Abstract
Teaching at Its Best is an excellent resource for college instructors. The content is sufficiently varied and comprehensive to be of interest to veterans seeking to enhance their teaching skills, new faculty to prepare for the classroom, as well as to graduate students preparing for a career in academia.
The book is divided into five major parts, beginning with course preparation, continuing with course facilitation, and concluding with chapters about grading and assessment, including colleges’ practices of evaluating instructors and ways that reviews might be conducted in as fair and unbiased a manner as possible. Chapters on the “human side of teaching” reflect contemporary concerns of inclusivity, incivility, and academic integrity. Updated facts are cited, such as 2020 data that “a jaw-dropping 32% of undergraduates…reported cheating on exams” (p. 152). The section on detecting cheating is helpful, but unfortunately already in need of an update due to the absence of a discussion about artificial intelligence, which became widely available shortly before the book’s publication.
One of the book’s strengths is the strong research base, as promised in the subtitle. Every chapter cites current research, and the reference section spans over 40 pages. The approaches and methods promoted in the book are not merely someone’s experience; they are supported by contemporary research. Because of the research base, my antennae went up when I began the chapter on “Integrating Styles and Modes of Learning,” given that “there is simply no evidence that [teaching in a way consistent with a student’s dominant learning style] results in better learning” (p. 272). However, the authors graciously addressed the “learning styles myth” (p. 272) and provided evidence-based ways to foster student growth through various learning modes, without attempting to teach students in a manner consistent with their personal “learning style.”
One of my favorite chapters is “Ensuring Students Prepare for Class” (pp. 259-269). Whereas this seems to be less of a challenge with my graduate students, it remains a continual challenge to motivate undergraduates to complete the readings and other assignments thoughtfully, and I do not think I am alone in this struggle. The authors provide at least six reasons why students do not prepare – helpful in considering the issue from a student’s perspective and for addressing the root cause when possible – and then give concrete, actionable ways to “equip and induce” (p. 262) students to prepare for class.
Frankly, the size of the book (roughly that of a sheet of paper, and 1.75 inches/3 cm thick) was a bit off-putting. However, the size is necessary to allow for the breadth of content included. Unlike some books, the price is accessible to many personal purchasers, rather than being so costly that one must rely on the library to purchase a copy. (Nevertheless, university libraries or teaching centers should own a copy of this book.)
Teaching at Its Best is a valuable resource to share with new faculty, helping them develop and present an effective course. Although an adjunct (or even full-time) faculty member may not take the time to read the entire book initially, chapters can be read out of order and on an as-needed basis to focus on anticipated or emerging concerns in the classroom. It makes an excellent text for higher education classes that prepare content-area experts to teach undergraduates. However, for those whose discipline is education, most, if not all, of the content will be familiar, although some of the applications to the undergraduate setting may be helpful.