I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about both for all my career. I teach less now, but what I love about learning should keep me learning.
Our students do not need yet another reverent speech about literature’s profound importance, especially from English professors like me. They need examples, models of what people actually do with books.
There are moments in a semester when teaching feels steady, even productive, and yet you feel less connected to the work than you would like. You are showing up, teaching your classes, and meeting expectations, but the deeper sense of meaning that brought you to
Summer flexibility presents a pedagogical paradox of sorts. On the one hand, summer is the perfect time to reflect on our teaching, change out required readings, fine-tune assignments, and generally modify course design. On the other hand, come the last day of the academic year,
Early in my career, I interpreted most classroom problems at face value. A disengaged student seemed unmotivated. Missing assignments looked like irresponsibility. Frustration during class activities appeared to reflect lack of effort. But after teaching across middle school, high school, and college classrooms while simultaneously
A business major must tell a teammate their work is jeopardizing a project. A nursing student listens as a patient hesitates, clearly withholding something important. A new professional struggles to push back against an unfair workload. These moments arise in different fields, yet they share
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art is of ending.” Faculty members practice this “art of ending” every semester as they conclude the courses they teach. Like the finish line of a race, the last day of
Curricula evolve. Disciplines shift. Programs respond to changing professional expectations and emerging competencies. In higher education, we give much attention to launching new courses and revising degree requirements. Far less attention is given to the other side of the process: how to conclude a course
We have all been there: sitting alone with a microphone, narrating slide after slide, wondering whether our students feel a connection to the person behind the screen. In online pedagogy, research tells us that social factors such as instructor presence are a key driver of
A senior colleague mentioned to me recently that he had spent the early part of his career overcoming the idea that “teaching is telling,” a common and pernicious misconception, especially among new teachers. The phrase refers to the belief that the key to effective teaching
At the end of a course, students complete many things. They submit final papers, deliver presentations, and take exams. We calculate grades. From a faculty perspective, the course is finished.
