Hi. I have copied and edited your letter. All revisions are underlined, with some paragraphs having text in capitals suggesting or commenting. All changes/alterations are subject to your approval as you are the author. Some grammar rules: no contractions, though you want to sound amiable and personal by using them, it's better to present yourself a bit formal, sounding educated, and concern in the way you write. No spaces before and after a dash. Some words were replaced for better definition in text, and or emphasis. Good Luck.
Dear President [Name],
As a student, I want you to know my fellow students and I are receiving the best education possible. We have some of the best professors of any other college. With the relevance of being an education major at one time, I had numerous devoted, conscientious professors.
Now, as a biology major, I see a lack of vigor and enthusiasm for teaching in many of my professors. It is possible that, because many professors have researching obligations or other commitments that draw their attention, it is difficult for them to focus entirely on teaching. Any extra time and motivation are dedicated to these other endeavors. Thus, there is less of a chance for them to take advantage of the opportunity or seize the time to explore new teaching strategies and contemplate possible improvements to their lectures. (I ALTERED THE LANGUAGE HERE, NOT IN FAVOR OF THE PROFESSORS, BUT TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE VERY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THEIR OTHER OBLIGATIONS, WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS YOU DO GET YOUR MAIN IDEA ACROSS, IN WHICH YOU DO HERE, WITHOUT COMING OFF RATHER JUDGMENTAL OR PRESUMPTUOUS.)
In investigating the qualifications required of professor candidates, I came across a short job posting for Assistant or Associate Professor for the College of Science Physics Department on [university]'s website. It read: “Position Minimum Qualifications: A PhD in Physics or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution by the time of hire, and a substantial record of independent, well regarded research.” The qualifications are incredibly high for potential candidates, but there was almost no mention of teaching abilities besides also asking for “a summary of research and teaching portfolio.” For a university, it seems there is distressingly little emphasis on teaching ability or experience.
Perhaps because of this, we have some professors who lack knowledge of–or perhaps simply do not use–some basic teaching strategies. This makes it very difficult for students to succeed in classes without outside help. I am encouraged to see resources being put into student success: SARC, SI leaders, teaching assistants, etc. Also, I think some simple things can be done to improve professor’s lectures. (ARE YOU POSITIVE THE THAT READER WILL KNOW WHAT “SARC” AND “SI” MEAN? IF NOT, SPELL THEM OUT.) A possible solution may be observing professors-to-be-hired as they teach their subject. This may rule out those candidates who are noticeably uncomfortable teaching in front of a whole room of people and those who don’t have a full-enough grasp on the English language to teach difficult concepts in an understandable way–unfortunately both of which I’ve seen in professors as a student at [university]. (KEEP IN MIND, MANY FOREIGN WORKERS, INCLUDING COLLEGE TEACHERS, WILL BE HIRED BECAUSE THEY WILL ACCEPT A LOWER WAGE IN ADDITION TO OTHER REASONS)
The next step could be developing a Teaching Strategies and Student Success course for both new and seasoned professors. This could be a short, single day course involving a teaching strategy professional who explains to professors about certain teaching techniques that are essential and beneficial to student learning. This will give all professors, including those who have little time to explore teaching methods (because of their research obligations), the tools to improve their lectures..
Here are some basic strategies that could be included in this course that I see many professors currently not utilizing in their lectures:
• Add color and pictures in PowerPoint presentations to help students focus and keep their attention. • Follow your PowerPoints. PowerPoint presentations are useless if you do not follow them closely. There should be something visual for everything being said; do not move on without moving through your presentation as well. A lack of visuals leads to dreary lectures and a lack of student focus and understanding. • Student involvement: Begin the lecture with questions that help you to understand what students are thinking. Additionally, ask students to rephrase concepts immediately after being taught them. This helps students who did not understand the concept the first time, gives the teacher feedback on how the idea came across to students, and helps solidify the concept in students’ minds. • Humor helps keep lectures light and brings focus back to the lecture. • Words of encouragement (but not empty words)–Do not say “Good job students; I’m proud of you” when the only thing the students have done is sat and listened. Use positive words about students’ potential: “You can all do this. This is a difficult course, but with some effort, asking questions, and using good study techniques, this is doable. I’m always open to questions if you do not understand.” • When answering a student’s question, rephrase the question so all students can hear what was asked, helping them to understand the answer. • Utilize teaching assistants as they often have a better understanding of what the students are going through and can better relate to students. • Do not test on irrelevant material, even as a way to “make sure students read the book beforehand.” It is ineffective for actually determining student reading comprehension, it only incentivizes students to study unimportant information, and it leaves less time to study the important points. • Explain why the concept is important to the overall subject. Students often become frustrated with being required to learn seemingly unrelated information. It truly helps students to know why the information is being taught to better understand and remember it. • Show videos. There are myriad videos free online that show 3D representations of ideas that take much longer to explain or draw in 2D. Utilizing videos mixes things up–to help with focus and comprehension–and explains concepts in ways that are nearly impossible to explain by merely talking or drawing.
Since I am just a student, my understanding of hiring and training procedures for professors is severely limited. Perhaps all of these strategies have already been implemented. In this case, I challenge you, as president, to find a solution to this problem that is detrimental not only to your students but to this outstanding institution of learning.
I would love to discuss additional ideas and learn more about how education is always being improved at [university].
Kaitlin Cruit Biology major and passionate student
Reference: [University]–Employment Opportunities–Assistant or Associate Professor–COS Physics Department – [URL link]