In his 2019 monograph, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein defends the importance of developing a diverse skillset to achieve career success through a close investigation of some of the world’s top performers and experts. Generalists, he argues, are creative, out-of-the-box problem-solvers who fully embrace the power of knowing a little… Read more »
Entries by Sarah Pedzinski
Students Helping Students: Encouraging peer-to-peer engagement in your classroom
There’s nothing like the first day of a new semester: waking up early, preparing your course notes, and walking into a classroom full of silent faces staring at screens. Sound familiar? Think about it: How often do you actually see your students talk to one another? Do they share weekend plans before class? Discuss course… Read more »
Three Ways to Get Your Students Talking
Welcome to October! The temperature is dropping, the leaves are changing, and our students have entirely forgotten how to use their voices—or at least, that’s what it can feel like. Read on for a few proven ways to encourage discussion in your courses. Question Brainstorm If students are silent when you ask questions they might… Read more »
Teaching Positive Academic Habits Before Class
Instructors love to discuss the many ways we see our students use their phones or laptops in our classrooms: applying for jobs, selling clothes on Poshmark, looking up sports scores, rapidly writing a speech for their next course, and, of course, social media sites abound. In my courses, I try to model time management by… Read more »
Reflecting on Expert Blind Spots to Improve Skills-Based Teaching
As Jessamyn Neuhaus explains in Geeky Pedagogy, truly effective teaching centers on sharing knowledge enthusiastically. However, sometimes instructors get so enthusiastic about conveying knowledge that they skip foundational steps, leaving students feeling frustrated or behind. Navigating an expert blind spot can be a challenge for both novice and experienced educators, but doing so thoughtfully can… Read more »
How can I support and encourage my students to complete course readings?
When my colleague, Madeleine, and I sat down to discuss why students don’t read, we began the conversation with a recap of all the reading we were behind on. Madeleine was happy to share a resource on mind-mapping that she warned me she hadn’t yet finished, whereas I complained about the 10-book stack of dissertation… Read more »