I’ve been a college professor for over 40 years. As a cognitive psychologist, I’ve spent my career studying learning and memory and as a teacher, I’ve integrated my research knowledge with my practical teaching experience. When I took my last position at Samford University in
In modern classrooms, where students have diminishing attention spans, some freeze when called upon, and others seem to unravel at the slightest sign of critical feedback, old methods of teaching are caving under the weight of a new, trending reality. Across higher education, faculty are
When faculty tell me their online students “just don’t engage,” I always want to ask a simple question: Do your students actually know you? Not your credentials. Not your syllabus. You.
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
