Student Guide Corner

I appreciate that many professors do not feel comfortable pushing their students beyond the subject matter of a college course.  I have no problem with that decision.   I have simply made a different choice.  I want to be more involved in the growth of my students.  That is why I got into this profession.  If I read a book, see a movie, or watch a television show that I think is worthwhile, I often email my students with a quick review, �I found this interesting for the following reasons.   You might want to check it out.  No points.  No requirement.  Just a suggestion.�  I am especially likely to send that type message if the thing that caught my eye is outside the sphere of my subject matter.  As a friend of mine recently said to me, �I want my students to be successful in living their lives, not just in accounting.�  I could probably write 100 pages on that one sentence.  What is within the responsibility of a...

I will be leading a 75 minute discussion on teaching (�Coaxing More Excellence from Your Students�) starting at 10:40 a.m. on Saturday, September 27, 2014.    The presentation is part of the 2014 North Carolina Education Forum at the Embassy Suites near Raleigh, NC.    If you are in the area, I hope you will consider attending.   You can get more information at www.ncacpa.org . ** The September 6-7, 2014, issue of The Wall Street Journal had a great article on teaching:    �Four Ways to Spot a Great Teacher.�     It is on page C3 and I would urge you to read it.    Here, I just want to address the four highlights to whet your appetite.    The author (Dana Goldstein) talks about the importance of teaching and how a parent (and I suppose a student) can recognize great teaching.    Here are the four keys as well as my own observations. �Great teachers:    Have active intellectual lives outside thei...