The literature on teaching excellence is abundant, and educational scholars have produced a robust body of research on best teaching practices at all educational levels. While a healthy body of literature exists regarding teaching excellence in both psychology and teaching excellence at the secondary level, few sources are devoted to the combination of improving teaching excellence at the secondary level in psychology. To begin to fill this critical information void, the authors performed a qualitative analysis of each chapter written by a high school teacher who was included in the Society of the Teaching of Psychology’s (STP) series of five e-books titled The Teaching of Psychology in Autobiography: Perspectives from Exemplary Psychology Teachers. These 14 exemplary psychology teachers (EPTs) were included in this series because they all received STP’s highest recognition for excellence as a high school psychology teacher: the Mary Margaret Moffett Memorial Teaching Excellence Award. We reviewed the final two sections in each EPT’s chapter—Advice for New Teachers and Final Thoughts—and collaboratively analyzed this qualitative data to create general categories of the advice and suggestions these EPTs offered their colleagues.
Not surprisingly, one of the most crucial aspects of professional development identified by these master teachers was networking with others who have a similar passion for teaching and common professional interests.
Debra Park said, “The best thing that ever happened to me is the vast network of colleagues and friends I have found” (2010, p. 5). Many EPTs indicated that teachers should take the initiative to meet other teachers by joining professional groups, attending professional meetings and conferences, seeking out mentorship (and acting as a mentor), and collaborating with colleagues. Jim Matiya wrote, “New teachers should seek out other enthusiastic teachers for help and advice on curriculum development, lesson plans, and classroom strategies” (2006, p. 75). Similarly, Kristin Habashi Whitlock described how a life-long alliance with a local psychology teacher enhanced her teaching:
“Some of the best advice I received during my early years came from my principal. He suggested that I contact a fellow psychology teacher for help. This teacher provided me with activities, support, and friendship. From this initial contact, a spirit of collaboration has shaped my professional life” (2006, p. 138).
According to these EPTs, it is crucial to develop strong networks and relationships among others in your field to gain professional knowledge, insight, and support.
Another essential element of success in the high school psychology classroom is stressing the real-world application of psychology.
Jeanne Blakeslee emphasized the importance of this concept when she said,
“as psychology teachers, we want our students to apply psychology to their lives” (2014, p. 25).
This real-work focus was also described as a way to help students develop important life and professional skills by Marjorie Cole who stated, “I want to produce critical thinkers for the workplace, but I also want to have a hand in helping to foster and nurture those concepts in psychology that can simply help to make life better for someone. Students don’t have to make an A on my tests if what they have learned in child development helps them to become better parents. If they learn enough about disorders to recognize a possible undiagnosed learning disability in a sibling and point it out to their parents, my time is well spent. Making a difference in the lives of my students is a valuable and eminently attainable goal” (2010, p. 8).
Another critical component to success was to engage in a constant effort to improve your teaching.
Two key elements in this process are reflection and being a life-long learner, and self-reflective teaching was deemed critical to the success of teachers at all points in their careers. Amy Fineburg noted,
“I constantly think about how I can improve my teaching. I ponder constantly how I can make my lessons better. One day, I hope my students will tell me that there was not one day they were bored, uninterested, or confused about what I taught them. A girl can dream” (2006, p. 21).
The value of being a life-long learner was shared by many EPTs as a way to improve teaching. Margaret Davidson, for example, stated that “individuals who wish to become outstanding educators love learning, should never be satisfied with their current level of knowledge, and continue to expand their personal life experiences” (2005, p. 78).
Having fun in the classroom was also identified as essential for good teaching.
Charlie Blair-Broeker stated,
“I have learned that effective teaching and learning are not incompatible with having fun. I want laughter in my class every day” (2005, p. 58).
Deborah Park defined fun as having a “sense of humor” (Park, 2010, p. 6), and the concept of fun was described by Laura Maitland as displaying an “enthusiasm” for teaching (2005, p. 210). This enthusiasm stemmed from a love of psychology that Jeanne Blakeslee (2014) explained was crucial if we want our students to share our passion for psychology when she said, “We need to laugh a lot. We have to inspire our students to love the discipline so much that they cannot wait for class” (2014, p. 25).
Being student-centered was also stressed by many EPTs.
One aspect of this essential quality was identified by Nancy Diehl who described a strategy to help students understand that they are valued members of the classroom when she said,
“Ask students for feedback often, and demonstrate to them how past student feedback has guided the course” (2014, p. 58).
Another aspect of a student-centered focus was creating active learning environments in which students apply what they are learning to their own lives. Alan Feldman shared, “the most important aspect of teaching for me is to connect with my students by relating to them and then actively engaging them in a journey of discovery—sometimes leading them and sometimes allowing them to discover connections of meaning on their own” (2005, p. 96). Another way to display student-centeredness is to follow the advice of Rob McEntarffer who said, “To help students discover and build on personal interests, I let them choose much of what they do in our class” (2005, p. 230).
Being flexible in the classroom was another important characteristic.
Flexibility was defined as both adapting to different situations and including a variety of different learning strategies when planning lessons. It is important to note that being flexible did not indicate a lack of planning; instead, it was a characteristic described by Amy Fineburg as “being able to be flexible about the directions my students take each class” (2006, p. 18).
Striving for balance in teaching and in life was another strategy for teaching success frequently emphasized by teachers.
For example, Marjorie Cole acknowledged that
“being there for your students is a necessity, but being good to yourself is also vital. You must draw from a deep personal and professional well if you want to provide sustenance for your students. We must all be our own best friends” (2010, p. 5).
Great teaching begins with a firm grasp of the knowledge of the subject being taught. The teachers agreed that knowing your content and being prepared to teach it is a critical aspect of excellence in teaching.
As Alan Feldman stated,
“I firmly believe that the single most essential characteristic for teachers is to be very knowledgeable in their respective subject areas. Knowing how to teach a subject derives more from knowing the material than any other single factor” (2005, p. 94).
In addition to knowing content and being prepared to teach it, these teachers also mentioned that, as a great teacher, you must know yourself.
Accomplishing this challenging task in a teaching role was described as a journey of both self-awareness and reflection. Wendy Hart described the importance of being “authentic” to one’s own personality and strengths in the classroom when she said
“the wisest guidance I can offer new teachers is to authentically and consistently engage in the process of introspection. Honestly assess your strengths and ensure that you are engaging them daily, especially in the classroom. Sincerely consider your weaknesses, both inside and outside of the classroom, and challenge yourself to improve” (2011, p. 60).
Susan Spencer reinforced this belief when she said, “I found that my teaching improved drastically when I thought about my own personality and used methods that showcased my individual skill set most effectively” (2010, p. 193).
Another prudent piece of advice many shared was to know that you do not have to be perfect.
Jeanne Blakeslee stressed that a crucial component of great teaching is “to be willing to take a risk, even if we make a mistake” (2014, p. 25). In addition to risk-taking, Kristin Habashi Whitlock stated that great teachers must have the ability and the humility to “readily admit when they don’t know the answer to a question” (2006, p. 131). Marjorie Cole reinforced the value of this type of self-effacing attitude when she said that great teachers “don’t hesitate to admit when they have made a mistake” (2010, p. 9).
A final suggestion is to always know and embrace the joys of teaching and the positive interactions that teachers can have with their students.
Many cited that one of the greatest joys of teaching can be derived from the knowledge of the important and powerful impact that teachers can have on their students. Marjorie Cole stated, “never underestimate the impact of your words and actions. You touch lives daily” (2010, p. 9). Similarly, Kristin Habashi Whitlock wrote,
“Don’t forget why you went into teaching in the first place. Enjoy the challenge of being an educator and focus on the positive impact you can have on those you teach” (2006, p. 133).
Final Thoughts and Future Directions
While this blog certainly does not contain an exhaustive list of advice that can help high school psychology teachers strive toward and achieve teaching excellence, it is a good solid start. We believe that its most compelling quality is the authenticity and sincerity of its sources of advice: psychology teachers who have been recognized for their excellence in teaching at the high school level by receiving the Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s Mary Margaret Moffett Memorial Teaching Excellence Award. We hope this blog will bring attention to the contents of STP’s series of five e-books titled The Teaching of Psychology in Autobiography: Perspectives from Exemplary Psychology Teachers and also serve as a prompt to STP to initiate the creation of the next e-book in this series that will enable the most recent six Mary Margaret Moffett Award winners—one of whom is the fourth author of this blog—to share their wisdom with their colleagues.
References
Blair-Broeker, C. T. (2005). My life in teaching: A garden of delights (and a few thistles). In T. A. Benson, C. Burke, A. Amstadter, R. Sidey, V. Hevern, B. Beins, & W. Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 1, pp. 55-59). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2005/index.php
Blakeslee, J. A. (2014). Why teach? In R. Bubb, J. Stowell, & W. Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 5, pp. 22-26). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/page-1862868
Cole, M. K. (2010). In pursuit of becoming extraneous. In J. Keeley, J. Stowell, B. Beins, & W. Buskist, (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from psychology’s exemplary teachers (Vol. 3, pp. 54-63). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2010/index.php
Davidson, M. (2005). Getting in on the ground floor: Introducing psychology in high schools. In T. A. Benson, C. Burke, A. Amstadter, R. Sidey, V. Hevern, B. Beins, & W. Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 1, pp. 74-79). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2005/index.php
Diehl, N. S. (2014). Teaching with three Cs: creativity, connections, and critical thinking (In R. Bubb, J. Stowell, & W. Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 5, pp. 53-58). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/page-1862868
Feldman, A. (2005). The teaching of psychology: Enrichment and bewitchment. In T. A. Benson, C. Burke, A. Amstadter, R. Sidey, V. Hevern, B. Beins, & W. Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 1, pp. 93-103). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2005/index.php
Fineburg, A. (2006). The fears and joys of teaching high school psychology. In J. G. Irons, B. C. Beins, C. Burke, W. Buskist, V. Hevern, & J. E. Williams (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 2, pp. 17-23). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2006/index.php
Hart, W. P. Those who can, do; those who can do more, teach. (2011). In R. Bubb, J. Stowell, & W. Buskist, W. (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 4, pp. 51-61). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://www.teachpsych.org/Resources/Documents/ebooks/tia2011.pdf
Maitland, L. L. (2005). We’ve come a long way, baby. In T. A. Benson, C. Burke, A. Amstadter, R. Sidey, V. Hevern, B. Beins, & W. Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 1, pp. 205-211). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2005/index.php
Matiya, J. (2006). You never know for whom you toil. In J. G. Irons, B. C. Beins, C. Burke, W. Buskist, V. Hevern, & J. E. Williams (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 2, pp. 71-76). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website:http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2006/index.php
McEntarffer, R. (2005). Reflections from a high school psychology classroom: Inspirations, ideas, and advice. In T. A. Benson, C. Burke, A. Amstadter, R. Sidey, V. Hevern, B. Beins, & W. Buskist (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 1, pp. 227-232). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2005/index.php
Park, D. (2010). 33 years and still getting psyched! In J. Keeley, J. Stowell, B. Beins, & W. Buskist, (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives from psychology’s exemplary teachers (Vol. 3, pp. 168-176). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2010/index.php
Spencer, S. A. (2010). Effective teaching: Putting yourself OUT there. In J. Keeley, J. Stowell, from psychology’s exemplary teachers B. Beins, & W. Buskist, (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: Perspectives (Vol. 3, pp. 188-198). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2010/index.php
Whitlock, K. H. (2006). Changing course: A teacher in transition. In J. G. Irons, B. C. Beins, C. Burke, W. Buskist, V. Hevern, & J. E. Williams (Eds.). The teaching of psychology in autobiography: perspectives from exemplary psychology teachers (Vol. 2, pp. 126-132). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/tia2006/index.php
