Excellence Everywhere - National University of Ireland, Galway

Giving Back. Teaching allows you to give somethingimportant back to your country, as well—youtransmit the knowledge that you have attained tonew generations of students who may, in turn, havea role in moving science and the country forward.BECOMING ANEFFECTIVE TEACHERTeaching the lecture component of a basic sciencecurriculum for medical school students or a coursefor undergraduates can be daunting. You want tobe well-prepared for this new responsibility. Howdo you become a capable and effective teacherwhose students really learn the material you arepresenting? There are several steps you shouldtake before you even set foot in the classroom.Assess Your Strengthsand WeaknessesResearch has shown that the best teachers arenot only knowledgeable about their subject matter,but also show a concern for students and knowhow to stimulate interest, encourage discussion,explain topics clearly, and show enthusiasm. Thinkback to any previous teaching experiences youmay have had. Even if they are only presenting atlab meetings, nervously giving talks in your ownstudent days, or sharing a new skill with a friend,they may give you some insights into what teachingskills you could improve.The type of course you are asked to teach maynot mesh with your scientific interests, but youshould take the time to assess your strengths andweaknesses and take those into account whenplanning your classes. Since good teaching is partart, part technique, and part personality, you willneed to find techniques that will both fit your ownpersonality and will address your students’ variedlearning styles.For example, if you are an outgoing person whotakes great joy in sharing what you know, conveyingyour enthusiasm for science to students shouldbe easy for you. But your enthusiasm may beoverwhelming. You might need to avoid presentingstudents with a tidal wave of complex ideas, andinstead give them more time to pose questionsand reflect upon solutions. If you are a lessgregarious person, you might find teaching in alarge lecture to be so intimidating that you retreatbehind your lecture notes and have difficultyinteracting with students. If you are given a choiceof how to organize your course, you can build yourconfidence by starting with a topic you know welland feel passionate about.Whether you are bold, shy, or somewhere inbetween, after you have established some rapportwith students, stimulating discussion around thesubject matter might become easier for you.Observe and Be ObservedJust as you learn to improve your scientificwork based on the critiques that editors give toyour submitted manuscripts or comments thatreviewers make about your grant applications, youcan also learn about teaching from peers, seniorcolleagues, and others at your institution as wellas from feedback provided by your students.Ask a Peer for Feedback. You might want toconsider a reciprocal arrangement with anotherjunior professor in which you visit each other’sclasses, staying in the back and just watching thelesson and how students respond to it. When youare being observed, ask your colleague to providea frank assessment of your teaching skills. He orshe can give you information and advice informallyor by completing a written checklist that containsspecific categories, such as structure and goalsof the class, teaching behaviors, rapport withstudents, and subject matter and instruction.Observe a Senior Colleague. Seek out seniorcolleagues who are reputed to be good teachers,and ask them if you can attend their classes tosee what they do that is effective. If you wouldlike a faculty member to observe your teaching,and possibly serve as a guide for you as youlearn this skill, choose someone who seemsenthusiastic and knowledgeable about teachingand who has a reputation among students as agood teacher (not just as a giver of high marks).Experienced colleagues can offer suggestionsfor dealing with particular topics and can give youadditional ways to clarify and enliven the material.teaching and course design109