What makes a good teacher???
I think this a question which has been bothering people for a long time , even for those who are not in the teaching profession. And it is a question which has no quick easy answers. Inspite of the progress which has been made in pedagogy and training of teachers, we still believe that good teaching still more of an art.
I read a very good article written by Malcom Gladwell of the tipping point and blink repute on teaching. The article came in his column in the new yorker, and for the follow-up comments by the author one can also visit his regular blog. The title of the article is "Most Likely to Succeed". In the article gladwell draws an analogy between the selection of a football player with that of selecting a teacher. I will highlight a few points of the article which I found interesting and for people more interested can access his whole article, link.
In the article he emphasises that trying to identify people with the potential of becoming good teachers may be the most important thing, but the problem with this is the fact is that no one knows what to look for. And studies have shown that a good teacher can influence teaching more than a good school. And he goes on further to share the findings that good teaching or rather ingredients of a what makes a teacher good is far too complex to be listed and identified before hand. The solution is maybe to try out teachers before letting them start full time teaching.
Though the context of the paper is school teaching , but I think the implications are there for teaching at all levels. The article essentially brings out the points which every one has wounder ed about at some point or the other. And anyway the question is still unanswered, but the message seems to be that good teaching is some thing which is ingrained in a person so one has to to identify people with those traits. Infact one of our senior professors here was recalling his early teaching days in a university where they would confirm a lecturer after two years and he said it would be clear within two years if one could teach or not!!!!
2 comments:
Are these factors taken into consideration while interviewing candidates for Fellow Programme and while recruiting Faculty?
I don't know whether the question is politically correct...however, certain incidences bring these questions to one's mind.
No I don't think one would be looking at these issues while interviewing for Fellow Programme. Beacuse the asumption is that one should be able to learn a few of these thinsg during the course. That is the premise on which the FPM courses are designed. So at that level maybe one would look at the general attitude and inclination towards teaching as a profession.
But yes, then while recruiting faculty one does (or should) try to see if some of the issues are covered. But then many of these issues are so complex and unarticulated that it is very difficult to judge in the half an hour in a seminar or interview. That is where Gladwell suggests the route of trying out teachers before giving them permanent positions.
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