Every teacher is required to distribute a course syllabus the first week of class. Seek teachers known to be accessible by phone, email, fax and during office hours. Provides an atmosphere conducive to learning. Every semester a few students report that they are suffering in a class where the students' misbehavior and disrespect is so rampant that they can't hear the teacher lecturing. A critical job of every teacher is to create an atmosphere where you cannot only hear the lecture, but where you feel safe to participate in discussion, where you are encouraged to work in small groups for more intense projects, and where you are asked to play a role in planning your own learning.
Good teachers demand and give respect.
Seek teachers who keep your class on the learning track. Provides a bridge between generations. As I was thinking about this article, I was reminded of one of my favorite USC professors and former neighbors, Dr. Earl V. Pullias. In his book, A Teacher is Many Things, he warns college teachers to avoid complacency or resting on their own accomplishments. In addition to having the job of imparting a large body of knowledge to students, Dr. Pullias believes that good teachers play many roles as they facilitate the free flow of ideas, insight and creativity between themselves and their students.