Every spring since 1991, the University of Missouri has honored outstanding faculty with William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence. The 2015 Kemper winners were:
• Nicole Monnier, an associate teaching professor of Russian
• Elisa Glick, an associate professor of English and women’s and gender studies
• Berkley Hudson, an associate professor in the School of Journalism
• Trista A. Strauch, assistant teaching professor in CAFNR’s Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, School of Natural Resources
• Rachel Harper, director of the MU Writing Center and coordinator of the honors humanities sequence in the Honors College
In a quarter of a century, Mizzou’s Kemper-winning faculty have amassed considerable collective wisdom about education. Below are some teaching tips from past Kemper winners.
“Never fall in love with your syllabus! Adaptability and willingness to make changes as you go demonstrate that your course content is dynamic. I believe that this dynamic enhances student buy-in.“
— Leigh Neier, College of Education, 2014
“Students won’t care what you know unless they are convinced that you care about them.“
— John F. Bennett, Trulaske College of Business, 2014
“Don’t be afraid to give up some control. If you let the students have more power/control, they will learn more effectively.“
— Angela Speck, Department of Physics & Astronomy, 2013
“Never pander to the students. Don’t worry about what they will fill out in course evaluations at the end of the semester. You spent a long time getting a Ph.D in a specific area of study. Share your enthusiasm for that information with them. It will make much more of an impact on them than trying to buy them off with unnaturally high grades.“
— Bill Horner, Department of Political Science, 2013
“While teaching can mean long hours of preparation and grading, some of the most important contributions that teachers make have to do with spontaneity — departing from lesson plans to address student needs in a given moment. Being prepared is important, but so is close attention in the classroom and rigorous, supportive, energetic exchanges of ideas in the classroom.“
— Joanna Hearne, Department of English, 2012
“You are teacher of science, but, more importantly, you are a teacher of students. Lots of teachers can get through the material; not everyone can get through to students.“
— Deborah Hanuscin, College of Education, 2011
Read more words of wisdom from Kemper Fellows going back to 1991 at Mizzou News.