Why Students Make the Best Teachers: A Statement of Teaching Philosophy
by Mary Katherine Sheats



“I am Malala.” This statement, which you have likely heard before, refers to the story of a young girl named Malala Yousafzai who, on October 9, 2012, at the age of 15, was shot by Taliban gunmen in Mingora, Pakistan. The attempt on Malala’s life occurred in retaliation for her outspoken support for a woman’s right to education; a right that is adamantly denied in some parts of the world today. I believe Malala is an amazing and brave woman and her story should remind everyone that while education should be available to all, it isn’t; and those of us involved in education, whether as students or as teachers, should do our job with the kind of appreciation and motivation that would make Malala proud.
Although I am a teaching,  I have never stopped thinking of myself as a student as well. It is this perspective that informs my philosophy of teaching, which is that “students make the best teachers”. There are at least three ways that I find this philosophy to be true.... 

1. When the student becomes the teacher.
“See one, do one, teach one.”  This mantra is commonly employed in skills training labs for veterinary students. As an equine internal medicine specialist who teaches Advanced Medical Diagnostics, I myself have said this very phrase to countless students learning skills such as: abdominocentesis, i.v. catheter placement, nerve blocks and transtracheal wash. But what does it mean? “See one…..” At this point the instructor, who is providing a demonstration of the skill, is the focus of the lesson. At this stage, which I actually try to keep rather brief, I offer helpful tips and tricks as well as safety cautions while showing students what execution of the skill looks like. At this point, very little student learning has taken place – I am simply setting the stage. “….do one,….” This is where the active learning begins. Students in the lab are given the opportunity for actual hands on, supervised experience performing the skills that were just demonstrated to them. This tactile training recruits new neuronal connections to the information attained during the demonstration phase of the lab and helps to solidify the skill in the student’s repertoire. Finally, the students themselves “…teach one.” Part of the lab design is that the students complete the work in groups with an individual animal. Once one student has successfully completed a skill, I ask that student to assist the next student. During these interactions students go through the process of learning from and instructing their peers.  This part of the lesson serves to build confidence in the student offering the guidance, while the student receiving the guidance often relaxes and does a better job on the skill in this non-threatening peer-derived learning method. While I as the instructor am never absent from these interactions, I repeatedly observe that as I step back from being the focus the students are more willing to take the lead. Since the ultimate goal of their training and education is for them to become autonomous and self-directed veterinarians, I feel that this type of learning is a step in the right direction. In this example of my philosophy in practice, I am literally referring to the student taking the role as teacher to facilitate learning for themselves and their peers.
2. When student feedback improves the teacher.
In addition to teaching skills labs, I have also had the pleasure of teaching in a more didactic setting. One of my first classes was VMC 991-008, a course called Approach to Work Up of Colic. In this 2.5 hour lecture I was tasked with teaching first through third year veterinary students all about the gastrointestinal disease that horses experience known as “colic”. While some of the material was covered in a lecture format, I also used real case examples which the students worked through in an interactive format. Overall, the class seemed to be a positive experience for me and the students and the evaluations they completed reflected that conclusion. Among the various questions I ask students on my evaluations, one very important question is, “What suggestions do you have for improving this course/class?” Among the 18 students that answered this question for VMC 991-008 in 2012, six of them said some version of the following, “I would like to know what a colicking horse looks like.” At first I was astounded that so many of my students lacked this practical knowledge, but then I was just embarrassed that that reality hadn’t even occurred to me. Most of these students didn’t have a background in horses and hadn’t spent any time yet on clinics. They had had other courses on equine medicine, but like my class, the format of these didactic lectures is often focused on facts and photo illustrations. Thinking back to my own veterinary education, I realized no one ever showed me a video of a colicking horse; I was just one of the lucky ones who had previous personal experience to draw on. Thankfully, I have had the opportunity to teach this class again and the presentation is now full of YouTube videos of actual colicking horses! I know that adding this video component to the class has added, and will continue to add, significantly to student learning; and I am grateful to my previous students for making me a better teacher.

3. When teachers remain students.
As the previous example illustrates, teachers have plenty to learn from their students, but teachers also have access to other types of education. As a post-doctoral fellow at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, I have improved my teaching skills and knowledge by participating in Fundamentals in Teaching workshops, offered through the Graduate School’s Preparing Future Leaders intiative. Workshops I have completed include learning styles, active learning and classroom assessment techniques. From these workshops I have: gained a better appreciation for the diversity that exists in student learning, learned new ways to garner student participation (even when everyone is stuck in their seats), and expanded my methods of formative assessment. As a Research Assistant Professor of Equine Medicine, I look forward to future teaching opportunities and putting my new teaching knowledge and skills into practice in labs and in the classroom; but I know that there is still plenty to learn. As a new faculty member I would plan to take full advantage of the mentoring opportunities offered by established faculty members, as well as the formal training offered through faculty development. In this final example of my philosophy in practice, I demonstrate my belief that the best teachers are those that remain lifelong students.