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.
e e e e e e e e e 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.
e e e e e e e e e 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. e (2014). Adult learning – Linking theory and
practice. Jossey-Bass.
New American Standard Bible (2020). BibleGateway.
https://www.biblegateway.com/
