2005 Competition - 1st place

Farina Jussab (College of Law)

As the winner of the 2005 competition, Farina received a cheque for £150 and was invited to attend LILI 2005 and Higher Education Academy’s 2005 annual conference. Read her essay below.

---

The decision to study law is the type of decision you do not take lightly. From the start you are aware that it is hard work and a costly venture and at the end of it all there is no guarantee that you will get a job. Thus, one requires the utmost determination. The least one expects or needs is a law teacher who bores you to death and drains you of the enthusiasm you began with.

So what does make a good law teacher?

Inspire me…

The most important quality is the ability to inspire law students; to motivate them to continue when they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is not very motivating to listen to a law tutor who has absolutely no enthusiasm for what they teach. The lack of enthusiasm becomes obvious through the tone and demeanour of law teachers. This lack of passion transfers to the students and they too begin to feel that it is too much of a bother to listen or even to study for the subject.

Inform me…

It is important to relate the theory to current issues. This helps students to understand the law better and relate it to the real world. Such awareness helps students to see how the law is changing and how it impacts on everyday life. Being kept up to date with current developments also helps future lawyers to predict what the law will be like when they qualify.

In addition, it provides invaluable conversation topics for interviews.

Involve me…

Falling asleep during a law lecture is not unusual and nothing is better than being woken up by tutor who is trying to involve you. Actively involving students by asking questions and using students in examples or role-plays is an effective way of maintaining students’ concentration. It encourages participation and helps one to remember points of law more clearly than one would if a tutor was just talking at you.

Impress me…

Visual aids do wonders when one is trying to remember excruciatingly complex points. One of my tutors was very fond of funny colourful pictures. What stuck in my head was the picture of a horse with red evil eyes; an aid to remembering the case of…(can’t remember but it does work, really it does). It is simple aids like these, which can trigger your memory in exams. Such aids also make the lecture fun as they add variety. They enable to you to use yours senses effectively.

And sometimes bribe me…

One of my law contract lecturers offered Cadbury’s chocolates in return correct answers to questions he would ask. This most certainly attracted my attention.

Simplify for me…

In addition it is certainly the simple things, which make all the difference from teaching badly to teaching effectively. Clear outlines, simple diagrams and not over complicating issues would most definitely aid effective teaching. It is common for law books to become more academic-theory type text books rather than practical: a good law tutor would instil enthusiasm within its students to read more about the academic arguments in their own time but would get the practical point across and not confuse students unnecessarily.

Finally, exam time…

Good planning is essential for a good law tutor. Finishing the course early enough to leave time for revision is essential. Having the time to ask questions about difficult topics, going over complex areas of law and exam techniques is vital. A good law tutor will be able to prepare its students thoroughly. A good law tutor would also set mock exams to help students to get used to writing within certain time limits and to write succinctly.

Encourage…

Most students who make a decision to study law understand the commitment and determination required. But it must be remembered that some may feel intimidated by their peers all of whom (as obviously they are doing law) are boffins; thus it is those who may need encouragement. It is therefore important for law tutors to have greater contact with their students in order to assess their individual needs. It may be perhaps only team work that is needed so that those who do feel intimidated do not also feel isolated and left to teach themselves. Thus, a good law tutor would encourage teamwork. This type of work would create a more a comfortable learning environment. Team work is also an important skill within the workplace and so this type of work would certainly earn a potential trainee much needed brownie points on application forms.

Overall, a law teacher should make you feel you are paying for quality. The weight of the loan on my shoulders would definitely be heavier if I emerge out of my studies feeling that I was taught badly. Luckily for me I have no regrets.

Last Modified: 29 June 2010