“We sought people who can make a silk purse out of what others might regard as sow’s ears, who constantly help their students do far better than anyone expects.”

In What the Best College Teachers Do, Ken Bain’s faculty subjects were effective because they did not adhere to the notion that students are destined to fail or succeed. Instead, they believed all students are capable of deep learning. This positive outlook guided their teaching and fostered student success.

“They know how to simplify and clarify complex subjects, to cut to the heart of the matter with provocative insights, and they can think about their own thinking in the discipline, analyzing its nature and evaluating its quality. That capacity to think metacognitively drives much of what we observed in the best teaching.”

Bain’s subjects inspired deep learning in their students through their own ability to reflect on significant research questions. In sharing their thinking, they proved challenges are normal and thus part of the learning process.

“While others might be satisfied if students perform well on the examinations, the best teachers assume that learning has little meaning unless it produces a sustained and substantial influence on the way people think, act, and feel.”

Bain’s subjects did not focus on exam results, even when their students performed well. Instead, they focus on inspiring deep learning that will persist after students leave the classroom.