Never confuse teaching and learning.

Teaching is what we do, learning is the students’ job. Obviously, what we say and do in the classroom (our teaching) can help the students to learn, and may even be the way by which students learn. Recognize, however, that we can be capable teachers, but our students may learn little or nothing from us. Classic examples would be the instructor who teaches way over the heads of the students, or the teacher with the dull, boring lecture style that manages to put the entire class to sleep. In both cases, there was teaching without learning. As you begin to teach, you will probably be very concerned with teaching issues, and want to know exactly what you should do in the classroom. Fine. But bear in mind that student learning is the most important measure of our success as teachers.

The most important question to ask yourself as a teacher is not “What should I be doing?” but “How well are my students learning?”

Give students lots of opportunities and ways to communicate with you.

Many students are reluctant to ask questions during class, often because they’re afraid of asking a silly question and embarrassing themselves. Get around this by giving students many opportunities to communicate with you outside of class. Office hours are one of the obvious ways, but don’t overlook electronic mail, either. Give out your email address, encourage students to ask questions, and always give a prompt answer! Another way to foster communication and encourage questions is to arrive for class ten or fifteen minutes early and stay after class for a few minutes. These few minutes before and after class can serve as informal office hours, and are more convenient for many students than making a separate trip to see you. They may even have a job that prevents them from dropping by during your office hours.

Be aware of student demographics, and know that students live very busy lives.

The demographics of American college students are quite different from those in most other countries. Nearly half of all American college students are over the age of 25, and a majority (56%) are women. Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. high school students go on to attend college for at least some time, but only one student in six is the “traditional student,” attending full-time, 18 to 22 years old, and living on campus. Most students have jobs. At UT, 75% of our students work, and half of those jobs are full-time. This means that higher education is a part of students’ lives, but it is probably not the most important part: work and family often overshadow education.

Call your students by name.

This may be the simplest, cheapest, and easiest way to encourage a positive classroom attitude among your students. In far too many cases, undergraduates feel a sense of distance and isolation from the instructor, who sees them for only a few hours a week, rarely talks with them as individuals, and is perceived as being much smarter than the typical undergrad. You can get past a lot of this by learning your students’ names, and seeing and speaking to them as individuals. Believe me, this works, and it’s more than just a trick. The small gesture of taking the time and effort to know who your students are can have a very positive effect on the climate and behavior in your classroom.

Be aware that student learning styles differ, and most of them probably don’t learn the same way you do.

As a graduate student, you are almost certainly a good learner. As “future faculty,” many of you learn in ways that are similar to those of your faculty advisors and mentors. You can probably listen well, and are comfortable in reading and absorbing information from texts. Many undergraduates in 1000- and 2000-level courses are not like this; in particular, they have very different learning styles. A concrete example of differing learning styles would be how teenagers learn to drive a car. Some of them want to take lessons from a driving school; some would prefer to have their parents teach them; some (not many, I suspect) would like to read the owner’s manual first; and some would say, “Just throw me the keys.” In the classroom, some students learn best by listening or by reading, but many students need to see, experience, or touch something to learn well. ‘Lecture mode’ works for some of our students, but not for all of them. As you teach, be aware of this, and try to devise different things to do in the classroom that might better reach students who learn in different ways.

Talk about your teaching.

You are not expected to know all the answers, nor are you expected to grow to be a good teacher purely by trial and error. Take advantage of the experiences of others. Ask your fellow TA’s or your advisor how they have dealt with difficult learning situations.

Bernard W. Bopp, Distinguished University Professor of Astronomy, University Master Teacher 1991-95, former director of CTL