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 »
Entries by Sarah Pedzinski
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 »
Quick Tip: How to learn more about your students’ reading motivation, practices, and comprehension
If you are concerned about your students’ reading habits, why they complete or don’t complete readings, and whether they comprehend the readings, ask them. Here are a few survey questions you can use. In the CITL’s current Faculty Learning Community, “Designing and Building Equitable Large Classes,” participants are surveying their students about their reading practices…. Read more »
Unspoken Expectations and Student Success: Revealing the Hidden Curriculum
What is the hidden curriculum? The “hidden curriculum” or “invisible curriculum” refers to the unstated norms, policies, and expectations that students need to know to succeed in higher education but are often not taught explicitly. Your students might not know how to do things that seem quite rote and standard to someone more experienced, like… Read more »