Page 4
Asking Around
Rather than spend the year
trying to force our opinion
on you, we have created a
forum to hear from you, the
college community. Each
issue we will explore a
different topic by random
selection and short editor
ials, by both the staff and
you, the readers.
The next Capital Times
will deal, with mandatory
drug testing 0 f slate offic
ials. Anyone _______
Excellence in Teaching
Julie Larson
Staff writer
Enthusiasm Is Key To Teaching
I will argue that it is
neither style, nor exper
tise which characterizes a
good teacher, but rather
enthusiasm. This rare
quality can overcome even
£ne worst of teaching
styles, simply by its power
to interest and motivate
students. If interest is
aroused, students may be
compelled to seek know
ledge even after gradua
tion'. In contrast, a well
prepared lecture, which is
not given life, by en
thusiasm, will have little
success in stirring student
interest; knowledge im
parted, and received,
without interest will not
likely survive the walls of
this institution.
Enthusiastic teachers
interest and motivate
students, who, in turn,
become enthusiastic
And y McGill
Engineering
A good teacher is one who
expects more from you and also
gives a little more to you. A bad
teacher is one who cannot
effectively communicate with
his/her students even if he/she
has mastered the material.
with an interest in this is
asked to submit his feel
ings in typewritten format
to the Capital Times, Room
'212. To be considered for
publishing, the editorial
must be signed, and submit
ted by October 22.
We will also be accepting
topic ideas for future Asking
Around features. Any ideas
selected will be credited to
you in the paper.
members of society. But it
is often overlooked that in
structors are employees
and people; they are sub
ject to boredom, frustra
tion, and loss of en
thusiasm. It would, thus,
follow that, to preserve ef
fective instruction, we
must protect and regen
erate the enthusiasm of
our instructors.
There are five condi
tions which are crucial in
perpetuating teachers’ en
thusiasm. A teacher must
(1) feel as though he has a
mission; he must (2) have
support from his col
leagues to accomplish this
mission. He must (3) feel
he is an integral part of his
students’ education;
therefore, he must (4)
believe both in his subjects
and students. Finally, a
teacher must (5) feel as
Margaret Hammond
Accounting
A good teacher realizes that
different students have different A good teacher respects his/her
speeds and abilities. He then will students. A bad teacher is one
take the proper time to see that who is disorganized and
all get whatever help they need. unprepared.
Capital Times
Jan Travers
Editor
Titles Don’t Determine Professors ’ Authority
Professors have a tough job,
no doubt about it. They are
pulled between their personal
teaching style, requirements of
the course that they must cover,
and making the information
interesting enough to keep the
students involved. The 1984
report on the excellence in
American higher education,
“Involvement in Learning,”
challenged faculty of United
States colleges to “make greater
use of active modes of
teaching.” The report suggested
that in addition to teaching facts,
college professors should
From t-he people who gave
you the Fiqpa-matLc comes
INSTMT
INSTRUCTOR
UNDERGRADUATES. j
JUST4DD HOT COFFEE/
Now available in Penn State
Blue and White. Some modei
equipped with the classic
“Pa+erno Nose". Discounts
for orders of 12 or more.
TENURED PROFESSOR
A CAMPUS FIXTURE, SPOUTS
JARGON WHILE WEARING
CONTRASTING CLOTHING.
though he is appreciated, Creating an environ
and respected to the pro- ment which harbors these
per degree, by students, conditions should be a
co-workers, and the in- priority focus of this in
stitution. stitution.
What Makes A Good Instructor?
encourage class participation
through a variety of methods.
For only when the student feels
involved will true learning
result.
For me, that involvement
begins on the first day of the
semester. Prejudiced as it may
sound, 1 am truly skeptical of
the instructor who enters the
classroom and introduces
himself or herself with the
prefix of Mr., Ms., or Dr. Right
from the beginning, whether
subconsciously or not, he is
stating that he is the boss and if
you don't believe it here is the
Chris DiMascio
Engineering
proof.
I have found in my first two
and a half years of college that I
have learned more from
professors that I can call by their
first name. Obviously, this is
by no means a scientific study.
However, if faculty feels secure
enough about their position to
talk to students on equal
footing, a feeling of trust will
be created. Students are more
interested in what they learn, not
in who teaches it to them.
Come on profs, is your first
name so awful you are ashamed
to use it?
MAIN CAMPUS MODEL
CAPABLE OF LECTURING IN
FOUR DIALECTS. NONE OF
THEM ENGLISH.
InUrvltwi by Alan Flnciu
Photo by Sylvia Johnson
Dave Wallace
Economics
A good teacher can
communicate effectively and can
provide stimulus even in what
would usually be a boring
course. A bad teacher is 60% of
the faculty at Penn State.
Oct. 8, 1986
tKUPEC.