cheap and it can't be done overnight. How best to make a start?

Spend more on teachers and less on administrators. Expand teacher " residency" programs, which provide a different way to qualify as a teacher through working as an apprentice to an expert professional. In the U.S., the federal government should push states to increase bonuses for teachers in low-income areas and let certified teachers take their credentials across state lines. This would ease local teacher shortages and lessen the need to use unqualified instructors.

The walkouts in Oklahoma, Arizona and beyond have focused overdue attention to the damage wrought by years of underfunding and neglect. Meeting teachers' demands for better pay will help - so long as it's combined with a consistent effort to improve both the quality of teachers and the quality of the teaching experience.

-Editors: Romesh Ratnesar, Clive Crook

To contact the senior editor responsible for Bloomberg View's editorials: David Shipley at davidshipley@bloomberg.net .

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Teaching may be more art than science, but the long-term benefits of doing it well aren't up for debate: Good teachers boost their students' performance on standardized tests, their chances of going to college and even their lifetime earnings.

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Why SC teachers are leaving in record numbers

The year Teresa Schlosser decided to quit teaching, she had a first-grade student who panicked over simple tasks and lost his temper.

Frustrated, he hit himself in the head, threw himself against the sink in the class' bathroom, jumped off desks and shelves, threw pencils and crayons at his classmates and tossed backpacks from their cubbies.

Schlosser would attempt to talk him down while hurrying her other students to safety - gathering them into a tight huddle on a classroom rug or ushering them out into the hallway. Books in hand, the scared students and teacher would wait for an administrator or a guidance counselor to get the child.

It was "complete mayhem on a daily basis," Schlosser said, adding that little teaching or learning happened because the troubled student remained in her Richland 1 class in Columbia for the entire school year.

Increasingly frustrated that school administrators didn't - or couldn't - do more to help her troubled student despite her requests, she quit the following school year.

Average annual pay that is below the Southeastern average, heavy workloads that require far more than 40 hours each week, a teach-to-the-test culture and a lack of support from bosses and parents are driving S.C. teachers away in record numbers.

Last year, 6,705 teachers quit their jobs. Nearly 5,000 of those - or one in 10 - left teaching in S.C. public schools altogether.

The teacher shortage is alarming parents, employers and lawmakers in a state heavily dependent on its public school system. More than 92 percent of the state's K-12 students attend public schools.

It is expected to worsen as potentially hundreds of teachers leave the classroom with this summer's end of a popular program that has allowed them to continue working in retirement, baby boomer teachers retiring and fewer aspiring teachers graduating from the state's colleges.

By the 2027-28 school year, South Carolina is projected to be short by about 6,000 teachers, or 11 percent, including guidance counselors and other specialists. Hardest hit will be math, science, special education and social studies classes where 2,500 teacher vacancies are anticipated.

South Carolina is not alone in struggling to recruit and retain quality teachers. All 50 states started this school year short teachers, many just in critical subject areas, according to a U.S. Department of Education report.

What sets the Palmetto state and some others apart is the rapid spread of their teacher shortages.

A lack of S.C. teachers, once limited to just special education teachers and a few other teaching fields in the early 1990s, now affects dozens of other fields- everything from art and music to math and science.

Some parents fear that the quality of their children's education will suffer as the burdens heaped on teachers drive more out of the classroom.

"They're so tied up and worried about all the paperwork that needs to be done that they're unable to actually do the job that they applied for, which is educating children," said Natasha Jefferson, a Charleston mom worried about the education her eighth grader is receiving with two classes taught by rotating substitute teachers.

Teachers must be held accountable for their performance, but they also need support, said Jefferson. As a volunteer with the grassroots organization, Charleston Rise, she helps local teachers by laminating documents, prepping class materials and doing any other housekeeping tasks to free up educators to teach.

"What time do they really have to engage and really get to know these children on a one-to-one basis?" she said.

As their teaching ranks thin, school districts are increasingly turning to teachers from other states, other countries and other careers to fill classrooms.

That alone is not a good solution, some education experts argue. Instead, South Carolina must convince more current teachers to stay in their jobs, they say.

"We're not going to recruit ourselves out of this teacher shortage," said Jennifer Garrett with the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement, a teacher professional develop group studying the shortage. "Statistically, it's not possible to fill the gaps."

"Keep them there. Support them, value them, respect them, and maybe they'll stay," Garrett said.

That's a tall order, say many teachers. More than three dozen current and former educators were interviewed by The State for this series. Many asked not to be named.

Elizabeth Walen, a fourth-generation S.C. teacher, left teaching in York County in 2016 after six years because of the emphasis on testing.

At one point, Walen said she was giving students practice standardized tests monthly. Each test stole time from teaching and took hours to grade.

"And then what do you do with those tests? You've been practicing for a test that you haven't even learned the stuff for," she said.

Often, it's a toxic mix of reasons that lead teachers to leave.

Schlosser, for example, said it wasn't just one troubled student she felt powerless to help that convinced her to quit. (Richland 1 spokesperson Karen York declined to comment specifically on Schlosser's claims, but said when a student's extreme behavior or mental health are concerns, the district may observe the child and offer support in the school setting.)

She was also required to attend a seeming endless stream of training classes and meetings instead of getting time to plan lessons and figure out how best to reach - and teach - her students.

An administrator saying, "'Don't worry, you'll teach them how to pass the test.,'" pushed her over her limit one day, she said.

"I had to go out in the hall and cry," Schlosser said, who is now a stay-at-home mom. "I didn't sign up for this, to teach somebody to pass a test."

Asked for a solution, Schlosser struggled to say what could have kept her in the classroom, adding the problems facing S.C. public schools "might be too hugely systematic."

"If I didn't feel like I was set up for failure?"

An exodus of retirees

This summer, the number of teachers leaving their jobs is expected to spike.

The state's Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive program, which allows teachers to continue working while drawing retirement benefits, is ending June 30. As of last July, 1,955 teachers were participating in the program, which allows state employees to work their jobs, earning a full salary, while their state retirement collects in a bank account.

After June 30, state law limits the amount of money a retiree can earn to $10,000 while still drawing retirement, unless those teachers want to work in critical subjects or geographic areas. Lawmakers are considering lifting that cap for one year, allowing teachers to continue working without the restrictions. But that proposal has not been adopted into law yet.

Without intervention by lawmakers, the program's conclusion likely will force many of the remaining teachers in the program out of the classroom, hurting small, rural districts the most, some say. A legislative proposal to extend the program by one year has failed.

Leaving the classroom will be "older, veteran teachers that have grown up in that community and have been teaching there their whole lives," said Garrett with CERRA at Winthrop University.

"Those districts with high poverty, out there out in the country, there's not a lot around them. To get a 20-year-old to move there to teach is nearly impossible," she said.

Many veteran teachers who are not retirement age also are considering leaving because making more money would require them to pay out-of-pocket to go back to school.

"It's not just about money, but compensation is a factor," said Charlene Sales-McMillan, an English teacher in a Midlands high school now in her 21st year teaching.

"If I want to move ahead in the teaching profession, I must obtain multiple degrees," she said. "In other companies and corporations, if you want to move ahead, you must prove yourself to be worthy ... I understand the need for more education, but I don't see the equity in that."

'Fundamental failure of our state'

As though the teacher exodus is not alarming enough, South Carolina's classrooms face another problem: fewer aspiring teachers to hire.

Consider Lexington's Caleb Surface, who mentally shelved his education degree before he received it.

Now a political operative working on becoming a financial adviser, Surface said he learned quickly while student teaching in a Lexington high school that the job was not for him.

"Being able to enact change in the education system is not a task remotely accessible inside the classroom," he said, adding that teachers have no authority.

It was typical, he said, that "a student would be sent out (of class) five times and would return with no consequences."

"I didn't blame it on the administration, because they don't get the support they need," he added. "It's the fundamental failure of our state to give support to any type of education official."

While Surface gave education a try, fewer and fewer college students are even considering the career.

Enrollment in South Carolina's teaching colleges, the largest source of new S.C. teachers, is dropping rapidly.

Four years ago, 2,415 graduates from state education programs were eligible for teaching certificates. That number fell 30 percent to 1,685 at the beginning of this school year, according to the S.C. Commission on Higher Education.

Asked the greatest impediment to recruiting teachers, leaders of those education programs cited a foe that will be difficult to conquer: High-school graduates are losing interest in the teaching profession.

And it's no wonder, say teachers reflecting on a profession once venerated and now attacked by public officials and disrespected by society.

"I don't feel like most teachers are treated like true professionals," said Pete Stone, who left teaching after just two years to attend medical school.

He, too, was "set up for failure," he said. His administration stifled creativity, did not approve of his "out-of-the-box" approach to teaching poetry and gave him low marks for classroom management instead of encouraging his innovation.

But on his way to becoming a doctor and entering the clinical rotation, the classroom called Stone back. He's now a Lewisville High School English teacher in Chester County.

"The reward of seeing someone become self-liberated is beyond the financial payoff," said Stone, who credits a supportive principal for his ability to stay happy and successful as a teacher.

But to some, he chose the lesser of professions.

"People were so happy when I told them I'm going to be a doctor."
Reporters Cody Dulaney and Maayan Schechter contributed.
South Carolina's teacher crisis, by the numbers

22 - Percentage of first-year teachers hired in 2016-17 who left teaching in S.C. schools altogether during or after the school year

6,705 - or 13 percent of 2016-17 teachers - left their teaching positions, up from 9 percent who left after the 2010-11 school year

4,914 - or 1 in 10 of 2016-17 teachers - left and did not return to any S.C. teaching position

38 - Percentage of teachers who left their jobs in their first five years of teaching

1,685 - Graduates from S.C. teacher colleges in 2016-17, a 30 percent drop from a high of 2,415 four years earlier in 2012-13.

Source: The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement and the S.C. Commission on Higher Education

Helping S.C. teachers

State lawmakers are weighing few proposals to help curb the crisis in the teaching profession. A look at what they are considering:

Pay raises:Teachers can expect a raise next year. But how much is still up for debate. State lawmakers are weighing whether to give teachers the 2 percent raise the S.C. House approved in its version of the state budget or the 1 percent raise the S.C. Senate adopted. Both chambers also have tentatively approved raising starting teacher salaries to $32,000 up from about $30,000. The state budget, once it becomes law, will take effect July 1.

Teacher recruitment: The state budget is expected to include almost $10 million to help attract teachers into districts with the highest turnover rates.

Helping retirees keep working? Lawmakers are considering a temporary one-year extension of the state's TERI program, which allows retirement-age teachers to keep working while collecting retirement pay. The program is set to expire June 30.

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Classrooms in Crisis: Why SC teachers are quitting in record numbers

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The year Teresa Schlosser decided to quit teaching, she had a first-grade student who panicked over simple tasks and lost his temper. Frustrated, he hit himself in the head, threw himself against the sink in the class' bathroom, jumped off desks and shelves, threw pencils and crayons at his classmates and tossed backpacks from their cubbies.

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Life - The Greatest of Teachers (Motivational Video)

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For new teachers

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Develop a plan for engaging your students in learning, starting on the first day of class. Taking the time to design a clear plan for the first day will help you calm your nerves and will give students a clear impression of the course content and objectives, what they can expect to do in the course, and why it will be interesting and challenging.

Arrive early and make sure that the room is ready. Set up any necessary equipment.
Write (or display) the course title and your name and contact information, on the chalkboard (or screen).

Chat with students before you begin class. Interacting with students in this way will make them more likely to participate and ask questions during class.
When class starts, tell the students a little about who you are and why you are interested in the course and the discipline.

Begin learning your students' names. The class roster on WebFAC provides photos of all your students; use this roster to help you put names to faces, even before the class begins. (WebFAC is accessible from the "My Blackboard" tab on Blackboard.)

Start class on time.

Hit the ground running on the first day by including a brief lecture or a focused discussion.

Use at least one of the teaching methods you will use during the semester.

If you plan to use small-group discussions or other active-learning methods in the course, it is especially important that you do so on the first day. This strategy will help you establish high expectations for student participation and engagement.

Communicate your sense of why the topic should be studied and understood.

Relate the course topic to current issues or experiences.

Distribute an informative, detailed syllabus and describe the workload of the course, e.g., number of exams, number and length of papers, number of books to read, and amount of daily or weekly homework.

Explain policies regarding attendance, academic integrity, grades, and requests for extensions or rescheduling of quizzes and exams. If you are a course assistant who is assisting a faculty member, reinforce course policies and explain how they pertain to the part of class (e.g., weekly discussion sections) that you facilitate.

Review your office hours and give students instructions on when and how to communicate with you.

Explain your expectations for class participation, and why participating is important.

In addition to giving students an opportunity to ask questions, try to answer unspoken questions, such as "Should I take this course?" "What will be the most interesting part of this course?" and "What will be the most challenging part?"

Consider asking students to submit questions about the course-in class, via email, or in an online discussion board, such as on Blackboard. Plan to answer these questions during the next class session

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. © 2014, Washington University.

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Tips for Teaching on the First Day of Class

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Develop a plan for engaging your students in learning, starting on the first day of class.

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Every teacher remembers his or her first "tough kid" experience. Maybe the student ignored your directions or laughed at your attempts to utilize the classroom discipline steps. We all have at least one story to share, and for some teachers, teaching a tough kid is a daily challenge. It seems that no matter what teaching techniques you try to pull out of your educator hat, nothing changes their behavior.

I've had the privilege of teaching some tough kids. I say "privilege" for a reason. Teaching these students pushed me to be a better educator and a more compassionate person. I've detailed below five methods that have reduced misbehavior in my classroom and, better still, helped transform these students into leaders among their peers.

1. Set the Tone

I firmly believe that a student's misbehavior in the past does not necessarily equate to future indiscretions. At the beginning of the school year, I would walk down to the sixth grade teachers with my new class lists and ask questions. I would inquire about who works well together, who probably should not sit next to each other, and who caused them the most grief. Not surprisingly, teachers would share the names of the same students that were their "tough kids." If I had the privilege of having any of these students in my class, I looked forward to it instead of dreading it.

Usually during the first week of school, I would try to have individual conferences with these tough kids. I'd take this as an opportunity to clear the air and wipe the slate clean. Often, these students can feel disrespected because their teachers already have preconceived ideas about how they are the troublemakers. Explain that you respect them and have high expectations for them this year. Lay the foundation for the student's understanding that you believe in him or her, because you might be the only one who genuinely does.

2. Be a Mentor

Unfortunately, it has been my experience that some of the toughest kids to teach come from very difficult home situations. Inconsistent housing, absentee parent(s), lack of resources, and violence are only a few examples of what some of these students have to face every day. Kids that are neglected at home can act out in school to receive attention, good or bad. They want someone to notice them and take an interest in their lives.

Don't forget how important you are in helping your students develop not just academically, but also socially. Make an effort to show you care about them, not just their grades. Be proactive instead of reactive. The key to being a good mentor is to be positive, available, and trustworthy. One year with a great mentor can have a lasting, positive impact on a tough kid's life.

3. Make Connections

Part of being a great mentor is your ability to make connections with these tough kids. Since these students sometimes don't have anyone encouraging them or taking an interest in their lives, have a real conversation about their future or dreams. If they have nothing to share, start talking about their interests -- sports, music, movies, food, clothing, friends, siblings, etc. Find a way to connect so that they can relate to you. Start off small and show a genuine interest in what they have to say. Once you've made a positive connection and the student can trust you, you'd be surprised how fast they might open up to talking about their hopes, fears, home life, etc. This is when you need to exercise professional discretion and be prepared for what the student might bring up. Explain that you do not want to violate his or her trust but that, as an educator, you are required by law to report certain things.

4. Take it Personally (In a Good Way)

Teachers need to have thick skin. Students may say things in an attempt to bruise your ego or question your teaching abilities. Remember, we are working with young children and developing adults. I'm sure you said some hurtful things that you didn't mean when you were growing up. Students can say things out of frustration or boredom, or that are triggered by problems spilling over from outside of your classroom. Try to deal with their misbehavior in the classroom -- they might not take you seriously if you just send them to the office every time they act out. These are the moments when they need a positive mentor the most.

Once trust has been established, remind these students that you believe in them even if they make a mistake. I've vouched for kids during grade team meetings only to have them get into a fight at lunch the same day. They make mistakes, just like we all do. It's how we respond to their slip-ups that will determine if they'll continue to trust us. Explain that you're disappointed in their actions and that you know they can do better. Don't write them off. Tough kids are used to being dismissed as hopeless. Instead, show them that you care and are willing to work with them. Helping a tough kid overcome personal issues isn't something that happens overnight, but it is a worthwhile investment in his or her future.

5. Expect Anything and Everything!

All of our students come from a variety of cultures, nationalities, and home environments, and these five techniques that have worked for me might barely scratch the surface of how you interact with the tough kids in your classroom. If you have another method that has helped you reach out and connect to a tough kid, please share it below in the comments section.

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5 Tips for Teaching the Tough Kids | Edutopia

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Every teacher remembers his or her first "tough kid" experience. Maybe the student ignored your directions or laughed at your attempts to utilize the classroom discipline steps. I've had the privilege of teaching some tough kids. I say "privilege" for a reason. Teaching these students pushed me to be a better educator and a more compassionate person.

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Read and share it to others

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Lists of Faculty Development Centers:
Wake Forest University Dalhousie University
Teaching tips from the University of Hawaii

If you have good teaching tips you'd like to share, let us know!

Teaching Tip #1: Be Organized

If lecturing, put a short outline on the board or give handouts of the lecture. Check off topics on the board as you go through the lecture. Students will be reminded throughout the class period of where you have been and where you are going.
--Thanks to Gene Van Horn (UTC Biology and Environmental Sciences)

Teaching Tip #2: Make a list

Make a list of the favorite practices of your past teachers that helped you to learn. Make another list of your least favorite practices of your past teachers. Do the former and avoid the latter unless it will help the teaching process to bring in some of the unpleasant practices.
--Thanks to Gene Van Horn (UTC Biology and Environmental Sciences)

Teaching Tip #3: On Fear

Use fear sparingly. You might get students to study harder, but you might scare them away or cause them to give up too soon. It does not hurt to warn the class that a final exam will be harder than previous examinations. Sometimes mentioning difficulty will get their attention and help them resolve to conquer the material. Let them know that it's not you against the students, but you and the students against the material.
--Thanks to Gene Van Horn (UTC Biology and Environmental Sciences)

Teaching Tip #4: On Grading

Return papers as soon as possible. I try to return exams the next class period or post exam results in a timely manner. You will not save any time by putting off grading. You might even save time by avoiding having students coming by and asking about their grade. If you put off grading exams, you might send the message that exams are not important, or that the students should not be concerned.
--Thanks to Gene Van Horn (UTC Biology and Environmental Sciences)

Teaching Tip #5: Make it Worth Something

Make it worth something if you want them to do it. Even the best students will not bother to keep a lab notebook or a journal if they don't think you will collect them, read them, or reward them with a few points.
--Thanks to Gene Van Horn (UTC Biology and Environmental Sciences)

Teaching Tip #6: Don't Fear Silence

Students will eventually talk. While we may think the silence is long, students need time to process your questions and to come up with answers. Give them a chance to think and they will eventually talk. In fact, you may want to silently count slowly to 10 or 15 to force yourself to wait enough time for students to think and respond.
--Thanks to Kathleen Wheatley

Teaching Tip #7: Sample Quizzes and Tests

Provide students with sample quizzes and tests. Students can then become familiar with your style of asking questions and testing formats.
--Thanks to Nicholas Boer

Teaching Tip #8: Get Feedback from Your Students

Periodically during the semester, especially at the end of a class in which much has happened, take five minutes to have students (anonymously) fill out index cards answering the following question: "What's the most significant thing you heard or the most significant thing that happened in class today?" Let students know that this doesn't just mean something that the instructor has said or done. The response could address any aspect of the class. Complete a card answering the question yourself.
Later, read through all the responses, select one or more that are provocative enough to be useful in subsequent classes, then read them aloud, discuss the issues they raise, etc. Even if you're unable to use one or more responses to follow up directly, these provide a good snapshot assessment of what's happening for students. Their choices are almost always very diverse, and, not surprisingly, very different from what I have chosen as most significant. Inevitably, this exercise acts as a rudder to move my teaching and learning closer to the learning of the students.
--Thanks to David Garrison

Teaching Tip #9: Be Clear

Make sure your syllabus is very clear about how student grades will be calculated. Designate the percentages for each assignment, how much weight you will give each assignment and what your expectations for each assignment are.
--Thanks to Susan McDonald and Charlie Stresino

Teaching Tip #10: Admit When You Don't Know

Be willing to admit you don't know an answer or tell the students you'll look something up and get back to them. This can promote ongoing learning. Be sure to remember to get back with them on the answer.
--Thanks to Debra Phillips for this Teaching Tip

Teaching Tip #11: Remember to Review

Begin each class session with a five minute interactive review of the concepts dealt with in the previous class session. Get students involved with the content!
--Thanks to JoBeth Boyer

Teaching Tip #12: Use Real World Examples

Use practical, real world analogies to bridge the gaps between something students understand and new concepts you are trying to teach.
--Thanks to Monte Helm

Teaching Tip #13: Vary Presentation Style

Try not to lecture for more than 20 minutes at a time. Break up your classes with other presentation techniques: group activities, videotapes, discussion, etc.
--Thanks to Peter Symonds

Teaching Tip #14: Use Student's Names

Try to address students by name during teaching sessions--Learn as many as you can and work on the rest.
--Thanks to Jim Gumnick

Teaching Tip #15: Small Group Discussions

Involve students in small group discussions and have them share important points through graphic organizers and concept maps.
--Thanks to Sarah Sandefur

Teaching Tip #16: Encourage Students' Learning Strategies

Encourage students to use specific learning strategies by:

helping them to define their learning tasks

teaching them ways to organize their notes and class resources

teaching students about learning devices that may work in your discipline (mnemonic devices, concept maps, study diaries, etc.)

modeling cognitive strategies (think aloud while demonstrating problem-solving, admit when you don't know something and outline how you'd find out, etc.)

--Excerpt from McGlynn, Angela Provitera (2001). Successful beginnings for college teaching, Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing, p. 73.

Teaching Tip #17: Provide Examples

Show your students examples of both good work and poor work, from previous classes.

Teaching Tip #18: Help Students Review and Study

List and submit review questions and divide the students into small groups to discuss and provide group answers and solutions. Ask groups to talk about their different answers (if they have them) and to determine a correct answer.
--Thanks to Larry Lyda

Teaching Tip #19: Outline Criteria

Outline your assessment criteria.Outline how you grade, what your expectations are and what criteria you will use for grades early on. While most of us list these things in a syllabus, be sure to point out your expectations to the students early on and be as clear as you can about what criteria constitutes A, B, C, D, etc. work.

Teaching Tip #20: Listen

Listen to what students have to say. Tell and show your students you care about what they have to say. Don't cut them off, belittle their comments, etc. or soon they will learn not to participate, ask questions, etc.

Teaching Tip #21: Add Variety to the Classroom

Vary your teaching style: lecture, provide group activities, conduct discussion groups, and plan for other teaching styles to capture all of your students into your content and discipline.
--Thanks to Chris Ryan, UTC Lupton Library

Teaching Tip #22 : Be Enthusiastic!

Be enthusiastic! Come into your class dragging, and chances are your class will drag. Be enthusiastic about your topic and your class will "catch" that enthusiasm. Try to convey your love of your discipline to your students.
--Thanks to Brian O'Leary, UTC Psychology Department

Teaching Tip #23: Keep Students Informed

Regularly update students on the progress of the course and the semester--where you are in the syllabus, where they are in their knowledge and skills. Relate where students are "now" with where they've been and where they are going.
--Thanks to Manuel Santiago, UTC Chemistry Department

Teaching Tip #24: Don't Forget to Review

Before each lecture, I read over notes and gather my thoughts, no matter how familiar with the material. Every so often, I will think about a new way of teaching a particular topic or a new example to use. Even if I can't think of an improvement for my presentation, reading the material helps make the classroom presentation flow so that I'm not just following my notes.
--Thanks to Gene Van Horn, UTC Biology Department

Teaching Tip #25: Start on Time...

Don't let minds drift or conversations begin. Begin on time and plan activities that take the entire class period, especially at the beginning of the semester. Don't let students even begin to think that you don't value your time in class by cutting class short or "letting" them out early. If you require attendance of your students, please consider your actions as well... If you require students to be there on time, you need to be on time as well.

Teaching Tip #26: Watch for Boredom

You might lose some of your students no matter what the topic, what the hour, or which day of the week you teach. But, if too many tune out, you should consider changing something. It might be as simple as changing the volume of your voice, or the rate/pace you talk. You might begin to include interesting stories or anecdotes related to the classroom material
--Thanks to Gene Van Horn, UTC Biology Department

Teaching Tip #27: Promote Student Success

At the beginning of each class period, select a student to give a short summary of the main points of the last class. This can help students who might have missed the last class and can help you understand what the students see as important. In addition, it can help students work on their oral communication skills.
--From Successful Beginnings for College Teaching: Engaging Your Students from the First Day, by Angela P. McGlynn (2001, Atwood Publishing)

Teaching Tip #28: Help Your Students Learn

Think about ways that you can help your students set short term academic goals--ones that are challenging, but attainable. For example, you might review some goals with a class that will be met over the next couple of weeks. After you have done that, ask your students to set their own goals dealing with a particular content area. The students could then outline what they need to do to meet those goals and identify what resources they need from you to help them meet those goals. By helping students realize what THEY do to control their own learning, you can help students begin to take responsibility for their own learning

Teaching Tip #29: One Minute Papers

These quick, short bits of writing can help students check what they know. Cut 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper into quarters. Hand out paper slips to your students or ask them to pick them up as they come into the classroom. Ask students to write an answer to a question about the content, lecture, or chapter for one minute (yes, time them!). Collect the papers for review or ask students to review each other's answers and discuss. If you want, you can just use this method as a quick way to check student attendance. You don't need to tell students whether or not the papers will be graded until after you collect the papers.
--From Teaching creatively: Ideas in action by Alison Morrison-Shetlar & Mary R. Marwitz (2001, Outernet Publishing, LLC)

Teaching Tip #30: Demonstrate Enthusiasm for Your Discipline

Are you a teacher that makes things happen, watches what happens or asks "what happened?" Enthusiasm about a subject matter (or a lack of such) is catching. If you're not enjoying your time in the classroom, your students won't either. And, as far as I know, fun is NOT the opposite of hard. So, you can be enthusiastic and having fun, while still challenging the students to think.
--Eison, J. (1990). Confidence in the classroom: Ten maximums for new teachers, College Teaching, vol. 33 (1). P. 21 - 25.

Teaching Tip #31: Pictures and Images

A Picture is Worth Thousands...Ask students to draw a pictures of their mental understanding of a topic or a concept. This is a great way for students to synthesize material and to visualize it in relation to other concepts. You might ask them to share their drawing with a classmate as a way to begin discussion on a topic.
--Morrison-Shetlar, A.I. & Marwitz, M. R. (2001). Teaching creatively: Ideas in action. Eden Prairie, MN: Outnet Publishing, LLC.

Teaching Tip #32: Student Feedback Can Help You Improve Your Teaching

Here are some questions you might want to ask your students to get a feel for how the class is going. What I usually do is give the students index cards and ask them to label each side...1 and 2. Then give the students 3 - 5 minutes to answer the following questions. (They do NOT have to put their names on the cards). I usually time the process (3-5 minutes). Questions to ask...

1. What do you think of the class so far?

2. If you were the professor, what would you do differently?

Teaching Tip #33: Ask Questions Frequently

Ask questions frequently during each class. Students will think if you make them do so. Try to make your questions thought-provoking. Try to ask "open-ended" questions--questions that may not have a single answer. Stay away from "closed-ended" questions--questions that can be answered with a simple, regurgitated answer, or a "yes" or "no." Be patient when waiting for answers. Count to five or ten slowly to yourself. If you answer your own question, then students will learn to let you do so--always! Give your students time to think before they answer the question.
--Browne, M. N. & Keeley, S. M. (1985). Achieving excellence: Advice to new teachers. College Teaching, vol. 33 (2), p. 78 - 83. For more information about developing questions, see Getting Them To Speak Up! Questioning Skills to Promote Discussion

Teaching Tip #34: Ask For Student Questions

Ask students to create the test questions...Ask students to submit test questions to you. Allow all of the questions submitted to be viewed by the students as a study tool. Pool all the questions and select questions from the list for your test. You might also want to discuss some of the "good" questions vs. poor questions from those that are submitted. This can also prompt a discussion of higher levels thinking.
--From: Morrison-Shetlar, A.I. & Marwitz, M. R. (2001). Teaching creatively: Ideas in action. Eden Prairie, MN: Outnet Publishing, LLC.

Teaching Tip #35: Cool Web Site to Increase Vocabulary

This web site is so cool... If you type in a word, several words appear with similar meanings. You can then click on any of those to get even more words. Check it out! http://www.visualthesaurus.com/online/index.html

Teaching Tip #36: Start each class with specific goals and objectives in mind

Plan specific educational goals and objectives for each class that relate to your overall goals and objectives. These should be directly related to what the students will learn in each class; not what you will presenting each class. Develop your goals and objectives around a variety of activities: demonstrations, experiential activities, specific critical thinking skills, writing skills, attitudes and values, etc., or the personal implications found in the course content.
--Eison, J. (1990). Confidence in the classroom: Ten maximums for new teachers, College Teaching, vol. 33 (1). P. 21 - 25.

Teaching Tip #37: Asking Questions

Ask only questions that will give you an idea of what the student is learning. Avoid "wasteful" questions like: "Does everyone understand?" "Are there any questions?" or "Is that concept clear?" Replace these with questions like: "What is your understanding of..." "Can you explain the concept of xxx in your own words?" ""What is the relationship between concept x and concept y?," "Why do you think so?" Plan out questions for each class session. Think about including higher order question like "What evidence is there for X?" or "What important information is missing from y?"
--Browne, M. N. & Keeley, S. M. (1985). Achieving excellence: Advice to new teachers. College Teaching, vol 33 (2), p. 78 - 83.

Teaching Tip #38: Teach More, Better

Don't overwhelm your students with your whole knowledge base. Focus on the course content and objectives. Spend more time on reinforcing those goals and objectives for the students who may have had little background in the course content area. By not overwhelming the students, their long term retention of the content should go up.
--Eison, J. (1990). Confidence in the classroom: Ten maximums for new teachers, College Teaching, vol. 33 (1). P. 21 - 25.

Teaching Tip #39: First Days: Opening Days-Getting Students Excited about Your Course

It's the first day of class--How many of your students come? How many of your students expect to be given the syllabus and then get to leave early? What message are you sending by not taking the this first opportunity to get your students pumped up about your course? Try to plan a fun activity that exposes the students to the content/discipline right off the bat. You might consider asking them to list ways in which the content can be useful to them in future careers or in their current daily life. You might ask them to solve some problems (which would also give you a sense of where they are in their current knowledge and skill). Think of ways to use the time to give the students the message that coming to class is important because they will do things that are not covered in the text and that help them make sense of the class content. Yes, you might review the syllabus, but you might also consider doing this last, just before the class period is over.
--Bennett, K.L. (2004). How to start a teaching a tough course. College Teaching , 52 (3), p. 106.

Teaching Tip #40: Encouraging Contact between Students and Faculty

Good Practice in Undergraduate Education...Encourages contact between students and faculty
Some ways to do this: Advise your students (not just advisees) about career opportunities in your field; share past experiences, attitudes and values with your students; attend events sponsored by student groups; know your students by name by the end of the second week of the term; make an effort to be available for your students outside of class; serve as a mentor or informal advisor to students.
--Chickering, Arthur W. and Gamson, Zelda F. (March 1987). Seven Principles For Good Practice In Undergraduate Education. [Online]. Available: http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED282491. [2002, September 16].

Teaching Tip #41: Stimulate Classroom Discussion

Get those discussions started by beginning class with a discussion of an "issue of the day." Discussions can last for 10 - 15 minutes and can revolve around issues of the field or discipline, an issue from current events (as it relates to your course content), or a generic campus issue.

Teaching Tip #42: Good Practice in Undergraduate Education...Encourages Active Learning

Ways to do this: Ask students to present their work in class; ask students to summarize similarities and differences of theories, research, etc. as they relate to your discipline; ask students to relate outside experiences to the course content; ask students to undertake research or independent study; encourage students to challenge your ideas, the ideas of other students, or those ides presented in the reading material or other course material; give students concrete, real-life situations to analyze; use simulations, role-playing or labs as a part of your classes; encourage students to suggest new readings, research projects, field trips, etc. that relate to the course content; arrange field trips, internships, etc for students; carry out research projects with students.
--Chickering, Arthur W. and Gamson, Zelda F. (March 1987). Seven Principles For Good Practice In Undergraduate Education. [Online]. Retrieved from http://www.aahe.org/bulletin/sevenprinciples1987.htm. [2002, September 16].

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Wake Forest University Dalhousie University Teaching tips from the University of Hawaii If you have good teaching tips you'd like to share, let us know! Teaching Tip #1: Be Organized If lecturing, put a short outline on the board or give handouts of the lecture.