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