by Christopher Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Now that the semester is underway, it may be difficult to find space to reflect on teaching. Below are three simple suggestions you may want to consider incorporating into practice this year. Each suggestion offers space for self-reflection but also models research-supported best practices for teaching. If… Continue reading Reflection Tools for Teaching
Category: Tips on Teaching
Making Exams More Meaningful for Students
by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Exams are a common way to assess and evaluate student learning. Despite this, instructors often experience a mismatch between their expectations and individual student outcomes, with some students not performing as expected or others feeling unprepared to demonstrate the type of learning that’s expected of them. This problem… Continue reading Making Exams More Meaningful for Students
Thinking About Rigor
by Robert Cole, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Over the last few months as we continue to work through this pandemic, we are confronted with the question of how we can be responsive to the needs of our students while also thinking about the rigor in our courses. Both students and faculty have been under a… Continue reading Thinking About Rigor
Keeping Track of Your Course When Sick
by Christopher Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center The spread of the Omicron variant offers an important moment to consider how to prepare for when instructors get sick. Preparing in advance can minimize disruption, relieve stress (for both instructor and student), and offer calm consistency. Designing for Consistency Consider designing your course using a simple, efficient,… Continue reading Keeping Track of Your Course When Sick
Creating an Inclusive Classroom
by Victoria Carter, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center As we settle into mid-semester, we should reflect, “Do my students feel like they belong in my class?” This is something that we should be thinking about often. But, with all the moving pieces that come with teaching, it can slip our minds. There are many aspects of… Continue reading Creating an Inclusive Classroom
Midterms as a Point for Student Introspection
by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer Midterms are more than just an opportunity to assess student learning; they provide an invaluable point for student introspection. Through in-class polls, reflective assignments, or surveys, students have an opportunity to provide feedback, both affirming and critiquing their course learning experiences as well as our teaching strategies and approaches in… Continue reading Midterms as a Point for Student Introspection
Teaching with Canvas
by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Fall 2021 marks our transition to Canvas as SLU’s new Learning Management System (LMS). Working in a new LMS will likely require more of your time and patience. You’ll need to learn or grow comfortable with new tools. You’ll need to rethink the design of your course, how… Continue reading Teaching with Canvas
Bursting the Busywork Bubble
by Robert Cole, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Well, it’s that time of year. As we move closer to graduation we are administering and grading exams, final projects and presentations. We will also soon receive notification that our course evaluations are available. Course evaluations often provide an opportunity to take stock and identify if changes need… Continue reading Bursting the Busywork Bubble
Wise feedback to reduce stereotype threat and to support your classroom community
by Christopher Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Offering constructive feedback on student performance can offer important opportunities for social and intellectual development. However, research has found that students do not always understand how teachers critique their work and may misconstrue comments as overly negative. This misunderstanding can reinforce negative stereotypes and undermine teacher/student trust. Wise… Continue reading Wise feedback to reduce stereotype threat and to support your classroom community
Navigating Difficult Conversations in the Classroom
by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning My disciplinary research and teaching area of expertise is in human rights and post-conflict transitions. Students in my classes are often exposed to genocides and mass killings, humanitarian crises, and child trafficking rings linked to conflict minerals. These topics, as well as the… Continue reading Navigating Difficult Conversations in the Classroom
The Notebook 