Posts Tagged ‘teaching and learning reflections’
April 4 - ‘What Works’ in the Messy Landscape of Teaching and Learning
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Effective Teaching Strategies
The title is borrowed from text in an excellent article that challenges our use of the “what works” phrase in relationship to teaching and learning. Biology professor Kimberly Tanner writes, “… trying to determine ‘what works’ is problematic in many ways and belies the fundamental complexities of the teaching and learning process that have been acknowledged by scholars for thousands of years, from Socrates, to Piaget, to more recent authors and researchers.” (p. 329) She proceeds to identify six reasons why the phrase hinders rather than fosters an evidence-based approach to teaching reform (in biology, her field, but these reasons relate to all disciplines). “Language is powerful,” she notes. (p. 329) We use it to frame issues, and when we do, it guides our thinking.
March 22 - Reflections on Teaching: From Surviving to Thriving
By: Chris Palmer in Faculty Development
Editor’s Note: In part one of this article, the author shared openly some of the mistakes he made early in his teaching career. In this entry, he outlines some of the changes he’s made to his teaching over the years and the principles he uses to guide his teaching.
I had known it all along at some level, but now it suddenly became glaringly obvious to me. Deep down, sometimes out of conscious reach, students want to be transformed and their lives made more useful, productive, and powerful. I added the following new goal to my personal mission statement:
March 21 - Reflections on Teaching: Mistakes I’ve Made
By: Chris Palmer in Faculty Development
I started teaching at American University at the age of 56 after a rewarding career as an environmental and wildlife film producer. That was almost ten years ago, and I’ll be the first to admit that I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I had never taught before and I wasn’t even sure where to begin. I had no teaching philosophy beyond some vague, unarticulated feeling that I wanted my students to do well. And so, I started asking lots of questions.
March 13 - Joy Ride: More Teaching Tips for Reflection, Rejuvenation, and Renewal
By: Mary Bart in White Papers
If you’ve lost your joy of teaching, Joy Ride offers practical tips for getting it back. This special 22-page download is divided into 17 sections, each with its own set of tips and strategies for strengthening one’s commitment to teaching.
December 11 - Considering the Courage and Practice of Teaching
By: Mary Bart in Conversations in Teaching
Gain teaching inspirations from this conversation between Parker Palmer and Maryellen Weimer as they come together for the first time to talk about the underpinnings of their approaches to their work as teachers. The 60-minute video is available on-demand or on CD.
November 30 - Three Principles for Cultivating Excellence in Academic Life
By: Shonu Nangia, PhD in Teaching and Learning
In the October 3rd issue of Faculty Focus, Maryellen Weimer underscores the idea that faculty need to take care of their instructional health and recognize the importance of emotional rejuvenation. She ends the post by asking readers: What are some things you do when you feel your teaching may be growing “tired?”
November 12 - Five Competencies for Culturally Competent Teaching and Learning
By: Cheryl Irish, EdD and Monica Scrubb, EdD in Teaching and Learning
Today’s classrooms require that instructors possess competencies for teaching all students. Robust instructional strategies and culturally sensitive curricula are critical, but more important is an instructor who is sensitive and responsive to the unique differences of each student. Recognizing the need to strengthen specific competencies to reach and teach all students requires an understanding of new ideas and a willingness to view instruction through varied cultural lenses.
May 21 - Academic Rigor: Lessons from Room 10
By: James Ricky Cox, PhD in Faculty Development
Room 10 was often an uncomfortable place. I dreaded having to walk in there. Room 10 felt a bit like Hell’s Kitchen and my teacher, Mrs. H, was the Gordon Ramsey of chemistry teachers, to use a current analogy. Was the teacher really that mean and the course that tough? Yes, she was mean and AP chemistry was one difficult course. Mrs. H’s handwriting was atrocious, and by today’s standards, she didn’t create a supportive learning environment. Despite all this, I noticed that the best students at my school signed up for AP chemistry with Mrs. H. I hesitated before signing up for the course, but something drew me to the experience.
April 18 - Teaching with Confidence: Advice for New Faculty
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog
In the now classic article Confidence in the Classroom: Ten Maxims for New Teachers, author Jim Eison offers priceless advice for new teachers. Over the years, I have given hundreds of copies of this article to new and not-so-new faculty. Even though it was published more than 20 years ago, it still deserves a place in your collection of indispensible articles on college teaching.
March 14 - A Good Conversation about Teaching and Learning
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog
Last week somebody asked about my goals for this blog. I gave a rather generic answer and realized I hadn’t thought about goals since we first started the blog.
