What the Best College Teachers Do

To Bain, an instructor’s personality is irrelevant to effective teaching—rather, their treatment of students is what matters. The best teachers contrast with Bain’s fictitious “Dr. Wolf,” an amalgam of poor pedagogical practices that he identified through student interviews and ratings. “Dr. Wolf” is an arrogant intellectual, unwilling to address questions and intent on performing knowledge rather than helping students think critically. The best teachers “displayed not power but an investment in the students” (139). They are willing to adjust their courses to meet student needs because they acknowledge a diversity of needs. For example, they admit when they do not know something and discuss their educational journeys with students to build trust.

The best teachers do not blame students when their teaching fails but reflect and strive for solutions. They encourage students to complete work by framing it as an opportunity rather than a strict requirement. For example, professor Derek Bell reminds students that when they fail to post work online in a timely fashion, they inhibit classmates who wish to read one another’s work before class. Bell thus creates a natural critical learning environment in which he acts as a respectful guide, and students can learn from one another.