Teaching Tips
Simple and Effective Methods for Talking About Teaching
By Steffen Pope Wilson and Katherine Kipp
Traditionally, college teaching has been an individual endeavor. An instructor prepares her course without the assistance of colleagues, delivers course material without feedback from peers, assigns grades without the guidance of others, and handles problems as they arise on her own. There is something secure and sacred about this privatization of teaching, and we often are uncomfortable opening up this area of our professional lives to others. The opposite is true for our scholarship; we feel uncomfortable moving forward on a research project without long discussions with our colleagues, seeking their input and opinions on the numerous aspects of research.
Recently, there has been considerable interest in making teaching more public by engaging in more discussion about it. There are a number of reasons why we should be motivated to engage in such dialog.
Teaching Improvement - Conversations between individuals about their teaching improves their pedagogy. By discussing our teaching philosophies, problems, and methods with our colleagues, we refine our approach to teaching, learn new methodologies and solutions, grow in maturity and depth, and move the field of teaching forward. Talking about teaching challenges us to become aware of the assumptions that drive our approach to teaching. By making these assumptions known, we can better understand how our teaching methods reflect these assumptions and we may be challenged to change our assumptions, and consequently, change and improve our teaching methods.
Teaching Becomes an Intellectual Activity - Through discussions, we begin to challenge ourselves to consider teaching on an intellectual level. By doing so, we will begin to question the logic of our choices, consider the methods of instruction and solutions that others have chosen, and create a scholarship of teaching to empirically investigate and validate the effects of our teaching practices on learning.
Teaching Becomes Public - Talking about teaching makes it a public enterprise, helping others both within and outside of the Academy to understand its complexities, and factors that both facilitate and hinder it. Once teaching is made public it becomes more valued. If we value teaching, we will be more motivated to continually improve the quality of our pedagogy.
Teacher Development - Early in one's career, a teacher often sees himself as imparting knowledge to the student, and the student passively absorbing this knowledge. As the teacher matures, he begins to see students as active participants in their education, and teaching becomes collaboration between student and instructor. Perceiving students as active participants in their education is considered superior to simply imparting knowledge. Discussing teaching can facilitate the movement through these stages and help faculty more quickly achieve teaching excellence.
Collegial Connection and Support - Through discussions we will learn that our colleagues also value teaching, discover those with whom we have similar teaching interests and approaches, we may learn of others who have experienced similar teaching struggles, and also develop a network of supportive colleagues who can help us to solve teaching dilemmas. These connections prevent an instructor from having to "reinvent the wheel" each time a new teaching issue arises. We also can "recharge our batteries" when we discuss teaching with our colleagues, and return to the classroom with renewed energy and enthusiasm. All it takes is one good idea to energize a faculty member for the upcoming semester. Discussions of teaching can also help us develop interpersonally satisfying relationships with our colleagues that extend beyond the classroom.
METHODS FOR TALKING ABOUT TEACHING EFFECTIVELY
There are a number of methods of discussing teaching and all are beneficial. The method(s) that faculty prefer may vary across an academic career, their style of learning, anxiety level, and so forth. But the sooner in their career faculty learn the joys and fascination of "teaching talk," the more depth and breadth they can bring to their teaching philosophy and work with students.
Informal Discussions - The simplest method of discussing teaching is informally with colleagues. Stopping by a favorite colleague's office and asking for advice, or mentioning a teaching topic during informal conversations in the hallway or at lunch is an easy way to open or continue communication about teaching. A more organized, but still informal method is for a department to hold regular discussions on teaching topics of current interest. In a small department, teaching circles or brown bag lunches can include colleagues from several disciplines. Some departments and universities hold annual teaching retreats during which faculty can get away from campus and discuss teaching.
Teaching and Learning Center - Many colleges and universities have campus centers to promote teaching development and excellence. Attending seminars and workshops hosted by these centers is an excellent way to engage in dialog on teaching with colleagues from across disciplines and to get new ideas from visiting speakers. One also can promote teaching dialogs by volunteering to host such a workshop. Serving as a host challenges us to more carefully consider the topic of discussion and colleagues' ideas. Or invite someone from the teaching center to your department to facilitate your own discussions on pedagogy. It often is nice to have someone outside the department to "lead," control, and direct the discussion.
Teaching Consultants - Many colleges and universities have consultants available to work one-on-one with faculty to improve teaching by identifying problems, offering solutions, or helping them see their students, course goals or teaching philosophy in a new light. Most consultants are from outside one's department, so there is no conflict of interest and less discomfort associated with opening up your teaching to a critical observer. If such a resource does not exist on your campus, consider forming peer consultation groups. An entire department also may be interested in utilizing a consultant outside of the department or college.
Teaching Conferences - A number of national and regional conferences on teaching are held each year. Attending one of these conferences allows us to discuss teaching with colleagues from other institutions who have similar interests. Because posters and presentations may be peer reviewed, the information one receives at these conferences is often high quality and novel. In addition, most faculty who attend such conferences are genuinely excited about teaching, and participants will often find this enthusiasm contagious
Peer Review and Portfolios - Peer review of teaching is currently being implemented across the country as a tool that can be used for personal reflection as well as tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review decisions. Peer review often entails classroom observations, and compiling a course or a teaching portfolio. Both of these portfolios contain a variety of documents related to one's teaching in general or to a specific course. The process of compiling the documents that are part of a course or teaching portfolio, along with peer observation, can highlight both the strengths and weaknesses in our teaching. If done correctly, such a process can improve our teaching by providing reinforcement for continuing the positive components of our pedagogy, offering potential solutions to resolve weaknesses, and generating ideas for new teaching strategies.
TIPS FOR PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS
We have all experienced teaching discussions that degenerated into a disagreement with our colleagues or elicited a litany of complaints about students, colleagues, the administration, or the field of teaching as a whole, leaving us with negative attitudes. There are a number of rules to prevent such problems from occurring and to ensure that our discussions are productive and collegial.
Focus on Student Learning - Student learning and mastery of information should be the focus of all discussions of teaching, even if the discussion is on an unrelated topic. For example, in a discussion of problem students, solutions should focus not only on decreasing the behaviors that make these students problematic, but also on how we can respond in ways to improve their achievement.
Focus on Solutions - Discussions of teaching should be focused on solutions to problems, instead of on the problem itself. Initial comments may be needed to define a problem, but to be maximally beneficial discussion should emphasize solutions. At the same time, it should be recognized that every solution does not work for every person. Additionally, some of what faculty confront in their teaching are not problems, but "conditions" (e.g., class size, heterogeneity of student body) for which there may be no answers.
Remain Collegial - Faculty love to debate, argue, and disagree. The culture of academia teaches us to think about the ideas of others critically, and then to provide a quick, and occasionally negative response. Because we see our teaching as a private and sacred enterprise, this approach to interacting with colleagues will prevent discussions of teaching from being productive. We need to listen to our colleagues in discussions of teaching with non-critical ears, and be slow to pass judgments on what they say. One of the "ten commandments" of success as a faculty is to learn the value of keeping one's mouth shut and listening.
Voluntary Discussions - Forcing discussions will not achieve the desired goal of improving teaching. Leaders should model discussions to demonstrate that they can be a non-threatening way to improving teaching, and then let others join, as they feel comfortable.
Frequent Discussions - Teaching issues arise continually throughout the academic year. To address them in a timely manner, regular discussions should be held in either formal or informal settings. In addition, the availability of regular teaching discussions sends the message that improvement of teaching is something that should occur continually, not just once or twice a year.
Focus on Success - In addition to discussing our problems, we should take time to affirm what we are doing well in the classroom and with our students. This approach can help us feel that teaching is not always an uphill battle, but also a battle won.
WHAT CAN WE TALK ABOUT?
What can we talk about during these discussions? Here are several suggestions to help get you started.
How do you __________? - Probably the simplest way to begin a discussion of teaching is by asking colleagues how they handle a specific teaching issue. For example, you might ask, how do you:
- Handle make-up tests?
- Grade group assignments?
- Encourage class discussion?
- Balance lecture with discussion?
- Teach attachment theory?
Most of us like to talk about ourselves, so this is an effective method of starting a conversation.
Actual Teaching - Go watch other faculty teach, and paradoxically, preferably not in psychology. You will learn more by watching colleagues in other disciplines and it is often more fun to do so. Ask them in advance and explain that you want to visit their class in order to learn from them. Try to talk with them after class about how it went, and what they were trying to achieve. Bring back your observations and insights to your colleagues.
Teaching Cases - Another way to start discussion and discover solutions to common classroom problems is to discuss teaching cases. Teaching cases are especially useful because they are not specific to any person in the group, and therefore, they are a non-threatening way to discuss solutions to problems. You will learn as you read and discuss teaching cases that faculty are sometimes their own worst enemy and at other times, we are at the mercy of the actions of our students, colleagues, and administrators.
Ethical Dilemmas - Faculty can discuss ethical dilemmas they have faced recently or that are of frequent concern. This topic requires a willingness to open up to colleagues, but it can elicit helpful suggestions for thinking about and resolving ethical dilemmas. A discussion of common ethical dilemmas and solutions also can help new faculty learn the cultural norms and policies within the department and university. For a start, you may want to consider how you:
- Address plagiarism, and what methods do you use to prevent it?
- Achieve equity in grading group assignments?
- Respond to requests for extra credit, and how do you balance these requests with remaining fair in your grading practices?
Content - Faculty, especially those who teach different sections of the same course, should discuss how they approach content. Many topics can be discussed, such as:
- Do you feel that breadth or depth is more important?
- Does your approach to breadth versus depth change for different courses?
- How do you use the text to supplement content presented and discussed in class?
- How prepared are your students?
- How are your students doing in courses for which the one you teach is a prerequisite?
Student Feedback - This is a good topic to consider towards the end of a class term when students are completing evaluation forms for their courses. You can ask colleagues:
- How do you feel about the feedback you receive for your courses?
- Do you add additional items to your student evaluation forms? If so, what items have you added and what have you learned from these items?
- How have changes you have made in your classes influenced student comments either positively or negatively, or had no influence at all.
Academic Issues and Beliefs - Teaching takes place within a context of individual beliefs and the demands of our college or university. To truly understand our own and colleagues' teaching, it is fun and interesting to step back and look at the world of academe. Such topics might include:
- The place of teaching after one is tenured. Does teaching take a back seat to scholarship or does one's commitment to teaching increase?
- What does it mean to be a faculty member? Is being an academic truly a calling and if so, how does one balance, teaching, service, scholarship, and one's own personal life?
- What does one gain and lose by being a "local" (someone whose efforts emphasize the department and college in which one works) versus being a "cosmopolitan" (a faculty who emphasizes reputation and efforts beyond the local institution and regional, national and international forums and groups)?
CONCLUSION
Regular and collegial discussions of teaching, no matter what the format, can promote growth and excellence in college and university teaching. What is important is that you make discussions of teaching a regular part of your professional life. Doing so will improve the quality of your teaching, enhance your collegial relationships, and help to de-privatize teaching, making it a public and intellectual domain worthy of our respect, and the respect of those outside of academia. It will also lower your stress and bring some fun to your work. Who could ask for better than that?
REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDED READINGS
Bernstein, D J. (2002). Representing the intellectual work in teaching through peer-reviewed course portfolios. In S F Davis and W Buskist (Eds.). The Teaching of psychology: Essays in honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 215 - 229).
Mahwah, N J: Lawrence Erlbaum. Brookfield, S D. (1995). Holding critical conversations about teaching. In S. D. Brookfield, Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (pp. 140 - 159). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Giordano, P J, Awalt, HM, Ingham, RO, Simpler, S H, Sims, G E, Kendall, E D. (1995). Enhancing teaching by participating in an interdisciplinary faculty improvement group. Teaching of Psychology, 22, 123 - 125.
Hutchings, P. (1993). Using cases to improve college teaching: A guide to more reflective practice. Washington, D.C.: AAHE.
Johnson, D E. (2002). Teaching, research, and scholarship. In S F Davis and W Buskist (Eds.). The Teaching of Psychology: Essays in Honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 153-162). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Kugel, P. (1993). How professors develop as teachers. Studies in Higher Education, 18, 315-328.
Palmer, P J. (1998). Learning in community: The conversation of colleagues. In P. J. Palmer, The courage to teach (pp. 141-161). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Perlman, B & McCann, L I (2002). Peer review for meaningful teaching enhancement. In S F Davis and W Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology: Essays in honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 189-201). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Seldin, P. (1997). The teaching portfolio: A practical guide to improved performance and promotion/tenure decisions, (3rd Ed). Bolton, MA: Anker.
Shulman, L. (1993). Teaching as community property: Putting an end to pedagogical solitude. Change, 25, 6-7.
STEFFEN WILSON is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Eastern Kentucky University where she teaches courses in developmental psychology, physiological psychology, and a course on graduate school and career options for psychology majors. She recently created a forum for discussions of teaching in her department.
KATHERINE KIPP is Associate Professor of Psychology at The University of Georgia where she teaches developmental psychology courses. She is a mentor to many graduate student teaching assistants, a member of UGA's Peer Consultation Team, and a member of UGA's Teaching Academy.
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TEACHING TIPS provides the latest in practical advice on the teaching of psychology and is aimed at current and future faculty of two- and four-year colleges and universities. Teaching Tips informs teachers about the content, methods, and profession of teaching. Send article ideas or draft submissions directly to Baron Perlman, Teaching Tips Editor, Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI 54901-8601; 920-424-2300; Fax:920-424-1204; or perlman@uwosh.edu.
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