|
Teaching Tip – TTT
Articles and resources to empower your teaching experience.
Teaching – Attendance and the first day(s) of class
 |
Attendance has always been a tricky thing – how do we keep students accountable while at the same time being empathetic to their situation? The aftereffects of a global pandemic and the rising needs around mental health concerns have only exacerbated things.
In the Chronicle piece, When Students Miss Out, Beckie Supiano reports ways to get ahead of attendance issues.
Warming up to the power of ChatGPT
Traditionally, the TTT goes on summer break until August, but I couldn’t help doing a quick check-in on ChatGPT. I am eager to return to the classroom after my sabbatical, but I need to figure out how to navigate this new technology. A lot has developed in the past few months, and I am curious to see how you will address this AI in the fall.
Teaching- The Agony and the Ecstasy: Reading Your Student Evaluations
 |
Twice a year, I get that email that always causes a twinge in my stomach: your course evaluations are now available. Course evaluations can be tricky to navigate, whether it’s your first or fifteenth semester. In the compelling article, The Agony and the Ecstasy: Reading Your Student Evaluations, Regan A.R. Gurung offers invaluable insights into dealing with the emotional toll of student feedback.
Teaching- Getting ready for course evaluations
 |
Whenever colleagues invite me to observe their classes for formative feedback, I always ask them to share two or three aspects they’re working on where they’d appreciate some constructive input. For instance, they could be aiming to engage more students, attempting to summarize the class within the last five minutes, or simply organizing their board work more effectively.
Teaching- Writing versus Thinking Skills: A False Dichotomy
 |
Does your students’ writing seem vague? As we approach the final weeks of the semester and brace ourselves for the onslaught of paper revisions, John Orlando offers a fresh perspective that might hold the key to addressing this issue. In his insightful article, Writing versus Thinking Skills: A False Dichotomy, he posits that writing problems extending beyond basic grammar and spelling errors are, in fact, manifestations of muddled thinking.
Teaching- How to Embrace Uncertainty in Your Teaching
 |
When I started teaching last century, I was hyper-sensitive about avoiding mistakes. Or at least that was my intent. However, welcoming mistakes and ambiguity in the classroom can spark your students’ curiosity. In their Chronicle article, How to Embrace Uncertainty in Your Teaching, Murphy and Levison give five simple ways to spark curiosity, including pursuing the unanticipated in class discussions and modeling not knowing (something I’ve grown more honest about).
Teaching- The science of learning
 |
Over the past several decades, considerable scholarship has focused on conditions that promote students’ learning, retention, and transfer of academic knowledge. The term ‘science of learning’ is often used to describe this field of specialization. My center colleague, Dr. Chris Hakal, recently shared the free e-book In their own words: What scholars and teachers want you to know about why and how to apply the science of learning in your academic setting, which explores the history, principles, application, and practice of the ‘science of learning.
Teaching – Delayed vs. Immediate Feedback, which is better?
 |
|
I always prided myself on returning feedback to students right away – usually by our next meeting. This required some forethought from me – collect on Friday to return on a Monday – but I thought it was pedagogically significant to get things back into their hands ASAP. Some recent studies show this might not be the case: Delayed and Immediate Feedback in the Classroom: The Results Aren’t What Students Think! |
Teaching – Keeping students engaged
 |
|
At this time last year, professors reported widespread anxiety, depression, and a lack of motivation in their classrooms. Hopefully, this year is faring better, but we can use our recent break to reset the tone in our classes if things have drifted. This Chronicle article, How to Solve the Student-Disengagement Crisis, provides tips from six experts on how to keep students engaged. |