Learning From the Best

By Rafah Saad, PGY-2 Geriatric Pharmacy Resident, 

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

‘Teaching occurs only when learning takes place.'

Being part of a large academic center, I knew teaching was a major component of my residency program. Not having much teaching experience in the past in addition to not being a student for over ten years, I began looking for ways to learn how to teach. In my search for means to build upon my teaching skills, I came across this book ‘What the Best College Teachers Do' by Ken Bain for some insight. This book is based on extensive research on teaching. In his pursuit to find out what the best college teachers do, he conducted a study of 63 of the best college professors from 40 different disciplines to see what they do. His research lasted about 15 years. Most of the teachers he interviewed mainly taught undergraduate students with a few graduate professors.  He chose the teachers to be included in the study by interviewing students that were highly satisfied with their teachers. He also searched for teaching award winners. He sought out professors with exceptional reputations who were recommended by other professors. He questioned what they understood about learning, how they prepared for classes, how they evaluated themselves and their relationship with their students, and many other aspects of teaching and learning. In this post I chose a few of his findings that resonated with me.

Bain found that the best college professors are truly passionate about their work, they are enthusiastic, and want to share their knowledge with their students. They try to instill their passion into the classroom since they believe that students learn best when they are also passionate and curious about the subject matter. They also know their subject matter extremely well and know how to explain it in a way that is more conversational than a typical lecture. I have had teachers in the past that just do the bare minimum, have no motivation and just lecture for an hour and leave. This teaching style had left me feeling just as unmotivated and that I was learning the material just to pass the exam. I have also had teachers who loved what they were teaching and wanted every student to be just as passionate as they were. These were the teachers and the subjects that I remember.

The way most successful teachers plan their teaching sessions plays a significant role in teaching and learning. It is imperative for the teachers to know their students and build strong, trusting relationships. To become a great teacher, one must understand what motivates their students to learn, what helps them learn better, and which teaching style to use. They design their classes by focusing on the students and what they need to learn. In teaching complex subjects, they start with simple concepts and move towards the more complicated. They concentrate on the teaching objectives and then plan backward starting with the desired results and assess the students’ comprehension based on those learning objectives. They also modify the lesson plan to fit the needs of the students better and are not held to a set lesson plan. Most of my education occurred in a lecture-based classes where the teachers had their established lesson plans and just explained the subject matter without considering the needs of the students. I felt most of my learning was self-directed, attempting to understand the subject matter on my own. I would like to develop a more facilitative role as teacher to help students to take responsibility for their learning. 

  In his research, Bain found that great teachers provide a safe non-judgmental environment where questions are welcome. I am not usually comfortable asking questions and speaking my mind in large classrooms, so I learn best in a classroom that feels open and safe from criticism. 

Finally, they are always striving to better themselves. They are continuously evaluating themselves and making appropriate changes accordingly. I still remember my biochemistry professor that had taught me almost fifteen years ago; I went to his office to ask a question and saw a book on his desk that he was reading on how to be a better teacher. He was in his seventies and had been teaching for decades. I asked him why he was reading that book and he said he would never stop learning and will never stop trying to be a more effective teacher.

Conclusion:

I know these professors are the exceptions and not the rule.  I am still in the process of finding my teaching style and trying to learn as much as I can from teachers that motivate. But what I do know is that I strive to be a teacher that inspires students to learn.

References:

Bain, Ken. What the Best College Teacher Do. Harvard University Press, 2004.