1. THE SKILLFUL TEACHER Stephen Brookfield
Distinguished University Professor
University of St. Thomas
Minneapolis-St. Paul

2. ASSUMPTIONS OF SKILLFUL TEACHING
Good teaching = whatever helps students learn
Best teaching is critically reflective
Most important teaching knowledge we need: how students experience learning

3. CRITICAL INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE (CIQ)
Moment Most Engaged as a Learner
Moment Most Distanced as a Learner
Action Most Affirming/Helpful
Action Most Puzzling/Confusing
What Surprised You Most

4. HOW TO USE THE CIQ Last 5 minutes of last class Anonymous
Reviewed at beginning of next week’s class
Illustrates diversity in class
Allows you to emphasize why class is organized as it is
Negotiation is NOT capitulation

5. BENEFITS OF CIQ Helps you take informed actions
Builds a case for using multiple methods and techniques with students
Allows you to catch problems, confusions & misunderstandings early
Builds trust
Models Critical Thinking

6. WHAT STUDENTS VALUE IN TEACHERS
CREDIBILITY
Expertise (you really know your stuff)
Experience (as a real life worker & as a teacher)
Rationale (you have a thought through plan of action)
Conviction (that the learning is important)

7. AUTHENTICITY Congruence (between your words & actions)
Full Disclosure (of your expectations & criteria)
Responsiveness (to students’ learning difficulties)
Personhood (appropriate autobiographical examples)

8. IMPOSTORSHIP CULTURAL SUICIDE LOST INNOCENCE ROADRUNNING
EMOTIONAL RHYTHMS
IMPOSTORSHIP
CULTURAL SUICIDE
LOST INNOCENCE
ROADRUNNING

9. WHY LECTURE? Provide overview/outline of a broad body of material
To explain and illustrate with examples difficult ideas & concepts
To introduce alternative perspectives & interpretations
To model intellectual attitudes and behaviors
To encourage learners’ interest in a topic

10. USE A VARIETY OF APPROACHES
Chunked in 15 minute segments
Structured Silent writing (3 minutes) - most important/confusing point, question / illustration of concept. Shuffle these & ask students to read them or read them yourself.
Buzz groups
Lecture from ‘Siberia’
Assign Roles to Students each week - summarizer, devil’s advocate
Team lecturing with peer critique

11. VARIETY OF APPROACHES Video clips
Spot the deliberate teacher error (when you contradict yourself, say something clearly inaccurate etc.)
Example inventories - students provide examples to show they’ve understood concepts you’ve covered (on 3x5, newsprint, blackboard on online)

12. ORGANIZED AS HELPFUL INFORMATIONAL MAPS
Scaffolding Notes - Main headings & sub-headings with space for examples
Clear verbal signals - global (now a whole new area is being introduced), key point (a main idea is being explored), example, meta-review
Frequent summaries
Where are we now?

13. MODEL LEARNING BEHAVIORS
Begin with questions the lecture will try to answer
End with questions the lecture has raised
Structured Devil’s Advocacy
Assumption Hunting
Team teaching - peer critique

14. LESSON PLANNING
Multiple Modalities (aim for 3 per lesson) - e.g. lecturing, demonstration, small group application, silent writing, visual illustration, newsprint dialog
Lesson Structure depends on learning you wish to achieve
CIQ will tell you what is working & for how many

15. LESSON PLANNING contd. Frequent recaps Frequent explanations
Regular example exercises - students write (on 3x5, on newsprint, or on board) examples to illustrate a skill or idea you’re teaching
Tie each learning activity to homework

16. FINAL THOUGHTS Beware the ‘Perfect Ten’ syndrome
Teaching is “Informed Muddling Through”
Don’t be who you aren’t
Resistance / Hostility are normal & not caused by you
Never underestimate your power

17. RESOURCES www.stephenbrookfield.com THE SKILLFUL TEACHER
DISCUSSION AS A WAY OF TEACHING
BECOMING A CRITICALLY REFLECTIVE TEACHER
All available from Jossey-Bass Publishers (San Francisco)