There is nothing more baffling than the art of teaching. Day in and day out, teachers move through classrooms and courses, lectures and discussion groups. What have students seen teachers do that has made a difference for them? What pedagogical behaviors, values, and attributes earn teachers praise from the population they work so hard to serve? Taking time to ponder the matter feels like an indulgence, but thinking about one's teaching, and the principles that undergird it, is not a luxury. Pondering her own teaching principles has empowered the author as she has struggled to answer the core questions about effective pedagogy: What is it? How does one do it? What makes it work? The author presents eight lessons she has learned during her teaching career. (Contains 1 endnote.)