Tips and Thoughts on Improving Teaching

According to one of my college courses some 40 years ago, there is a Zen philosophy that proclaims, “The journey is everything.” This reflects my view of a teaching career: a marvelous journey, a kind of crusade against laziness and ignorance. I continue to be a pilgrim in precisely the same way as any of my readers; I am always seeking new and better ways to stimulate the thinking of my students.

This book is a consideration of that crusade. Each page is constructed entirely  More ...

Before officially starting, here is one of my favorite exercises. It is designed to stimulate reflection--not a bad activity for a teacher. Simply consider four questions:

(1) – Think back on your entire educational experience, from kindergarten through graduate school. Who was your best teacher? Select that one person who should be placed at the absolute pinnacle. In my experience, almost everyone arrives at a single name rather quickly without much guidance.   More ...

My name is Joe Hoyle. I am on the faculty of the University of Richmond. I led my first college class (scared to death) in graduate school in the fall of 1971 and became a faculty member in the fall of 1972. Over the decades, I have taught at Gardner-Webb College, The College of William & Mary, and--since 1979--the University of Richmond.

At various times in my career, I have been lucky enough to receive teaching awards. The most cherished are those that came from the More ...