What Defines Excellent Teaching?
by Dr. Jodi Brookins Fisher, Central Michigan University

As I reflect on receiving my second Excellence in Teaching Award in the 13 years that I have been at CMU, I am trying to decipher what it is that makes an “excellent” teacher.  I believe meeting learning styles and using different methods are part of the picture, but is there more?

Case in point:  This May, a student in one of my classes four years ago walked across the platform and received his diploma.  I have NEVER been so happy for any student that made it to the end.  Why?  The reason is because this student beat insurmountable odds to get to that place.  He came from an impoverished area and had no role models for education.  He would even state that he was heading down the wrong path and had to physically remove himself from that area and attend CMU to get away.  So what helped him?  In my class, he was a quiet presence amidst the 349 other attendees.  One day, I found him sitting in the hall outside my office waiting for me.  He didn’t speak and seemed about to break.  I invited him in and asked how he was doing.  He started to carefully unload the burdens of his life and why he didn’t think he could make it through college.  He did have some HEAVY issues.  I gave some advice, not counseling, on how to better manage his time and priorities as other friends were sucking his helpful demeanor dry.  I found resources for some friends in need.  He came back occasionally and, in the years after, I would see him smiling in the halls, obtaining a high GPA in his major and starting a new fraternity on campus.  He didn’t just stay and survive CMU - he THRIVED!  Did I make the difference?  I would never take credit for what he accomplished in the last four years.  I would, however, state that me being a helpful adult at a time when he couldn’t find a way out probably aided in his immediate ability to deal with those issues.  I would bet that he would say that an excellent teacher is one who finds time for students, shows compassion, and really cares for them and their lives.  I bawled my eyes out when I walked down to give him a hug as he received his diploma.  This is what makes my job ‘excellent:’ The ability to connect with students at a level that shows interest and compassion and helps to establish compassion in them.  The CMU awards have been fantastic, but there is no comparison to a student believing in himself/herself and rising to success.

Did my classroom methods help this student to succeed?  Did I meet his learning style(s)?  I really doubt these would have mattered if he hadn’t found a way to deal with life issues.  As a teacher, I believe it is my responsibility to be current with the latest methods that meet the needs of diverse learners.  I also feel it is my responsibility to establish a classroom environment where everyone belongs for the time they are with me.  Showing interest in students will hopefully model the need to establish caring interactions with others - which, by the way, is difficult when individuals are attached to their cell phones…..but that is a different soap box….