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25 November 2005 Great teachers and great teaching: Frederick D. Drake
At university Frederick D. Drake was my history education professor. I consider him one of the greatest teachers I've ever known. First of all, I don't remember anyone ever calling him an asshole, and I don't believe anyone ever could (this is not a superficial point). Though he appeared stern to those students he met for the first time, and especially if they made a poor first impression, he was one of the most gracious and generous men imaginable. Second, he was a brilliant man -- in his content area and teaching method. Yet, this did not make him a great teacher. It is the fact that he didn't spend class time showing off how clever he is that I found most admirable. Drake used class time making us feel clever: we did most of the talking, and he was our guide (or, to use his preferred terminology, steward). Regardless of the direction our discussions went, he always found a way to seamlessly bring us back to where he wanted us. I suspect not all students understood the extent of Drake's brilliance as a teacher and, perhaps, even as a thinker. I remember a fellow graduate student who commented to me that it seemed she understood his teaching methods better than he did. I empathized with her, for it sometimes really did seem that way. Yet, my response was that many professors who introduce new theories or methods almost always have to rely on students and other teachers to bounce off and develop their ideas. Upon later reflection, I also considered, and ultimately came to believe, that what we had to say to Drake was nothing he didn't already know. Rather than simply be a professor, in the sense of "one who merely professes", Drake understood that students understand better through self-, albeit guided, discovery. By figuring out his ideas ourselves, or as a group, we were more likely to understand and embrace what he considered important. As a relatively inexperienced, and arguably insecure, teacher, I still spend a little too much class time trying to show how clever I think I am. If I could only model myself according to Drake's example, I think I would find teaching to be a more satisfactory experience for my students and myself.
Copyright
© 2002-2012 by Charles Ian Chun
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