Enhancing Your Teaching

After decades of teaching, I've long believed that what makes a teacher great can be summed up in one sentence that speaks to the heart of the attributes, qualities, and characteristics that make them stand out. 

It's not only about WHAT great teachers do, but HOW they do it, and WHO they are as they do it.  

In a recent article by assistant professor Karen MacMillan at the University of Western Canada, she shines a light on this very concept, especially the part about HOW. It's not rocket science, and it doesn't take decades of teaching to embody these basic approaches. 

My observations and perhaps memories of your early days of teaching had you tethered behind the podium, with extensive notes in front of you for what you wanted to say, not fully trusting that you knew your stuff, and focused on getting through the material in the time allotted. 

But MacMillan offers a few great suggestions you can easily incorporate into your teaching to build a stronger connection with students. I also added a few as well. 

Step Away from the Podium

I know it's like a life jacket, and without it you feel vulnerable swimming out there among the students. But it creates a physical barrier between you and them and can signal that you want to keep your distance. Moving around the classroom and requiring students to follow you with their eyes or by turning their heads keeps them engaged. It also lets you spot the student who isn't paying attention and slowly move toward them. I can nearly guarantee that as you get closer, they become aware and return their focus to the class instead of what they were doing. You don't need to walk the classroom the entire time, but coming out periodically during class can have a significant impact. 

Make Eye Contact

This goes hand in hand with coming out from behind the podium. Making intentional eye contact with students as you teach from the podium or walk around the room can show them you see them and care about them. Research shows students are more likely to feel respected and liked by teachers who look at them while communicating and teaching. 

The point is that when you are teaching a class, don't look over their heads at a point on the back wall or only at your notes. Look at them. Pause on a pair of eyes. A common practice I use is to stop after a segment, make eye contact with one or more students, and ask, "Is this making sense?" Be mindful that some cultural norms or individual students may find sustained eye contact uncomfortable. 

Don't Be Afraid to Say, "I Don't Know."

Students strive for perfectionism. We can help them shift by showing that while we know a lot, we don't know everything, and there is nothing wrong with saying, "I don't know." No one knows everything, even if they think they do. It models for students that it's okay to say when they don't know. A good approach to this is to make eye contact with the student and say something like, "That's a really good question. I don't know the answer. Let me get back to you on that." Not knowing is what motivates us to keep learning. 

Do What You Say You Are Going to Do

This is an important one. Students believe you until they don't. When you say you are going to do something, like get back to them with an answer to their question, return an email, or return an assignment, and you don't, they start to disengage. They start to lose trust in you. Holding yourself accountable for what you say you'll do sends a strong message to students that you care and that they can trust you. You also model the importance of following through, which is so important in clinical practice. 

Don't Read from your Notes or Slides

You can certainly refer to them, but don't stand behind the podium and read to the students. Words on a slide, or on a page, or just words. We, as teachers, can bring those words to life by sharing a clinical experience or a way we used as students to remember the concept being taught. Students quickly disengage when a faculty member reads. 

Your Voice, Tone and Body Language Speak Volumes

Do you remember in PA school when you learned that if you were starting to feel heavy and depressed in a room with a patient, it was likely because they were? The same thing happens when you teach. If you walk into a room exhausted, don't really have the energy to teach, or don't like the topic, guess what? Your students will slump in their chairs, glaze over, and not engage. Likewise, if you walk into the room flustered or annoyed, it will come through in your voice, tone, and body language. How do you think the students will react? Your tone and body language are contagious, and students will mirror it back to you. 

Think about a teacher you really admired. Remember how they made you love a topic you thought you hated. What did they do that made you want to engage and learn? 

Remember that what you do, how you do it, and who you are when you do it can be contagious. Remember the depressed patient? Students will subconsciously mimic your postures, expressions, movement, and emotions. Think about that the next time you look out at the class and feel like they are not engaged.

Disclaimer: Generative AI was not used to draft or write any portion of this article. This piece was written by me and reflects my professional analysis, judgment, thoughts, and opinions. 

Reference

Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Harvard University Press. 

MacMillan, K. (2026, Oct 14). Great teaching is about more than what you say. Harvard Business Impact. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/great-teaching-is-about-more-than-what-you-say