Category: Tips on Teaching

by Kenneth L. Parker, Steber Professor in Theological Studies At the beginning of each academic year, I have to relearn the same lesson: enduring the awkward silence after a question has been asked. At the start of my career this “skill” seemed unendurable. It felt far easier to fill the empty void of fifty or seventy-five… Continue reading One Key to Pedagogical Success: Questions and Enduring the Awkward Silence

by James Fortney, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center The term “engagement” continues to be fashionable in conversations about teaching, research, and the role of service in higher education. It often functions as a buzzword, referenced here and there to signify a thing we value and strive to achieve in our work. And yet, we are rarely… Continue reading Communicating Engagement, Engaging Communication

The Reinert Center has a series of brief resource guides designed to provide quick information on topics related to teaching.   Our latest resource guide, Making Student Work Public Online, addresses some of the major considerations needed when using online platforms for student assignments. As more assignments go online, it is important for faculty to know some of the ethical and… Continue reading New Resource Guide: Making Student Work Public Online

by Kelly McEnerney, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center As pedagogical tools for engaging students, demonstrations serve a useful role in the classroom, particularly when used to introduce concepts that are difficult to convey in words. To extend this point, imagine a classic example of a child learning to tie shoes. Take a few seconds to formulate… Continue reading Effective Classroom Demonstrations

by Elisabeth Hedrick-Moser, Instructor  When I was a college student, and before I thought about it more intentionally, I thought “diversity” in education was really code for “politically correct,” or just a way to prevent or correct racism or stereotyping.  I’ve since learned that diversity is, in itself, a positive force for education. Think about… Continue reading Using Ground Rules to Support a Diverse Learning Environment

by Dipti Subramanium, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Reinert Center Classroom management challenges are not uncommon; they are something that all instructors face at different levels and times. Below are some tips to address some common issues. Dominating students: While dominating students are often eager, knowledgeable, and help keep the discussion going, they could also hinder other students… Continue reading Dealing with Classroom Management Challenges

by Jerod Quinn, Instructional Developer I have known for a long time that I like to ramble when I talk, but it has been a recent discovery of mine that I also like to ramble when I write. While that’s not inherently a bad thing, it has been adding some undesirable tension between me and… Continue reading Framing Assignments for Clarity

Looking for an easy way to get in some professional development during your summer travels? Teaching in Higher Ed is a free podcasting site with episodes on topics ranging from How to Take a Break to Eliciting and Using Student Feedback. Teaching in Higher Ed http://teachinginhighered.com/episodes/

by Kelly McEnerney, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center The tendency for students to become consumed with grades at the expense of learning is all too common. It is evidenced in certain questions students ask, such as “do we need to know this?” or “will this be on the exam?” Whatever the response, it then influences students’… Continue reading Assessing Higher-Order Thinking