Sign up to receive our monthly teaching newsletter! By Emma Björngard-Basayne As an Old Hollywood nerd and an introverted instructor who dislikes public speaking, I have come to wonder where the intersection between acting and teaching lies and what I can learn from it. Watching Marlon Brando appear so confident in A Streetcar Named Desire, […]
Whose (dis)comfort? Claiming, Naming, and Holding Pronouns in the Classroom
By Susan B. Marine Hi, my name is Susan, and my pronouns are she, her, and hers. So goes my standard introduction these days, at everything from faculty meetings, to church functions, to meeting the new barista at my local coffee shop/office. It rolls off my tongue quite naturally, but this was not always so. […]
How Providing Choice in Assignments Challenged my Assumptions About Students and Led to Meaningful Learning
By Cory Jubinville In my first few semesters as a Teaching Assistant, I came out of the gate hot. I was lively, engaging, and I led my class discussions with a certain level of fire that I was sure was going to ignite the same passion for genetics in my students that I had for […]
The Pedagogy of Podcasts
Sign up for our monthly teaching newsletter here! By Kristi Kaeppel & Emma Bjorngard-Basayne At various points in the last few years, a captivating, slightly unnerving, and we suspect not unique thought has gripped us: a great deal of our learning happens via podcasts. We say unnerving considering the effort, time, and money spent on […]
Let’s Get Physical: Improving Learning through Movement
By Brianna Rae Today, our society is more sedentary than ever. As we’ve all heard, long periods of inactivity are linked to heart disease, obesity, and depression, as well as decreased physical stamina and mental aptitude (Mahar et al. 2006; Walker 2011). This is especially problematic in school settings, where students spend most of their […]
When Parents Can’t Help: How Can We Support First-Generation College Students?
In the following post, PhD student in sociology Jessica Yorks, discusses the challenges–and assets– first-generations bring to higher education. Based on her personal experiences and conversations with others, she offers advice on how instructors can better support first-generation students while recognizing the value of the perspectives they bring to higher education. For many of us, […]
Being a Resource for Student Mental Health
By James Ziegler There’s always at least one student who signs up for my classes only to never be heard from again. Maybe they forgot to drop. Maybe I need to update my grade book. With each zero I give out for participation, the question lingers: should I reach out? Early on in my teaching […]
See Fall 18 Elective Offerings!
Course registration is open for fall! Below, in the Excel sheet, we’ve collected GCCI-eligible electives that are offered this fall 2018.
Inclusivity Lessons From a Women’s College
By Emma Bjorngard-Basayne & Kristi Kaeppel Isabel Fields is a first-year student from Smith College intending to major in Women and Gender Studies with a minor in Public Policy. She has her own podcast called She Said, which tackles topics “from menstruation to sex education to reproductive justice” (iTunes description). For our March series on […]
President’s Series on Teaching Excellence Talk
What if? Creating a Space for Possibility Thinking in the University Classroom In this talk, Ron Beghetto will discuss how the University classroom serves as an ideal setting for faculty and students to engage in possibility thinking — bridging the gap between current knowledge and future possibilities. Prof. Beghetto will highlight how instructors can establish […]