Teaching: What do great college professors have in common? — from kqed.org by Claudio Sanchez; an interview with Ken Bain, author of What the Best College Teachers Do.
Excerpt:
What do the best teachers do in the classroom that’s different?
They create a critical learning environment in which students rethink their assumptions. It’s an environment in which students believe their work will be considered fairly and honestly. The best teachers allow students to try, to fail and try again. They allow students to collaborate with one another in tackling the most intriguing problems.
They treat their students with decency and respect, no matter how much a student is struggling. The best teachers trust their students rather than blame them. They often give up their own sense of power over students.
Why is that important?
Ultimately students have to take control of their own education. And if that doesn’t happen, they’re not going to learn deeply. Students have to have that intrinsic motivation and if there’s someone else in charge of their education, telling them what to do, then they’re not going to become those independent, lifelong learners. So a good teacher is there to inspire and guide the individual but ultimately to help them work on their own and take personal responsibility (for their learning).