© Copyright 2000 by Anne Marchant. The right to make additional exact copies, including this notice, for personal and classroom use, is hereby granted. All other forms of distribution and copying require permission of the author.

Introduction

Who was the best teacher you ever had? Chances are, this was someone whose abilities and intellect you respected, but there were probably other qualities that made this person stand out. Did she make you work hard? Did he make you laugh? Did you leave the last exam in that class with a warm glow of accomplishment, feeling like an athlete who has just had a good workout?

So how does a teacher accomplish this? How do we make the quantum leap from handing out a syllabus with a complex set of rules and dire threats against would-be cheaters, to engaging the student in a partnership of learning? In this essay we will discuss obstacles to learning, teaching strategies and the role of technology in the classroom. We will also explore the philosophy of finding a humane compromise between maintaining absolute standards and helping each individual student develop intellectually.

Obstacles