Effective teaching goes beyond such ubiquitously emphasised attributes as mastery of subject, enthusiasm in preparing and presenting the material, effective voice control, friendly mannerisms, organised lecturing and appropriate audience management. Careful examination reveals that these attributes rest upon more fundamental principles classified under the following five categories:

• Absolute commitment
  
  
• Being a good example
  
  
• Character ethic
  
  
• Dynamics of student-teacher interactions
  
  
• Effective communication

Just like watering the root of a tree automatically nourishes its branches and leaves, similarly, addressing the foundational principles will ‘nourish’ the features and skills of effective teaching. This article will hopefully provide some food for thought, help teachers identify the ‘root’ of effective teaching and ‘water’ it.

A—Absolute Commitment

The modern university environment places numerous demands on teachers. In such a scenario, often combined with strong negative learning attitudes of students, effective teaching requires a teacher’s absolute commitment to the task.

A committed teacher’s responsibilities go beyond ensuring good classroom performance of the students. Apart from sustaining the students’ interest in the module (course), a teacher must impart an interest in the overall process of learning and help students acquire the ability to analyse new situations with the help of classroom principles. Students must also learn to appreciate the proper and improper uses of the knowledge transmitted in a module. Besides curriculum learning, students’ attitudes and character must receive attention as well. For instance, issues relevant to eco-friendliness can be addressed as part of the course.

In addition, a committed teacher considers the welfare of his students and (consequently) of humanity a priority. He (she) is not allured by high positions, fame, money and so forth. He is focussed on the long-term effectiveness of his contribution. A teacher’s true representative student is a testimony of the teacher’s contribution, investment, satisfaction, and in fact, the teacher’s very life. Such an achievement certainly requires the teacher to invest more than just 30–40% of his time. Although few current universities truly recognise this, a committed teacher perseveres to achieve his exalted goals.

B—Being a Good Example

Teaching (learning) does not take place merely when deliberate instructions are being given or when specific topics are discussed. Subtly, the teacher’s behaviour and internal attitude can get transplanted into the students’ hearts. Therefore, the teacher must be an enthusiastic and avowed learner, especially when it comes to new material.

There are two possible learning responses to the example set by the teacher:

• Imitation
  
  For example, if the teacher is clumsy, lazy, apathetic or tardy, the students will copy such negative attitudes. However, a punctual, well-organised and enthusiastic teacher inspires these positive qualities in his students.
  
  
• Inference
  
  If a teacher is intolerant of mistakes, students will soon infer that mistakes are not welcome. This can cause students to freeze from attempting novel ideas, thus seriously hampering learning.

Effective teaching occurs when teachers demonstrate and model components of exemplary teaching such as thinking and analysis, beliefs, curiosity and learning. An expert teacher is always aware that students are constant observers of his own attitudes, principles and beliefs and strives to set a good example.

C—Character Ethic

While the personality ethic focuses on external values, behaviour, skills and techniques with short-term, quick rich goals, the character ethic focuses on motives and principles, as well as long-term sustainable goals.

An effective teacher must reject the temptations offered by the personality ethic in favour of the actual gains that will accrue in time with the character ethic. Working with students requires the teacher’s deep commitment that is only possible in consonance with the character ethic. Patchwork solutions produced by the personality ethic are like painkillers for an acute disease; the problems might be temporarily hidden, only to return later with a vengeance.

A teacher must personally manifest such principles of the character ethic as humility in erudition and success, tolerance towards others’ mistakes, courage in pursuit and dissemination of truth as well as simplicity and contentment in one’s work. He is happy at others’ success, clean in thoughts, speech and behaviour, and deeply committed to actual knowledge

D—Dynamics of Student-teacher interactions

Effective teaching depends heavily on respecting the students as persons and not merely as numbers. Knowing the names of students, their personal strengths and weaknesses, and in special cases, something about the student’s family, can be extremely helpful in building a platform for meaningful interactions. By looking at each student during a lecture and spreading out questions and answers among several students, teachers can create a conducive setting for interpersonal exchanges. Talking too much into the blackboard and ignoring students create an overall impersonal effect.

Students will need specific encouragement and corrections to remain interested in the subject. In general, however, best results come from maintaining a positive atmosphere, avoiding sarcasm, and offering timely encouragement and suitably measured corrections. Acknowledge good work or behaviours with comments that are precise: “Your work is original”, “I was delighted to read your paper”, and “Your paper was second best in class”. Avoid generic eulogies: “You are great!”, “Well done!”.

Creating good student-student dynamics is also very helpful in enhancing student-teacher interactions. Group work and exercises in experiential learning may be used effectively in this regard. Measured informal exchanges outside classroom are also helpful.

Teachers may be classified as assertive, non-assertive and hostile. Assertive teachers are dutiful, hardworking, whose enthusiasm does not waver with student performance/interest. Such teachers specify consequences and reward precisely and appropriately. Non-assertive teachers also work hard, but their determination depends heavily on student performance and they do not clearly spell out consequences and rewards. Hostile teachers get angry, give unrealistic consequences and seldom reward positively. They force the students without inspiring them and seldom set a proper example themselves. It is not uncommon to find all three teacher-types in one teacher.

An effective teacher who strives to stay on the assertive platform needs to invest an enormous amount of time, resources and energy. It is on the assertive platform that meaningful and sustainable student-teacher relationships are built. In turn, such relationships form the basis of a lifetime of reciprocal learning.

E—Effective Communication

Effective communication of knowledge can only take place based on genuine love, care and concern. Learning is not merely a development of skill sets; it involves moulding of thoughts, analysis, attitudes, inculcating a zeal for learning, and long-term character development. Communicating information (e.g. in most distance-learning programmes) is relatively simple, and could be achieved without much personal touch. Classroom teaching goes beyond the transmitting of information from the teacher to the student.

On the basis of love and trust, most students feel automatically inspired to become effective learners. A loving teacher can extract much more input and output from the students than a strict disciplinarian. On that platform, students can be challenged with thoughtful exercises, given innovative assignments and induced to work honestly in teams.

Love and concern must be combined with professionalism in communication or the students will take the teacher for granted. The start and end of lessons must be planned and suitable practical examples must be discussed. Topics should proceed from concrete to abstract, must be properly interlinked, and should keep the student challenged. When combined with the ingredient of loving concern for student welfare, the whole experience is very sweet and dynamic.

Summary

Some foundational principles of effective teaching are discussed. Mere development of recipe book-type teaching skills is like beating the chaff after rice grains have been removed; it is neither likely to sustain students’ interest, nor enjoyable for the teacher. A teacher who masters the foundational principles will have a challenging and adventurous career. Universities wanting teaching excellence should realise that working on such a grassroots level demands significant investment of time and resources from its faculty members. However, it will yield excellent long-term ‘products’—dedicated students with a drive for education.