DuBois on Teachers
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Central Regional Center for Teaching Excellence
Spring 2002: April 16 at CVCC's Merritt Hall


Brown bag lunch discussion on

The Hidden Qualities of Great Teachers

 

Click this photo for a bio of the Chancellor.VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois Speaking on the topic of Master Teachers:

"The Hidden Characteristics of Great Teachers"

What is a great teacher?

Who are great teachers?

What are the attributes and characteristics of effective teachers?

"For these faculty, teaching is more than an occupation; it is a dedication to leave the world a better place, an opportunity to make a difference in another's life, a chance to enhance one's own life through a kind of immortality, that of remembrance." --Glenn DuBois

For his dissertation research, Dr. DuBois asked four questions of the five highly regarded faculty whom he shadowed for 2-3 years, which he tape recorded and transcribed in order to look for common themes.

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Tell me stories about your growing up.

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Tell me stories about you as a student.

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Tell me stories about you before you became a college teacher.

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Tell me stories about you as a community college teacher.

His thesis, basically, is that great teaching (and great administering) is in the human relationships of the endeavor, even more than in the course content.

During the question-and-answer session, Dr. DuBois advised that teachers who are dealing with difficult students do best when they set agreed-upon ground rules and have some leverage because a college course is an advantage for students who complete it.  Nevertheless, some students aren't ready to accept this gift and "stop out" for a time.

To get students to "dig in" intellectually, Dr. DuBois suggested "raising your standards":  Even if you become a common enemy, this can help students bind together to help each other learn more.

Regarding adjunct faculty, Dr. DuBois pointed out that the experienced and career-minded adjunct often provide a pragmatic counter-balance to the theoretical perspectives that full-time faculty bring to their teaching.  Full-timers tend to get more theoretical as they age, so a college can benefit from both perspectives.  Since at least half of VCCS sections are taught by adjunct faculty, they are not just "temps" and should be rewarded for their longevity, perhaps with first refusal for teaching a section that is being staffed.

When asked what colleges should do with their deadwood, Dr. DuBois suggested that many veteran full-timers are not "burnt out" so much as they are "bored out" by the intense routine of ten or more sections a year for 20 or more years.  Reinventing the institution is preferable to simply dragging everyone along.  To do so, encourage faculty, especially the "bored out" ones to find another success, perhaps through technology, [which has caused many faculty to re-envision their course content in rejuvenating ways].  Find out what will enhance the self-worth of faculty who seem lackadaisical.

Event Evaluation Excerpts--RCTE, Central Region, April 16, 2002

A Video Presentation on “The Hidden Characteristics of Great Teachers” by Dr. Glenn DuBois, Chancellor, VCCS (originally delivered at Thomas Nelson CC, 2/1/02 and at NVCC-Loudoun, 3/1/02)

1. What’s the best idea you heard at this event?

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Good faculty members don’t “lower the river” so the students can get to the other side. They care and motivate their students.

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Teachers depend on students, [which] results in students' inspiring teachers and leading to committed and motivated teachers.

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Good teachers as messiah working to change lives

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I like the idea that the chancellor can relate to and discuss teaching excellence, in addition to supporting it. The “caring” part of teaching was important.

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Four characteristics of great teachers: personal adversity at an early [age], someone in a helping profession helped them, clear vision (not just subject matter), depend upon students

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That teachers inspire students; the discipline we teach is the canal to deliver service and enrichment

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The focus on specific qualities of individuals and how to incorporate them into the classroom… The fact that knowledge of a topic is only one aspect of teaching. I already know this, but it is good to hear it again.

bulletGood teachers demonstrate to students that they care about their success, especially in cases where students are underachieving.

* DuBois, Glenn. "Hidden Characteristics of Effective Community College Teachers." Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 17:459-471, 1993.

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