Students and alumni reported what CSUF instructors did that facilitated their learning.  

 

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• My advisor, Dr. Guzley, discussed with us the findings of her dissertation.  I remember most what she said regarding organizational commitment, "The more effort, ideas, time, etc., employees put into their jobs, the more likely that they will be committed.  The more employees have 'buy in' through contributing ideas to the workplace, the more satisfied they will be with their positions."

                         Erin McDaniel

                         BA  Class of '94

 

 

• Without slighting the other fabulous professors I've had at CSUF, I'd like to share what Dr. Rich Wiseman taught me outside of the course context.  Rich has an incredible ability to reach out to students, to make them feel non-intimidated, and insure that he is very approachable.  His enthusiasm is contagious, students feel this and respond.  He taught me to quickly learn names of students and call them by their names.  I now do two things in my own classroom.  I take a picture of each student at the beginning of the semester and attach it to an information sheet.  Secondly (something I learned at Claremont), I make  nameplates for them to put on their desks each class meeting.  This accomplishes two things: it allows students to learn other students' name (me, too) and it facilitates taking roll.  As does Rich, I try to encourage questions and respond positively to their questions and/or responses.

                         Irene Matz, MA 

                         Class of 1984

                          [PhD Candidate, Claremont]

 

 

 

 

• I had quite a few teachers that learned everyone's name.  To me this was good because it helped students feel more comfortable around the professor and made the professor a lot more approachable for guidance or discussion in class. Another thing I found helpful was when professors know and enjoy the material they are teaching.  Conversely, I had one professor that read her whole lecture from the book, something we could easily have done ourselves at home.  That just made her class boring, and I felt I did not learn anything from her.  Overall, I think that good eye contact and lots of expression and character improve teaching and generate a better learning environment.

                        Lara Miller, BA 

                        Class of 2000

 

 

 

• All of our CSUF speech communication instructors allowed students to express their opinions openly, they never condemned us for thinking a certain way, and never taught concrete "right or wrong" concepts.  I had no desire to learn a discipline where "two plus two could not equal five," and in SPCH "two plus two could equal five"--but only if the student could provide sufficient reasoning and supporting data.  With the exception of Philosophy, I can't think of any other departments that would find such statements acceptable.  I had soooo much fun with the theories!!!  Those were the days when it was acceptable to think!!!

                         Shara Robles, BA

                         Class of 1999

 

 

 

 

• Dr. Rich Wiseman had a tremendous impact as a teacher for two reasons:  First, Rich was passionate about his subject matter.  If a student started the semester not caring about intercultural communication, it wasn't possible to think that way for long.  He was so excited about the topic, he convinced us it was worth paying attention to.  And it was!!!  Secondly, he cared about his students, and knew how to show it.  If anyone needs a case study on teacher immediacy, watch Rich.  I remember hearing another student say she wanted to do well in Rich's class because he wanted her to do well and she didn't want to let him down.  Rich listens to students, uses eye contact and is extremely responsive.  CSUF is lucky to have him!

                         John Seiter, MA

                         Class of 1989

                         [PhD, U. of Utah]

 

 

 

• This is actually a good time for me to remember teaching tips because after three years only the strong ones come to mind.  The best ones were from Stella Ting-Toomey and her intercultural awareness class.  She lectured and we read the book and studied handouts; but, most important, she used group-based learning exercises.  The exercises reinforced her lectures; because they were interactive, the whole class became involved--even the shy students.  Since the groups were five to ten people there was enough varied responses so they weren't one-dimensional (i.e., only a Caucasian perspective).  She really drove her points home.  Her class was fun, our groups developed cohesiveness, and I still remember them.

                             Heidi Willuhn, BA

                             Class of 1997

 

 

• One thing I learned from Wayne Brockreide (although he was quite shy about it), was that it is important for professors who conduct research to share some of their own research with students.  When Wayne did this, it was the first time I met a scholar "up close"--a person whose work I could read and hear him talk about.  Undergraduates especially see research and researchers so far removed.  It was wonderful to have a scholar share his work and his life passion, tell us about the background of the ideas and projects, help us critique it, etc.   In fact, it is a wonderful way to model receiving criticism gracefully.

                        Dawn Braithwaite, BA

                        Class of 1978

                        [Ph.D. U. of Minnesota]

 

 

 

• One assignment entailed an outside in-service which allowed me to apply my classroom learning to a "real world' situation.  I would like to see more professors take the lead in this area and assign outside work assignments as part of their curriculum.  Another professor regularly bought in additional articles for use to read.  Taking the time to make copies for all of us meant much to me.  It said, "This article is important and I would like to share it with you because you are important."

         We are all aware that the professor knows more than we do, yet

        promoting that attitude on a continual basis undermines our self-concepts and

         deteriorates our self esteem.  So, professors should build up students'        

         self-concepts and self esteem by challenging them to excel; praise them when

         they do, and do not belittle them if they fail.

 

        Further, I appreciated it when my professors took time to learn our names,

         smiled and said "hello" in the hallways and made themselves accessible during

         office hours and on email.

 

                         Tanya Berkhoff, BA

                         Class of 2000

                         Current MA student

 

 

 

 

 

 

• One of the best learning experiences I had at CSUF was during my first semester.  The professor used weekly quizzes (we met weekly) to help us stay on track with our reading and comprehension.  The quizzes were three to five questions on the most important concepts--each was worth five points.  She then used these concepts as part of her lecture and later on chapter tests.  I liked this approach because it helped me stay up with my reading and highlighted what she thought was important.  Keeping track of the questions and answers also helped me study for the exams.  Being my first semester, this helped me establish good study skills.

                         Becky Welty, BA

                         Current MA student

 

 

 

• I appreciated working on real world case studies, both individually and in small groups.  We would research and present our findings.  I also appreciated organized and consistent methods of testing and evaluation.  I liked it when students could create their own rubrics and assignments.

                        Vikki Westerskov, BA

                        Class of 1987

 

 

 

 

• I remember one professor's openness and availability.  Regarding class environment, he always provided a comfortable and safe setting for students.  He taught with ease and encouraged participation from everyone.  He always made himself available to the students, provided valuable time and, most importantly, was approachable.  It may sound very simple and something anyone would expect from a teaching professional; unfortunately, sometimes it is not always found.  I am sure that some of his great teaching qualities have been influential in his students' teaching careers.

                        Mahin Yassini, BA

                        Class of 1993

 

 

 

• One of the most helpful teaching practices an instructor can use is stimulating students' intrinsic motivation to learn.  Once the students' interests, motivations and desires are tapped, there is no need for incentives.  Of course, extra credit and praise are always welcomed.  It is beneficial when an instructor explains concepts in basic terms and still maintains their essence.  I liked going to class when the instructor made an effort to help students understand the scope and breadth of concepts made complicated by the jargon in the book.  Also, being explicit and explaining criteria for assignments can help relieve students' fears and anxieties.

                         Dennister Martinez, BA

                         Class of 2000

 

 

  

• While a graduate student, I was also a teaching assistant in my department.  Before my first teaching assignment, I spent a semester observing one professor's class.  It is a good idea for a first-timer to shadow a seasoned pro.  Another professor helpfully provided a really-big syllabus complete with all the learning/reading objectives spelled out for each week.  Another, instead of a long review for the midterm and final, just handed out a list of ten essay questions and promised that one of them would appear on the exam.  I don't know if these are teaching tips, per se, but if I can still remember them after all these years, they must have counted for something.

                        Nancy (Tanita) Ratledge, MA

                        Class of 1980

                        [PhD, USC]

 

 

 

• One of the nicest things a professor can do, as far as I am concerned, it to post the syllabus on a web page.  It allows students to shop early for the required reading materials as well as get a jump on the work.

                         Marie Hill, BA

                         Class of 2001

 

 

 

 

• Well, I liked classes that used group exercises to get points across.  Also, in one class (I can't remember the name of it) we were asked to intern at a business or agency and do a presentation of our experiences.  I did a slide show with narration and music; it was fun and provided a great learning experience, and it added to my portfolio that I used to "market" myself after graduation.

                         Lydia Ledesma-Reese, MA

                         Class of 1980

                         [EdD, Pepperdine, 1987]

 

 

 

• I LEARNED HOW TO TEACH IN THE 9TH GRADE  (Because this article is a bit long, it has been assigned its own page.  Please click on Mallard.)