Exemplary professors: Factors leading towards the development of award-winning teachers

The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the factors which lead professors to develop into exemplary teachers. To achieve this goal, interviews were conducted with 21 full-time community college faculty members who received the State University of New York's prestigious Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. The study interviews focused on how the award-winning community college professors decided to enter college teaching, gained their teaching attitudes and skills associated with exemplary college teaching, and the advice they would give to new faculty.; The majority of research related to college teaching focuses on what exemplary college teachers do rather than the factors that contribute toward their development (Baiocco & DeWaters, 1998; Davis, 1993; McKeachie, 1999; Feldman, 1997). This study begins to shed light on a new focus within college teaching moving beyond what exemplary teachers do in the classroom, toward focusing on what the best college teachers have experienced and what they describe as important factors regarding their own development that led to award-winning teaching.; Analysis of the interviews revealed 10 key factors in the participants' process of becoming exemplary: (a) love for teaching and learning, (b) love and respect for students, (c) student-centered philosophy of teaching and learning, (d) self-motivation, (e) knowledge and passion for subject area, (f) organization and preparation, (g) role models and mentors, (h) related teaching experiences, (i) eagerness to challenge comfort zones, (j) work ethic. According to the findings, the foundation for exemplary teaching to develop appears to be an unbridled passion for teaching and learning. Unquestionably the process of becoming exemplary was found to be both an active and introspective one. As a capstone interview question, award winners were asked what advice they would give new faculty who aspire to become exemplary teachers. To display the many "golden nuggets" of advice shared by the participants, responses were grouped according to topic. An interesting finding is the close relationship between the advice award winners suggested for new teachers and the factors award-winners indicated were important in terms of their own development.; The findings suggest ways for teachers at all levels of development to improve upon their effectiveness. Additionally the findings from this study offer schools of education a framework for the development for exemplary teaching in terms of providing future teachers a structure for the development of exemplary teaching to occur.