To better assess whether your law school learning struggles are the result of poor instruction, we turn to the Framework for Teaching, a comprehensive system for evaluating and improving teaching practice developed in the 1990s and refined over the past 30 years.
5 Signs Your Professor Might Not Be Hitting the Mark
1. Your Professor Seems to Have a Questionable Command of Content
While it’s rare for a law professor to lack knowledge of the subject matter, if your professor’s lectures are peppered with vague generalities and hesitations, you might (rightfully) start to question their mastery of the material.
Ineffective
During a criminal law lecture, your professor repeatedly confuses the standard of care for criminal negligence under New York penal law with that under the Model Penal Code. This confusion ignores the flexibility the MPC introduces with the phrase “in the actor's situation,” which adds a subjective factor to an otherwise objective determination.
Effective
Your professor not only identifies the distinctions between New York penal law and the MPC but also demonstrates how each is applied to a fact pattern, highlighting the similarities and differences.
2. Your Professor Seems Indifferent to Student Backgrounds and Learning Styles
If your professor hasn’t made any effort to learn about your prior knowledge, cultural context, or learning preferences, it could be a sign they’re not fully invested in your educational success.
Ineffective
Your professor assigns a dense, complex article on corporate law without considering that many students in the class have limited experience with business-related coursework, resulting in widespread confusion.
Effective
Before assigning the complex article, your professor provides an overview of key concepts and terms, recognizing that not all students have a business background. They also offer optional resources for students who may need additional support.
3. Your Professor’s Lectures Lack Organization and Cohesion
Lectures should guide you through complex material in a logical sequence. If your classes feel more like a disjointed conversation than a structured learning experience, this could indicate ineffective teaching.
Ineffective
In a tort Law lecture, your professor jumps from discussing negligence to strict liability and then back to negligence, with no clear transitions or explanations. Students struggle to follow the lecture and are unsure how the concepts relate to each other.
Effective
Your professor begins with an overview of the day’s topics, explaining how negligence and strict liability are related yet distinct concepts. Each section of the lecture builds logically on the previous one, helping students understand the material in a structured way.
4. Your Professor’s Assessments Fail to Reflect Learning Objectives
Assessments are meant to measure students’ understanding and application of the law. If your exams seem to test trivial details rather than core concepts, or if they relate little to the material covered in class, your professor might not have aligned their assessments with the course objectives.
Ineffective
Your professor announces that the final exam will test students’ ability to think critically and apply legal principles but then makes the exam closed-book, effectively testing memorization rather than application.
Effective
Your professor designs a two-part final exam: the first part, closed-book, consists of multiple-choice questions to assess your recall of legal principles. The second part, open-book, requires you to analyze and apply legal principles to complex fact patterns, aligning the assessment with different learning outcomes.
5. Your Professor Gives Confusing Instructions and Doesn’t Set Clear Expectations
Clear communication is essential in teaching. If you frequently find yourself puzzled by your professor’s directions, the issue may lie more in their communication than in your comprehension.
Ineffective
Your professor gives vague instructions for a research paper in a critical race theory class without detailing the required length, format, or evaluation criteria.
Effective
Your professor provides a detailed assignment sheet with clear instructions, including the required length, format, and specific criteria for evaluation. They also offer examples of successful papers and are available for clarification.
5 Tactics to Overcome Weak Teaching
If any of these signs resonate with your experience, your professor’s teaching methods may be more to blame for your struggles than your own abilities. Here are five tactics you can use to cope.
1. Your Professor Seems to Have a Questionable Command of Content
This will require some self-directed learning. To clarify concepts independently, look to supplemental resources like textbooks, legal commentaries, or online tutorials. Though this is sometimes frowned upon, it fosters autonomy and helps build a deeper understanding.
You might also consider forming a study group where you can collaboratively break down complex legal issues, compare notes, and teach each other. This uses peer teaching, which is a powerful tool for reinforcing understanding.
2. Your Professor Seems Indifferent to Student Backgrounds and Learning Styles
Try to choose study methods that best suit your learning style, whether yours is visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Common methods include creating mind maps if you’re a visual learner, listening to audio summaries if you’re an auditory learner, or practicing with flashcards if you’re a kinesthetic learner. Also, proactively ask for clarification or additional resources from professors, tutors, or peers.
3. Your Professor’s Lectures Lack Organization and Cohesion
Use structured note-taking methods like the Cornell Note-Taking System or an outline format, which can help organize lecture content logically, regardless of your professor’s approach. Also, consider reading before class to identify key concepts or questions so you can better follow along during disjointed lectures.
4. Your Professor’s Assessments Fail to Reflect Learning Objectives
Request past exams and practice questions to familiarize yourself with the professor’s testing style and focus areas. This strategy helps you identify and concentrate on core concepts. It also helps you become familiar with your professor’s question-asking strategies.
5. Your Professor Gives Confusing Instructions and Doesn’t Set Clear Expectations
Feel empowered to ask for clarifications or examples if instructions are unclear. This will promote effective communication and help reduce misunderstandings.
It can also help to create personal rubrics or checklists based on the assignment’s general guidelines to ensure that you cover all components. This approach helps you organize your thoughts and meet key requirements.
It’s easy to feel discouraged by ineffective teaching, but there are strategies that can help you take control of your learning experience. By leveraging self-directed learning, forming study groups, and using personalized study methods, you can overcome many challenges posed by disorganized lectures or unclear assessments.
Proactively seeking clarification and using structured note-taking systems are essential tools for navigating any class, even when instruction falls short. Remember, your success in law school isn’t solely dependent on your professor’s teaching ability—it’s also shaped by your ability to adapt, advocate for your needs, and approach your studies with a proactive mindset.