Contradictions in How We Think about Teaching

Professor gesturing in lecture hall
I like how blogging lets us stir up ideas, watch them simmer, and taste the results. I’ll start this mix of ideas with Amy Mulnix’s insight that teachers approach learning about teaching much like students approach learning course content. Examples: students think ability matters more than effort and teachers think teaching is a gift that is given more than a skill that can and should be developed; students want easy answers and teachers want techniques that work right the first time; and both share the fear of failure. Is this a comparison from which we might learn something?

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
The Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Framework (Winkelmes, 2012, 2016) provides a helpful way to inform and...
If we named the purposes of college, chief among them would be ideas surrounding the transfer of knowledge...
Higher education has traditionally taught from theory to practice. Students first learn the underlying principles of a subject,...
Two truths and a lie is a popular social icebreaker game. In case you aren’t familiar with it,...
“How do we know students are earning the degrees we confer?” That question, which a board member at...
E-learning literature and research strongly suggest that online instructors should build their presence into a successful asynchronous course....

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to limited free articles, news alerts, and select newsletters

Login here

Get unlimited access to The Teaching Professor

Stay informed. Subscribe Now.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Teaching Professor

You only have  free article views remaining.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 a month thereafter. Cancel anytime.