The new academic year is fast approaching, and course preparations are either underway or on everyone’s mind. We begin every semester, every year, wanting all our courses to go well. Even more importantly, we want ...
Good teaching requires a special blend of the personal and the professional. Although there’s a fine line between revealing a piece of oneself to build rapport and sharing too much information, sharing past experiences—telling personal ...
In August 2017, Inside Higher Ed featured an article describing a controversial “stress reduction policy” that was part of a professor’s course syllabus at the University of Georgia. The policy was intended to prevent the ...
“What you appreciate appreciates” (Twist, n.d.). One of the practices I have employed in most of my classes during the past several years is “the appreciative close,” which is an offshoot of “the appreciative pause” ...
Emily Gravett writes insightfully about the disconnect between instructor and student course goals. She's writing about religion courses and how academic goals, such as “analyzing the historical, cultural, linguistic, literary, political and social contexts of ...
What if there were a simple classroom exercise that could create positive and lasting effects on the academic performance and persistence of students—in particular, students who are under-represented in your field? It turns out there is. ...
Research indicates that students learn more and rate their class experience higher when they have a personal connection with the instructor. Here are ten practical ways to help that happen: Arrive early and stay after ...
There’s no discounting the importance of the first day of class. What happens that day sets the tone for the rest of the course. Outlined below are a few novel activities for using that first ...
I remember the first time I tackled the controversial subject of students as customers. It was in an in-house newsletter, well before the advent of the Internet and e-mail. Even so, I had numerous phone ...
When it comes to connecting with students, good relationships and good rapport go hand in hand. The desired rapport develops when faculty are friendly, approachable, respectful, and caring toward students. And how do students respond ...
The new academic year is fast approaching, and course preparations are either underway or on everyone’s mind. We begin every semester, every year, wanting all our courses to go well. Even more importantly, we want our students engaged and learning. And they begin each new course with high hopes. They want it to be one they “like,” taught by a teacher who cares. The challenge for teachers and students is moving forward and staying connected. Below are pieces of advice on beginnings that keep everyone traveling together in the direction of learning, activities to help you implement that advice, and links to other relevant articles within the Teaching Professor archives.
Let learning center the course from day one. Yes, there should be rules, policies, and specified procedures—signposts leading the way to a successful course experience—but they aren’t what matters most. Start with learning: the knowledge and skills that students will develop in this course.
They’re important! Get everyone involved in learning and using each other’s names. Communities of learners aren’t populated by anonymous persons. Community building starts with introductions, the opportunity for students to meet, greet, and begin talking to each other. Unquestionably the challenge is bigger in a large course, but it’s not impossible, and it’s not necessary for teachers to learn every name. See the links below for details.
Start by clarifying your thinking about the role the syllabus plays in your course. Is it a detailed roadmap that gets students from the beginning of the course to the end? Is it an introduction and overview of what’s to come? Does it focus on student responsibilities? Is it an invitation to an exciting learning event? Is it a contract?
Avoid “going over” the syllabus—that is, talking about every detail of the course. That gives students a good reason not to read the syllabus: they’ll expect you to tell them everything they need to know. Teach in ways that make students responsible for what’s on the syllabus.
You can say that you want to establish a climate for learning in this course. You can put that in your syllabus. But climates of respect, collaboration, and engagement are created by what teachers do, not what they say. The old adage applies: actions speak louder than words.
Avoid giving teacherly advice on how to study. Even though students should listen to you, most won’t. They’re thinking that it’s been years since you were a student and that students now are way smarter about what they need to do than you were back then. They do need good advice on succeeding in the course, just not from a teacher who sounds like a parent. The links below highlight research relevant to succeeding in a course.