Attaining the designation of an excellent teacher requires engagement and
passion, respect for the diversity of adult learners and, for those who call
themselves followers of Jesus, modeling biblical values in our teaching. One of
the professors in my master’s program, whom I will call Dr. M, embodied excellent
teacher behavior in several ways. First, Dr. M encouraged frequent contact with
her students. She was responsive and caring, which enhanced my motivation and
commitment to learning (Bernstein et al., 2020). My program was online, but I was
able to visit the campus while on a business trip to the area. Dr. M. invited me to
meet at her office, introduced me to other professors, and walked the campus
with me, talking and getting to know me on a more personal level. Second, Dr. M
encouraged cooperation among her students and team effort (Bernstein et al.,
2020). During a group project, I experienced tension between myself and another
student. Dr. M took the time to help me navigate the situation through sensitivity
and understanding; however, she was not afraid to challenge my thinking and help
me see a more balanced perspective. Lastly, Dr. M was passionate and
enthusiastic about the topics she taught, which Keeley et al. (2016) identified as
most important in their study of excellent post-secondary teachers.
a a a a a a a a a Conversely, my poorest teacher experience occurred during my prior PhD
program, from which I transferred to Liberty. While this professor did encourage
active learning and communicate high expectations (Bernstein et al., 2020), these
expectations were not realistic. The program requirements included two
discussion posts per week with scholarly sources, and 2 responses to each
discussion. The professor added additional discussion questions for interaction,
which in retrospect may demonstrate an attempt to remain socially connected in
an online setting and stimulate learning through reflection. However, the result
was a confusion and unrealistic demands, diminishing my internal motivation.
Adult learners consider self-actualization the goal of learning, whereby learning
leads to fulfillment and personal growth (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Rather than
growing and experiencing a sense of self-actualization from interacting through
the discussion boards, they become a checklist item to obtain a grade.
a a a a a a a a a a In adult learning, meaning making through experiential learning includes
the physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and spiritual components of learning
(Merriam & Bierema, 2014). My master’s program was designed around
experiential learning and touched each of these aspects, of which I am grateful.
As a result, my desire to teach adults through graduate education was sparked,
influencing my decision to pursue a PhD. Becoming an excellent teacher reminds
me of the exhortation of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4. I long to become a
teacher that is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good reputation,
demonstrating excellence and worthy of praise from both students and my
Heavenly Father (New American Standard Bible, 2020, Philippians 4:18). As we
study the teaching of psychology, what connections do you see between these
biblical characteristics and the qualities of effective teachers?
References
Bernstein, D.S., Frantz, S, & Chew, S. (2020). Teaching psychology: A step by step
guide (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Keeley, J. W., Ismail, E., & Buskist, W. (2016). Excellent teachers’ perspectives on
excellent teaching. Teaching of Psychology, 43(3), 175-179.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628316649307 Links to an external site.
Merriam, S. B. & Bierema, L.L. a (2014). Adult learning – Linking theory and practice.
Jossey-Bass.
New American Standard Bible (2020). BibleGateway.
https://www.biblegateway.com/
