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McKeachie's Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers
McKeachie's Teaching Tips is a handbook designed to provide helpful strategies for dealing with both the everyday problems of teaching at the university level, and those that pop up in trying to maximize learning for every student. The suggested strategies are supported by research and are grounded in enough theory to enable teachers to adapt them to their own situations. The author does not suggest a "set of recipes" to be followed mechanically, but gives teachers the tools they need to deal with the ever changing dynamics of teaching and learning.
407 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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About the author
Wilbert J. McKeachie
14 books2 followersWilbert James (Bill) McKeachie (born August 24, 1921) is a retired American psychologist. He served as president of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Foundation and the American Association of Higher Education. He was a longtime faculty member at the University of Michigan and is the author of a widely read textbook on college teaching.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 2, 2017
لطيف، أتمنى لو أني قرأته في بداية المهنة. يشرح الجانب العملي/الواقعي من التدريس، ويعطي نصائح عملية تساعدك على التأكد من سلاسة المهنة.
أنصح به أي مدرس جديد.. قد يكون به بعض التكرار لمن احترف المهنة.
--
مما اقتبست:
“The new teacher who has techniques for breaking the ice, for encouraging class participation, and for getting the course organized is more like to get off to a good start.” (p. 4)
“As a result, instructors who attempt to teach with new methods may find they are frustrating the expectations their students have developed in the culture of the college. So, if you are trying something new, be sure that students understand why the new method is likely to be valuable.” (p. 4)
“What is important is learning, not teaching.” (p. 5)
“Teachers can occasionally be wrong. If they are wrong too often, they should not be teaching. If they are never wrong, they belong in heaven, not a college classroom.” (p. 5)
“Classes are as unique as students in them, so they can be unpredictable.” (p. 5)
“An important goal of college and university teaching is that of increasing the students student’s motivation and ability to continue learning after they leave college.” (p. 5)
“One key to improvement is reflection —thinking about what you want to accomplish, and what you and the students need to do to achieve these goals.” (p. 5)
“Every teacher is a work in progress, no matter how long they’ve been at it.” (p. 5)
“You can see that they [the components of course planning] don’t follow an orderly, linear pattern. Instead, all of the pieces are interconnected to student learning, so you move back and forth as you progress.” (p. 6)
“Providing suggestions about how to learn your content, how to read the text materials, and even how to prepare for class can help the students feel like you are aware they might be new to this content and need some extra help.” (p. 22)
“McKinney, Franluk, and Schweitzer (2006) have identified six qualities of a classroom that seems to be at the basis of feelings of community. They are connection, participation, safety, support, belonging and empowerment.” (p. 22)
“For the first class meeting you might say:
‘What sorts of concerns or issues do you think we might deal with?’
‘What are your expectations for this course?’
‘What goals do you have for this course?’
‘What have you heard about this course?’” (p. 23)
On assessing prior knowledge, “Another strategy I’ve used is to list the main topics and then, using a scale of 1 to 5, I have the students indicate how familiar they are with each topic.” (p. 24)
“Research today has demonstrated that working through the examples is one of the best strategies for this type of skill learning.” (p. 29)
“In teaching by discussion, the instructor is faced with several tasks:
1. Helping students prepare for discussion.
2. Getting and maintaining participation in the discussion.
3. Facilitating the discussion in a way that progress is made.
4. Helping students learn and practice the process of civil discourse.
5. Listening to the students supportively to make the class a safe place to express ideas.” (p. 39)
“Research on student ratings of teaching as well as on student learning indicates that the enthusiasm of the lecturer is an important factor in affecting student learning and motivation.” (p. 59)
“While there are times when this [typical lecturing] is useful, more often your job is less knowledge dispensing, and more about teaching students how to learn and think. That kind of lecture involves analyzing materials, formulating problems, developing hypotheses, bringing evidence to bear, and criticizing and thinking and involving students in the process.” (p. 60)
“Because of this, you should go more slowly in the first weeks of a course, pause to allow students with poor backgrounds time to take notes, and give more everyday types of examples.” (p. 60)
“In every class, there is student diversity —not only in background knowledge, but also in motivation, skills for learning, beliefs about what learning involves, and preferences for different ways of learning.” (p. 61)
“The use of such PowerPoint slides has gotten a lot of negative publicity mostly because of the lecturer’s tendency to use them more as a crutch than an organizing system” (p. 62)
“Too often we get immersed in ‘covering’ the subject that we forget to ask, ‘What do I really want students to remember from this lecture next week, next year?’” (p. 62)
“As is indicated in all of the chapters of this book, you are not making impressions on a blank slate. Rather, our task in teaching is to help students reorganize existing cognitive structures to add new dimensions or new features to existing structures.” (p. 63)
“One suggestion for organization is that the introduction of the lecture should point to a gap in the student’s existing cognitive structure or should challenge tor raise a question about something in the student’s existing method of organizing material in order to arouse curiosity.” (p. 63)
“If students know what they are expected to learn from a lecture, they learn more of that material.” (p. 63)
“The enemy of learning is the teacher’s need to cover the content at all costs.” (p. 64)
“Most lecturers recognize that they need to check student understanding periodically; so they ask, “Any questions?” and after three to five seconds without any response, they assume that everyone understands! Not so! If you really want to know, give students a minute to write down a question, then have them compare notes with students sitting near them before asking for questions. You’ll get some.” (p. 65)
“The best way to check student understanding —as well as to maintain attention and support learning —is to incorporate activities into the lecture.” (p. 65)
“What is the role of the lecturer in higher education? To communicate the teacher’s enthusiasm about the subject.” (p. 73)
Changes to consider:
- provide background knowledge prior to doing activities
- give a pre-quiz to assess prior knowledge and to show a gap
- check for understanding more periodically (short quizzes, and CATs) —“is it clear is never valid!”
- use of clickers —polleverywhere?
- ask students to summarize lessons towards the end: what did we learn.
Look into:
- learner centered syllabus
- mindful learning (Ellen Langer, 1997)
- deep processing (Marton and Säljö, 1976)
- model reading process SQ3R (Robinson, 1961)
- quizzes before lectures.
- CATs: Classroom Assessment Techniques for Angelo and Cross (1993)
- “What’s the use of lectures?" 2000, Bligh
- “Tools for teaching” 2nd ed, 2009, Davis
أنصح به أي مدرس جديد.. قد يكون به بعض التكرار لمن احترف المهنة.
--
مما اقتبست:
“The new teacher who has techniques for breaking the ice, for encouraging class participation, and for getting the course organized is more like to get off to a good start.” (p. 4)
“As a result, instructors who attempt to teach with new methods may find they are frustrating the expectations their students have developed in the culture of the college. So, if you are trying something new, be sure that students understand why the new method is likely to be valuable.” (p. 4)
“What is important is learning, not teaching.” (p. 5)
“Teachers can occasionally be wrong. If they are wrong too often, they should not be teaching. If they are never wrong, they belong in heaven, not a college classroom.” (p. 5)
“Classes are as unique as students in them, so they can be unpredictable.” (p. 5)
“An important goal of college and university teaching is that of increasing the students student’s motivation and ability to continue learning after they leave college.” (p. 5)
“One key to improvement is reflection —thinking about what you want to accomplish, and what you and the students need to do to achieve these goals.” (p. 5)
“Every teacher is a work in progress, no matter how long they’ve been at it.” (p. 5)
“You can see that they [the components of course planning] don’t follow an orderly, linear pattern. Instead, all of the pieces are interconnected to student learning, so you move back and forth as you progress.” (p. 6)
“Providing suggestions about how to learn your content, how to read the text materials, and even how to prepare for class can help the students feel like you are aware they might be new to this content and need some extra help.” (p. 22)
“McKinney, Franluk, and Schweitzer (2006) have identified six qualities of a classroom that seems to be at the basis of feelings of community. They are connection, participation, safety, support, belonging and empowerment.” (p. 22)
“For the first class meeting you might say:
‘What sorts of concerns or issues do you think we might deal with?’
‘What are your expectations for this course?’
‘What goals do you have for this course?’
‘What have you heard about this course?’” (p. 23)
On assessing prior knowledge, “Another strategy I’ve used is to list the main topics and then, using a scale of 1 to 5, I have the students indicate how familiar they are with each topic.” (p. 24)
“Research today has demonstrated that working through the examples is one of the best strategies for this type of skill learning.” (p. 29)
“In teaching by discussion, the instructor is faced with several tasks:
1. Helping students prepare for discussion.
2. Getting and maintaining participation in the discussion.
3. Facilitating the discussion in a way that progress is made.
4. Helping students learn and practice the process of civil discourse.
5. Listening to the students supportively to make the class a safe place to express ideas.” (p. 39)
“Research on student ratings of teaching as well as on student learning indicates that the enthusiasm of the lecturer is an important factor in affecting student learning and motivation.” (p. 59)
“While there are times when this [typical lecturing] is useful, more often your job is less knowledge dispensing, and more about teaching students how to learn and think. That kind of lecture involves analyzing materials, formulating problems, developing hypotheses, bringing evidence to bear, and criticizing and thinking and involving students in the process.” (p. 60)
“Because of this, you should go more slowly in the first weeks of a course, pause to allow students with poor backgrounds time to take notes, and give more everyday types of examples.” (p. 60)
“In every class, there is student diversity —not only in background knowledge, but also in motivation, skills for learning, beliefs about what learning involves, and preferences for different ways of learning.” (p. 61)
“The use of such PowerPoint slides has gotten a lot of negative publicity mostly because of the lecturer’s tendency to use them more as a crutch than an organizing system” (p. 62)
“Too often we get immersed in ‘covering’ the subject that we forget to ask, ‘What do I really want students to remember from this lecture next week, next year?’” (p. 62)
“As is indicated in all of the chapters of this book, you are not making impressions on a blank slate. Rather, our task in teaching is to help students reorganize existing cognitive structures to add new dimensions or new features to existing structures.” (p. 63)
“One suggestion for organization is that the introduction of the lecture should point to a gap in the student’s existing cognitive structure or should challenge tor raise a question about something in the student’s existing method of organizing material in order to arouse curiosity.” (p. 63)
“If students know what they are expected to learn from a lecture, they learn more of that material.” (p. 63)
“The enemy of learning is the teacher’s need to cover the content at all costs.” (p. 64)
“Most lecturers recognize that they need to check student understanding periodically; so they ask, “Any questions?” and after three to five seconds without any response, they assume that everyone understands! Not so! If you really want to know, give students a minute to write down a question, then have them compare notes with students sitting near them before asking for questions. You’ll get some.” (p. 65)
“The best way to check student understanding —as well as to maintain attention and support learning —is to incorporate activities into the lecture.” (p. 65)
“What is the role of the lecturer in higher education? To communicate the teacher’s enthusiasm about the subject.” (p. 73)
Changes to consider:
- provide background knowledge prior to doing activities
- give a pre-quiz to assess prior knowledge and to show a gap
- check for understanding more periodically (short quizzes, and CATs) —“is it clear is never valid!”
- use of clickers —polleverywhere?
- ask students to summarize lessons towards the end: what did we learn.
Look into:
- learner centered syllabus
- mindful learning (Ellen Langer, 1997)
- deep processing (Marton and Säljö, 1976)
- model reading process SQ3R (Robinson, 1961)
- quizzes before lectures.
- CATs: Classroom Assessment Techniques for Angelo and Cross (1993)
- “What’s the use of lectures?" 2000, Bligh
- “Tools for teaching” 2nd ed, 2009, Davis
April 6, 2017
This book was assigned as required reading for a graduate level class titled Teaching Professional and Technical Writing and this was such a good fit. It should really be the required reading of any GTA practicum because it covers so many bases! I've found the reading incredibly useful and have taken incredibly thorough notes throughout each chapter. I'm kind of disappointed I rented it from the bookstore--this one might need to find a permanent home on my bookshelf for an easy reach. I recommend this little baby to anyone teaching, looking to teach, or even has taught so as to get some opinions and feedback on it.
Want to read
November 3, 2012I don't recommend reading this cover to cover. Instead, put it on your bookshelf and consult it when needed. The short chapters make it easy to use for quick advice when you have a teaching challenge.
We use this book in the Center for Teaching and Learning's Early Career Teaching Program. I also recommend it for pharmacy residents who plan to teach in the classroom or lab.
We use this book in the Center for Teaching and Learning's Early Career Teaching Program. I also recommend it for pharmacy residents who plan to teach in the classroom or lab.
April 20, 2021
Everything a college instructor needs to know... The only thing was some chapters were too long.
September 11, 2010
After reading just the first few chapter of this book, I know that it will be an outstanding and irreplaceable resource should I ever get a teaching position. I plan to purchase the newest edition, out this year, once I have a chance.
December 18, 2019
Subtitled “Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers,” this extraordinarily rich resource has been updated for years due to the exceptional insights and information it provides. 23 chapters in 7 themes is packed with resources to aid the instructor in higher education.
Part One - Getting Started
1. Introduction
2. Countdown to Course Preparation
3. Meeting the Class for the First time
Part Two - Basic Skills for Facilitating Student Learning
4. Reading as Active Learning
5. Facilitating Discussion
6. How to Make Lectures More Effective
7. Assessing, Testing, and Evaluating: Grading is Not the Most Important Function
8. Testing: The Details
9. Good Designs for Written Feedback to Students
10. Assigning Grades: What Do They Mean?
Part Three - Understanding Students
11. Motivation in the College Classroom
12. Teaching Culturally Diverse Students
13. Different Students, Different Challenges
Part Four - Adding to Your Repertoire of Skills and Strategies for Facilitating Active Learning
14. Active Learning: Group-Based Learning
15. Experiential Learning: Case-Based, Problem-Based, and Reality-Based
16. Using High-Stakes and Low-Stakes Writing to Enhance Learning
17. Technology and Teaching
Part Five - Skills for Use in Other Teaching Situations
18. Teaching Large Classes (You Can Still Get Active Learning)
19. Laboratory Instruction: Ensuring an Active Learning Experience
Part Six - Teaching for Higher-Level Goals
20. Teaching Students How to Become More Strategic and Self-Regulated Learners
21. Teaching Thinking
22. The Ethics of Teaching
Part Seven - Lifelong Learning as a Teacher
23. Vitality and Growth Throughout Your Teaching Career
As the structure of this book shows, there is a wealth of information for the professional educator. The authors close in noting “The great thing about teaching is that there is always more to learn” (p. 337).
Part One - Getting Started
1. Introduction
2. Countdown to Course Preparation
3. Meeting the Class for the First time
Part Two - Basic Skills for Facilitating Student Learning
4. Reading as Active Learning
5. Facilitating Discussion
6. How to Make Lectures More Effective
7. Assessing, Testing, and Evaluating: Grading is Not the Most Important Function
8. Testing: The Details
9. Good Designs for Written Feedback to Students
10. Assigning Grades: What Do They Mean?
Part Three - Understanding Students
11. Motivation in the College Classroom
12. Teaching Culturally Diverse Students
13. Different Students, Different Challenges
Part Four - Adding to Your Repertoire of Skills and Strategies for Facilitating Active Learning
14. Active Learning: Group-Based Learning
15. Experiential Learning: Case-Based, Problem-Based, and Reality-Based
16. Using High-Stakes and Low-Stakes Writing to Enhance Learning
17. Technology and Teaching
Part Five - Skills for Use in Other Teaching Situations
18. Teaching Large Classes (You Can Still Get Active Learning)
19. Laboratory Instruction: Ensuring an Active Learning Experience
Part Six - Teaching for Higher-Level Goals
20. Teaching Students How to Become More Strategic and Self-Regulated Learners
21. Teaching Thinking
22. The Ethics of Teaching
Part Seven - Lifelong Learning as a Teacher
23. Vitality and Growth Throughout Your Teaching Career
As the structure of this book shows, there is a wealth of information for the professional educator. The authors close in noting “The great thing about teaching is that there is always more to learn” (p. 337).
July 10, 2022
I wish I would have read this before I started teaching. There were so many helpful tips about how to write quizzes and assignments, how to deal with difficult students and even how to structure the first day of class. I would highly recommend this to anyone starting out as a first year teacher at a college or university.
May 18, 2017
An excellent resource for future and new professors.
September 19, 2017
Classic text which I will definitely return.
May 23, 2018
Great book if you want to be an excellent instructor or if you want to know the best and the greatest in the field of educational design.
May 18, 2019
Lots of common sense material. I was required to read this prior to acting as a TA. Most if the information was not relevant to me as a TA.
November 14, 2021
Good practical teaching advice. This would be a good book for a new college professor.
August 19, 2024
One of many textbooks since June 24. This was probably my primary one for Teaching and Learning in Adulthood. Thorough, well-written ... and glad to be done with it!
March 15, 2017
Like most teaching guides, there are a few things in here that are great. You might use some of these things daily, some every now and then, and of course there are a few things in here that I found would not work in my classroom. The goal here is to see ways in which you can better the education you are providing, which is possible (always!) and there are some good hints in here. I especially liked that there are "problems" listed with some ideas of how to go about changing those issues.
October 5, 2012
McKeachie’s Teaching Tips provides a valuable mix of educational theory and practical advice for instructors in higher education. The book is geared towards graduate students, who typically receive little formal training in instructional methodology, but is also helpful for more experienced instructors who haven’t had time to immerse themselves in the vast literature of teaching effectiveness. The book is organized into six major sections, from “Getting Started” to “Teaching for Higher-Level Goals.” New instructors will benefit from the step-by-step guidance of early chapters devoted to class preparation, the first class session, and assigning grades. The latter half of the book delves into more advanced issues like taking student social diversity into account, continuous improvement, and teaching values in the classroom.
Each chapter includes a short literature review discussing the relevant research. Since the book’s readers are all academics, they will likely enjoy these sections, but a teacher in a hurry could skip them and focus on McKeachie’s recommendations. He balances the theory out with anecdotes and advice from his own half-century in the classroom. His advice, though grounded in theory, is thoroughly realistic. For example, McKeachie considers lecturing to be a poor teaching method (and he’s got the research to back it up), but he recognizes the reality of teaching survey courses at large institutions (such as his home institution, the University of Michigan) and devotes a chapter to lecturing as effectively as possible.
The book is very readable for those with the time to go through it cover to cover, but it also works well as a desktop reference. Each chapter is short and includes numerous subheadings and a concise conclusion at the end. An instructor looking for help with a specific problem will have no trouble thumbing through the book to find the answer.
The primary drawback to this book is that it is disciple-neutral—or at least it tries to be. McKeachie is a psychology professor and the teaching strategies seem to be primarily geared toward teaching in the social sciences. Instructors in the hard sciences or fine arts might benefit more from a book devoted to teaching in their specific disciplines. In particular, as a creative writer I was looking for suggestions on how to run a better writing workshop or a review of the literature to see if the workshop method is even effective. Unfortunately McKeachie doesn’t have anything to say on the subject. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips is a good introduction to the art of teaching and a handy reference, but an instructor looking to really excel in the classroom will likely need to find a more discipline-specific book to reach the next level.
Each chapter includes a short literature review discussing the relevant research. Since the book’s readers are all academics, they will likely enjoy these sections, but a teacher in a hurry could skip them and focus on McKeachie’s recommendations. He balances the theory out with anecdotes and advice from his own half-century in the classroom. His advice, though grounded in theory, is thoroughly realistic. For example, McKeachie considers lecturing to be a poor teaching method (and he’s got the research to back it up), but he recognizes the reality of teaching survey courses at large institutions (such as his home institution, the University of Michigan) and devotes a chapter to lecturing as effectively as possible.
The book is very readable for those with the time to go through it cover to cover, but it also works well as a desktop reference. Each chapter is short and includes numerous subheadings and a concise conclusion at the end. An instructor looking for help with a specific problem will have no trouble thumbing through the book to find the answer.
The primary drawback to this book is that it is disciple-neutral—or at least it tries to be. McKeachie is a psychology professor and the teaching strategies seem to be primarily geared toward teaching in the social sciences. Instructors in the hard sciences or fine arts might benefit more from a book devoted to teaching in their specific disciplines. In particular, as a creative writer I was looking for suggestions on how to run a better writing workshop or a review of the literature to see if the workshop method is even effective. Unfortunately McKeachie doesn’t have anything to say on the subject. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips is a good introduction to the art of teaching and a handy reference, but an instructor looking to really excel in the classroom will likely need to find a more discipline-specific book to reach the next level.
January 18, 2021
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Teaching effectiveness depends not just on what the teacher does, but rather on what the student does.
2. The lecturer’s own attitude and enthusiasm have an important effect on student motivation*
3. Providing feedback is more important than assigning a grade, you can use nongraded evaluation. Assess the attainment of objectives.
3. Setting high expectations that challenge students while always assuring them they have the capacity to succeed.
4. Students appreciate knowing that their learning matters to you and that you can help guide them toward success.
5. You need to define clearly how each assignment relates to course learning goals so students can approach tasks strategically.
6. Guided practice with feedback is a powerful way to teach students how to learn because it provides students with opportunities to practice strategies and evaluate them to see which ones are or are not useful.
7. The tutor, not the student receiving the tutoring benefits the most.
8. Give yourself permission not to cover all of the content. Select from the relevant content to promote the thinking goals.
9. Faculty members are more likely to be defensive about low ratings, rejecting the validity of the student responses.
10. Students prefer challenging courses, courses that are so difficult that students cannot meet the challenge will receive lower ratings.
1. Teaching effectiveness depends not just on what the teacher does, but rather on what the student does.
2. The lecturer’s own attitude and enthusiasm have an important effect on student motivation*
3. Providing feedback is more important than assigning a grade, you can use nongraded evaluation. Assess the attainment of objectives.
3. Setting high expectations that challenge students while always assuring them they have the capacity to succeed.
4. Students appreciate knowing that their learning matters to you and that you can help guide them toward success.
5. You need to define clearly how each assignment relates to course learning goals so students can approach tasks strategically.
6. Guided practice with feedback is a powerful way to teach students how to learn because it provides students with opportunities to practice strategies and evaluate them to see which ones are or are not useful.
7. The tutor, not the student receiving the tutoring benefits the most.
8. Give yourself permission not to cover all of the content. Select from the relevant content to promote the thinking goals.
9. Faculty members are more likely to be defensive about low ratings, rejecting the validity of the student responses.
10. Students prefer challenging courses, courses that are so difficult that students cannot meet the challenge will receive lower ratings.
February 12, 2017
Nice insights and suggestions for new teaching assistants.
November 17, 2016
I've had this book on my shelf since the advisor of my teaching practicum suggested it. After having few other colleagues recommend it, I finally decided to read it. I'm currently taking a course on teaching and we were assigned a book report that we could write on any book, this sounded like the perfect opportunity. I loved it and I'm so glad I bought it so that I can keep it on my shelf in my office. While the book is a bit difficult to read, it's going to be an /excellent/ reference resource for me to go back to while I'm planning different courses. I'm thrilled that I read the whole thing through because I'll be able to pull out the information that I need whenever I need it as I look back in the chapters for future course prep. Highly recommend as a reference book.
April 21, 2013
There's lots of great pragmatic advice in this volume, particularly for relatively new teachers. Though the edition I read was dated in terms of what it had to offer to those teaching in our current digital environment, everything else about the volume seemed perfectly relevant to today. McKeachie covers loads of teaching tools and styles and provides good insight into the connections between student learning and all sorts of activities. I came away with ideas about things I might try in the classroom and a better perspective on how to judge things that I've already done.
June 4, 2007
I read this book in preparation for my first classroom teaching gig. I think there's a lot of good info in here, although for someone like me with some ed. psych. background, it was mostly either common sense or things I'd already studied.
Although I breezed through it pretty fast and skimmed or skipped sections, I expect it will be a handy reference once I get into the classroom. It will help when I run into specific problems and need to think through solutions in a methodical way.
Although I breezed through it pretty fast and skimmed or skipped sections, I expect it will be a handy reference once I get into the classroom. It will help when I run into specific problems and need to think through solutions in a methodical way.
April 13, 2014
Much of this book seems like common sense, that is until you set foot inside a classroom for the first time, and in a moment of pure terror foerget your own name.
This book is practical, which is a rareity amoung books for educators. It steers clear of calling the teaching experience "magical", "couragous", or "spiritual calling", instead focusing on the logisitics of grading, writing a syllabus and dealing with problem students.
A worthwile investment for the aspiring professor.
This book is practical, which is a rareity amoung books for educators. It steers clear of calling the teaching experience "magical", "couragous", or "spiritual calling", instead focusing on the logisitics of grading, writing a syllabus and dealing with problem students.
A worthwile investment for the aspiring professor.
June 10, 2008
In-depth (400 pages), strategies, research, and theory for university teachers. A very good book! It basically sets forth the considerations and practices that the "ideal" teacher would implement. It is at times impractical but you'd love to see all your teachers doing half this stuff. Good information and ideas to consider.
March 3, 2009
Someone gave me a copy of this book, in a much earlier 7th edition version, when I first started teaching in graduate school. I found it a wonderful aid to help me through my first year. There's a lot of stuff that might seem old hat to teachers who've been doing in a long time, but it was very good for me to have things stated in black and white like this.
January 16, 2010
Amazing book. McKeachie has more than enough experience to fill hundred's of books. Well written, great tips for beginning professors/teaching assistants and those that need some new ideas. I highly recommend this!!! I also went to a conference to see an interview with McKeachie...he has still got it after all these years! (Plus he signed my copy :P...yes I am a nerd)
December 20, 2014
Amazing resource for new college faculty. The authors research in the support that new faculty need is outstanding. Learn what you need to do from the planning stages to collaborative learning activities inside and outside the classroom. Should be required reading for all college faculty...focus on student learning.
April 28, 2015
Although this text did deliver SOME specific strategies and tools, overall it was more of a simple overview of teaching. This may be very effective for newer instructors, especially those who are shifting to education from another field or who have had no formal training in education, but for me, a seasoned teacher, it fell a bit flat.
August 23, 2015
nothing in this book isn't obvious if you're a thoughtful teacher, but having it all written down by an experienced expert is helpful. I am an adjunct professor and I stumbled around a bit the first couple of times I taught. This should have been required reading before my first class. I had a few professors in college who needed this book, and they were supposed to be professionals.
November 26, 2007
This is a teaching book my father picked up somewhere for me. I have only used one section of it which was about handling difficult students. I can't really remember what it said so I guess it wasn't that useful!
February 12, 2012
A very good collection of practical tips for teaching at the university, supported by the research on cognitive learning. A logical structure of the book makes it easy to read. I've got many useful tips for my teaching tenure.
May 10, 2012
If you want to get really hyped about teaching college-level courses -- and then really anxious that you'll never be any good at it because no one is giving you concrete-enough advice -- then this is your book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews