I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again. ~William Penn~
It's midterm time in higher ed in the US, and I'm hearing from colleagues who are frustrated by what they describe as a lack of engagement in students. High rates of absenteeism and missing work are the main complaints, but some college-level educators are worried about a general lack of preparation, including understanding the high... Continue Reading →
What are your favorite teaching tips? What do they have in common?
Stressing that this is a violation of integrity that won't be tolerated will likely cut down on such behavior.
This post is narrowly focused on my Social Problems course, which I revamped substantially last year in the face of COVID to provide students with more examples of social problems being ameliorated, something we did via service learning pre-COVID that wasn’t possible now. During a time of continual crisis, I found that my students benefited... Continue Reading →
When I approach letters this way--as work teaching students how to know themselves better and how to analyze a job call for how it aligns with their talents, skills, and interests--then it is much more meaningful work. It's not longer about jockeying my students into the top position, regardless of whether they are the best person for the work or whether the work is a good fit for them. It's about teaching them how to find their place in the world, which is much more satisfying and, over the long term, I suspect more successful.
Live online video is too intimate for most conversations. In real life, we simply aren't up in each other's faces that much unless we actually are engaged in a physically intimate relationship with someone, like our partners, children, or close friends. It's overwhelming to be that close to so many people at once and to have them that close to you.
Providing information about exams to students helps curb cheating and helps them take responsibility for their performance.
The Journal of American Studies recently invited me to be part of a roundtable on teaching in the age of COVID. The essay is available for a short time for free online. Here are some excerpts: To insist that the risk of face-to-face courses during a pandemic is acceptable is to overvalue the parts of... Continue Reading →
The first way to encourage engagement is to make sure that the content of the meeting wouldn’t be more effectively shared via an email or recording. 16 more tips follow.
Planning for reality doesn't diminish joy should better times come, but it does make living in this moment easier.
Rebecca Barrett-Fox 