By Gerry Hess from Gonzaga University School of Law
Kent Syverud, Taking Students Seriously: A Guide for New Law Teachers, 43 Journal of Legal Education 247 (1993) [Read fulltext (762 KB)] (Reprint courtesy HeinOnline.org)
As a new school year begins and we meet a new group of students, we can benefit from grounding ourselves in fundamental principles of teaching and learning. Kent Syverud offers timeless advice for new and experienced teachers on the importance of establishing positive relationships with students. “First: Your students will know whether you like and respect them, and if they know that you do not, you will fail as a teacher.” “Second: if your students know that you like and respect them, they will forgive a great deal in the classroom.” Dean Syverud then sets out a boatload of practical ideas to help us establish an effective teaching/learning environment in our classrooms.