Otis College LibGuides: Teaching/Learning Center: ACQUIRING TEACHING STRATEGIES

Our Must Read Articles

"Students expect ‘total flexibility’ in the pandemic-era classroom. But is that really what they need?" (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2023) Professors have found that students are not where they left them back in the first part of 2020. Many seem unmotivated, disengaged. They struggle to come to class, to keep up with the work. But they expect professors to work with them, and they assume they’ll pass their classes anyhow. That, after all, is what they’re used to.
"Teaching: When It Comes to Burnout, Saying 'No' Matters" (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2023) You care about being a good teacher and worry about students who are struggling. But you’re also bone-tired and feel like you have too much on your plate. Is the only solution to push through your exhaustion and hope you can catch a break at the end of the semester?
"Opinion: Women do higher ed's chores. That must change." (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2023) I took note of the gender dynamics on my campus and found my male colleagues generally shirking jobs bestowed upon women or duties that add to the creature comforts of college life.

21st Century Teaching

What does it take to be a college professor in the second decade of the 21st century?

In his article Conserving Energy Neil Baldwin suggests:

Get a good night's sleep, and eat a hearty breakfast.
I know it is tempting, but don't drink too much coffee, because you will get overhyped before class and risk crashing from that fake caffeine high.
Pace yourself doing whatever you have to do (meetings, errands, paperwork) before class starts.
Remain mindful of your finite energy reserves, and mediate your outflow during class time so you don't expend all your strength too early in the period.
And at the end of your long day on campus, even when you are tired and strung out, the teaching body must be attended to. Make yourself head over to the gym for cardio and weight training, to keep your vital signs in decent working order. Commit to developing the imperative physical stamina required to capture - and hold - your students' attention.

Journals + Magazines + Blogs + Guides

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Indiana University)
Inside Higher Education
MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource For Learning and Online Teaching)
NEA (National Education Association)
Campus Technology
NAEA (National Art Education Association)
New York Times in Education - free access for Otis College Community (Instructions To Access NYT for free.)
Center For Teaching - Vanderbilt University
Guidelines for Conversations - Pratt
Zoom Recording - Vanderbilt University

General Tips About Effective Teaching

Teaching Commons (Stanford)
Learning Theory (Crash Course)
Chickering + Gamson - The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education
MERLOT Pedagogy Resources

The 4 Properties of Powerful Teachers

Even if you weren’t born with some of these qualities, you can develop them. (Chronicle of Higher Education)

"[My] experiences have led me to conclude that, when we boil down all the metrics, we’re left with four qualities that all powerful teachers possess."

Personality

"Great teachers tend to be good-natured and approachable, as opposed to sour or foreboding; professional without being aloof; funny (even if they’re not stand-up comedians), perhaps because they don’t take themselves or their subject matter too seriously; demanding without being unkind; comfortable in their own skin (without being in love with the sound of their own voices); natural (they make teaching look easy even though we all know it isn’t); and tremendously creative, and always willing to entertain new ideas or try new things, sometimes even on the fly."

Presence

"Yet the best teachers, as Lang concluded, are always 'present' — fully in the moment, connecting with both their subject matter and their students."

Preparation

"Knowing what you’re talking about can compensate for a number of other deficiencies, such as wearing mismatched socks, telling lame jokes, or not having an Instagram account. Preparation occurs on three levels: long-term, medium-term, and short-term."

Passion

"Passion, or love, manifests itself in the classroom in two ways: enjoying work with students and love for your subject matter."