Student Poll

Great Courses and Great Teachers

Ask your students early in the course--

1. What is the best (college) course you have ever had and why was it the best?
2. What qualities do outstanding teachers share?

Scott Grissom of Grand Valley State University in Michigan does this on the first day of class; then he leads a brainstorming session on traits of great courses and great teachers, acting as recording on the classroom chalkboard. He tries to get students to articulate specific behaviors for the traits they list. For example, students commonly note that great teachers make course concepts clear--"But how?" Scott asks.

This tip was published in "The Teaching Professor" (14.1, January 2000: 2), edited by Dr. Mary Ellen Weimer. Annual subscriptions cost $40 for individuals; it is available only in hard copy. To subscribe, contact customer service at 800-433-0499 or email: custserv@magnapubs.com 

1999-2008+ by the Virginia Community College System. Prepared for the VCCS by Professor Eric Hibbison, 1998-2001 MRCTE Chair and Chief Chair of RCTE from  2000-2005. Permission is granted to use this content for professional development or other educational, nonprofit purposes.  Animations used on this site are either part of the Front Page theme or from a royalty free collection called "Web Clip Empire 250,000" ©1997, 1998 by Xoom, Inc., and its Licensors.  

Reminder for folks new to the Web: UNDERLINED WORDS (and some graphics images) ARE HOT LINKS. To preview them, hold your mouse on the hotlink (the arrow becomes a hand as you "mouseover" a link) and read the "URL" (Web address) in the "status line" (bottom) of your maximized Web browser. To visit, just click.