Tips for Teachers

Hi yall,

My name is Anthony and i would like to share some knowledge for both new and seasoned college instructors.

First, I would like to ask you some questions.
      1. Does your institution provide training or professional development for new and current              faculty?

       2.Do you have an understanding of pedagogical or andragogical principles?

Did you know that new professors of higher educational institutions often begin teaching based on their experiences as students in the colleges or universities they attended. Many have never taken a course or studied theories involving pedagogy or andragogy, thus relegating numbers of students under their tutelage to long lectures, unrelated assignments, and boring classes (Ellis, Kupczynski, Mundy, & Salgafdo). Many teachers initial teaching model is born from that of their own teachers consisting of teacher-centered strategies in a traditional, on site environment. They teach as they were taught (Gallant, 2000; Layne et al., 2004). They typically have no formal training for the teaching portion of their university responsibilities. In fact, most professors learn by observing other professors, in this way, the teaching environment will never change. Jaffee (2003) describes the traditional teaching and the learning environment as a “pedagogical ecology” in which the physical space and social roles have been institutionalized and the lecture continues to be a common teaching strategy.  The findings in the literature research suggest that one of the best ways to address the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students are to use andragogical practices in the classroom. The best way to promulgate these theories and to ensure ethics in teaching is to provide faculty with readily available, on-going professional development. In providing these best practices, it allows the scholar who teaches a subject to become a meaningful teacher of students, a true educator (Ellis et al). 


The andragogical approach requires a psychological climate of mutual respect, collaboration, trust support, openness, authenticity, pleasure, and humane treatment, and that is the role of the facilitator (teacher) to provide such an atmosphere. In a truly andragogical setting, teachers are not “on center stage” delivering instructions to waiting students.  Effective teachers are facilitators who assist students in their own self-directed learning. Teachers should possess diverse characteristics, such as being prepared, showing genuine concern for student success, using humor in the classroom, having to make the subject matter interesting, being objective in dealing with learners, and  possessing understanding, flexibility, patience and practicality.