The Science of Learning Meets the Art of Teaching
October 2025
Recommended by Anabel Livengood, Senior Educational Developer
One book that I keep going back to and have been recommending to faculty for years is Saundra McGuire’s Teach Students How To Learn. My copy is highlighted, scribbled in, and has oh so many earmarks. Her book became an instant classic for a reason – she explores the importance of how we, as instructors, can have an even bigger impact on our students’ lives that goes beyond the content knowledge and the skills we want to teach. Originally written ten years ago, McGuire (a chemistry professor) provides actionable strategies on how and when in the semester you can (and should) incorporate lessons that help students to develop metacognitive strategies that will make them more proficient lifelong learners – and keep them motivated along the way.
The suggestions in her book cover a wide range of topics:
- identifying where and how students formed their current study habits,
- developing a growth mindset that embraces challenges and mistakes as learning opportunities,
- teaching students specific strategies for reading textbooks effectively,
- showing students how to approach and work through assignments systematically,
- creating study groups that follow the proven study cycle method,
- connecting course content to Bloom’s taxonomy levels,
- understanding different teaching styles and how they affect student learning,
- as well as developing strategies for underprepared students by adapting teaching methods to meet varying skill levels and backgrounds.
While Saundra McGuire’s tips were written from the perspective of teaching STEM courses, lessons learned apply to all courses. If you have ever asked yourself, “How can I support my students’ learning?”, this book is for you!
To access the full collection of teaching-related recommendations, visit CFC’s We Recommend.