Using the Labyrinth as a Self-care Tool for University Students
What is a labyrinth? A labyrinth is an ancient archetype with a singular meandering path that leads from an outer edge to a center. Unlike a maze, which is designed…
Helping Students Find their Writing Voice
I woke up when I heard the opening chords of Chopin’s Ballade in F Major. I’d been dozing off, phone in my hand, trying to keep up with the news.…
An Outsider Looking In: Advocating a Sense of Community for Adjunct Faculty
While checking my university email several weeks after being hired, I beamed with excitement as I read the invitation for my first faculty welcome week brunch and address hosted by…
Video Killed the Radio Star Text-based Instructional Methods
The challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic have exposed a number of ways in which higher education has lagged behind the rest of society and forced a rapid evolution in…
Combating Imposter Syndrome in Academia
The topic of imposter syndrome has been of interest to many in academia, but the discussion has primarily focused on early-career faculty (e.g., Craven, 2014). We acknowledge that feelings of…
Everybody Present: Mindfulness in the Classroom
*This article first appeared in the Teaching Professor on January 4, 2017. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. Did you know that the average attention span in the year 2000 was…
Master Teachers Are Mindful Teachers
*This article first appeared in the Teaching Professor on November 27, 2016. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. Mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening now, in the present moment.…
The Value of Worksheets for Asynchronous Online Courses
When I began teaching 15 years ago, I came to the profession with the belief that worksheets were an elementary school-level example of lazy teaching. I’m not sure where that…
Student-led Lessons Rather Than Student Presentations
This article first appeared in the Teaching Professor on February 1, 2018. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. There’s no question that students learn an enormous amount when they assume the role…
Strategies to Elicit Engagement in Online Labs
Nonverbal communication is essential for engaged learning and effective teaching. In-person classes allowed me to assess the effectiveness of my lessons by reading the facial reactions from students. Confusion, disengagement,…