Mind and Soul: Connecting with Students

• Author: Paul Gowens,Patricia Pattison,Janet Riola Hale
• Published date: 01 January 2011
• Date: 01 January 2011
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1722.2010.01084.x

Mind and Soul: Connecting with

Students

Patricia Pattison,

n

Janet Riola Hale,

nn

and Paul Gowens

nnn

‘‘What is as important as knowledge?’’ asked the Mind.

‘‘Caring and seeing with the heart,’’ answered the Soul.

Flavia

1

I. INTRODUCTION

Excellent professors do not teach subjects or classes; they teach students.

Although innovative exercises and teaching techniques are critical to, and

enhance, student learning, they are not substitutes for ‘‘caring and seeing

with the heart’’ as described by Flavia. Good teaching is not just a matter of

technique; students are more likely to be satisfied and successful in classes

where they perceive that professors primarily care about them as individ-

uals rather than merely focusing on the transfer of knowledge. Numerous

educators/scholars have recognized the importance of caring about stu-

dents.

2

Excellent teaching can be found ‘‘in the attitudes of the teachers, in

their faith in their students’ abilities to achieve, in their willingness to

take their students seriously . . . and from a mutual respect and agreement

r2011 The Authors

Journal of Legal Studies Education r2011 Academy of Legal Studies in Business

39

Journal of Legal Studies Education

Volume 28, Issue 1, 39–66, Winter/Spring 2011

n

Professor of Business Law, Texas State University–San Marcos.

nn

Senior Lecturer of Business Law, Texas State University–San Marcos.

nnn

Professor of Economics, Texas State University–San Marcos.

1

Frequently this quotation has been attributedto illustrator and artist Flavia Weedn, but an in-

depth search did not lead to a citation to a specific work by Weedn. See http://flaviastore.

artehouse.com. The quotation has also been frequently cited as ‘‘AuthorUnknown.’’

2

See, e.g., Denise T. Smart et al., Marketing Education in the Year 2000: Changes Observed and

Challenges Anticipated,21J.M

KTG.EDUC. 206, 212 (1999). To attain excellence, ‘‘the teacher

must remain a caring, concerned human being.’’ KEN BAIN,WHAT THE BEST COLLEGE TEACHERS

DO78 (2004); E. Holly Buttner, How Do We ‘‘Dis’’ Students?: A Model of (Dis) Respectful Business

Instructor Behavior,28J.MGMT.EDUC. 319 (2004).

between students and teachers.’’

3

One university Web site emphasizes that

caring professors are the most important element in providing a successful

education.

Buildings, libraries and apparatus are good and give added power, but the vital

contact of students with a vigorous and stimulating mind and heart–this is the

sine qua non of a successful education . .. The most important thing is to find

men and women of large heart and mind, apt to teach and full of enthusiasm

and stimulating power .. . to develop in the student the habit of independent

judgment–of investigating statements and principles for oneself, and thus for

oneself discover their truth or falsity.

4

Student interaction based on respect and caring is one of the most

important criteria for excellent teaching. This article posits that excellent

teaching can be learned best by focusing on behaviors. After reviewing the

recent literature on teaching excellence, the critical incident technique, the

value of considering student responses, and characteristics of excellent

professors, this article describes our recent studies of behaviors of profes-

sors who are perceived to care about their students as individuals.

Through these studies, we sought to illustrate how the use of identified

behaviors that students associate with caring faculty can be used to reach

the level of teaching excellence. Last, we list and analyze behaviors that can

effectively convey a caring attitude to students.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Teaching Excellence

Excellent professors are not born with teaching ability, nor does success de-

pend on particular personality traits or characteristics. Many scholarly jour-

nal articleshave attempted to identify and define teaching excellence.

5

Many

of these articles include examples of characteristics or personality traits as-

3

BAIN,supra note 2, at 78.

4

John F. Forbes, the first president of Stetson University, quoted at Tradition, Heritage, and

Character, http://www.stetson.edu/other/about/traditions.php (last visited July 23, 2010).

5

See William T. Faranda & Irvine Clarke III, Student Observations of Outstanding Teaching: Im-

plications for Marketing Educators,26J.M

KTG.EDUC. 271 (2004); Kathleen E. McKone, Analysis

of Student Feedback Improves Instructor Effectiveness,23J.MGMT.EDUC. 396 (1999); Robert C.

Wilson, Improving Faculty Teaching: Effective Use of Student Evaluations and Consultants,57 J.

HIGHER EDUC. 196 (1986).

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