Do It Your Way... Do It Right

Focusing on learning styles helps stretch us beyond our normal habits, teaching style scholarship provides a balance. Instead of chasing willy-nilly after every learner's preferences, good teachers develop their own style, using it to reach students.
Take the time to pause to reflect on your own teaching strengths. Amid the chaotic rush of choices, corrections, modifications, and mistakes that characterize the typical teaching/learning process, there are some ways to stop and consider what kind of teacher you are. Gaining a healthy perspective will help you get the second half of the semester off to a solid start.

In his book, Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher, Stephen Brookfield recommends that we use four lenses to focus on our teaching.

The Autobiographical Lens

Our own experiences as teacher and learner provide a rich source of insights about teaching and learning that can help us define trustworthy principles to guide our teaching approach. At the same time, it is helpful to become aware of the principles that we picked up from formative experiences.

Great Teachers. Reflect about great teachers you have observed (not always in classrooms). Describe what they did. Draw out some principles that made them effective. Share your stories with others and compare and combine lists.

Teaching/Learning Log. Keep a log of some learning activity. What works and doesn't work for you? How is that like your classroom? What are the patterns or qualities that matter most? The CIRT will be glad to send you guidelines.

Teacher Audit. Another strategy is to look back on our growth as a teacher during the last year. We'll send some thought-provoking questions to help you reflect on what has been most important for you.

The Students' Lens

It is revealing to learn how students view us. Their interpretations of our actions provide mirrors to re-view our intentions. What we meant by a comment or an activity may be interpreted very differently. Have students reflect on the learning process. Their insights can give the teacher a fresh look at the classroom.

CIQs. Critical Incident Questionnaires are one page questionnaires where students give details on events that were significant to them (it doesn't focus on what they did or didn't like). The teacher can look for patterns to their insights.

Student Tips. Have students write a note that describes what imaginary new students will need to know to be successful in your class. Collect these anonymously and read with some discretion.

Learning Journals. Have students spend some time keeping a learning journal that involves their reflections on how their learning is proceeding. Compare these ideas with what you expect to be happening. We have some good writing prompts.

Our Colleagues' Lens

Talking with a colleague who will be supportive yet push our thinking can be a tremendous help and a rewarding experience. Try these ideas.

Reflective Interview. A paired interview where each partner helps draw out the others thinking. We can share the steps for engaging in a rewarding hour of dialogue.

Critical Conversations. Bring together a group of 3 or more faculty and assign roles as storyteller, detective, and umpire. Begin telling the story of a critical incident and let the conversation develop. Get our guidelines for focusing these talks.

Good Practices Audit. A 3 phase process where teachers search through their experiences to develop good responses to common problems.

The Scholarly Lens

In the last decade a growing body of scholarship has emerged that describes good college teaching practices as well as good professional development ideas. Use this literature to guide your search for ideas on better teaching.

Readings. The CIRT has a collection of short essays that review key areas of interest. A quick read can give you a framework for approaching an issue of concern. We also have a small but growing library with ideas that range from academic careers to specific teaching methods.

Inventory. You can take one of several inventories to identify your teaching preferences. We use Tony Grasha's because he offers clear links to teaching methods. Check with the CIRT for a copy of his inventory. http://web.indstate.edu/ctl/tstyle/tstyles3_instructions.html. -->

Experiment. Short but effective classroom experiments can provide great help in seeing which techniques will improve your classroom.

Final Note

There is no one teaching style that is inherently better than others. Rather, good teaching seems to be co-related to educators who work toward continual improvement (Weimer, 1990). The above tips offer a range of ways to take the next step thoughtfully.

This Teaching Tip was first published by Indiana State University’s, Center for Teaching and Learning on March 3, 1997.