Let's Talk Teaching

We start off 2017 with a return to Claire's bookshelf. This time, Claire and Jim explore three "handbooks" that can help you plan for teaching and easily respond to new questions or challenges that may arise during the semester. These research-based perspectives can help you assess various aspects of your teaching, including how much students actually care about course content, and illustrate ways...

It's that time of year, when students turn the proverbial tables on their instructors and evaluate us. But student evaluations of our teaching are neither something we should dread, nor something we should read too much into. How do you strike a balance that let's you use those end-of-term feedback surveys as a positive tool for reflection? Claire and Jim explore what you should and shouldn't worr...

Surveys show our students spend more time learning outside the classroom than we think… but it is enough? Explore the concept of “time on task” and how we can help our students engage with meaningful learning. We’ll look at the age-old vicious cycle of lecture and reading assignments, other ways to encourage students to come to class prepared, and how and why you might hold students accountable fo...

You might experience more hot moments—times when passionate class discussion flares into something ugly and undesirable—thanks to the political and social earthquake centered on the 2016 election. We build upon our last episode and explore more ways to structure your class so students feel safe when talking about controversial issues. CTLT’s Dana Karraker highlights strategies for dealing with hur...

This political season, and particularly the race for the White House, has injected an unprecedented amount of uncivil language and behavior to the national discussion. No matter who wins the November elections, it is unlikely to change anytime soon. How do you encourage students to discuss such shocking incivility in a civil way? This week, we sit down with Dr. Steve Hunt, director of the School o...

Ever have your students complain that they were caught off guard by your exam or quiz? They may actually have a point. In this week's episode, CTLT's Julie-Ann McFann explores ways to ensure that your tests actually measure what you are teaching. She takes the fear out of scary concepts like alignment, tables of specification... and unicycles. Plus, learn how to avoid the very real pitfalls inhere...

Like the 60s western of the same name, this "Magnificent Seven" is a classic. Claire and Jim discuss the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. Nearly 30 years later, this short essay continues to be one of the best foundations for any college-level teaching experience. Whether you're a new face to teaching or a grizzled veteran of the classroom, Chickering & Gamson's work...

What do you do when you lose a student to tragedy? A colleague? This week, we continue our discussion from earlier in the semester on "teaching in times of crisis." In this episode, we focus on coping with crisis that occurs on a more immediate, personal level for you and your students.

Get inspired again about teaching! This week, we take a look at a few of the "must read" books we always recommend to those who teach at the university level. Claire shares why she finds these particular works so compelling and how they have impacted her teaching and the teaching of countless others.

Formative assessments can sound like a formidable undertaking. But they don't have to be. Dr. Julie-Ann McFann, CTLT's Program Team Lead, shows us how little, frequent "check-ins" can help us know if our students are really getting it. She helps us wrap our brains around the differences between formative and summative assessments and the differences between assessing and grading. We'll also explor...

How do you create a "community of learners?" You've probably heard that phrase before, but what does it really mean, and how do you achieve it? This week, we explore those questions with CTLT's Dana Karraker. Discover the philosophy behind this important concept, techniques to apply to your teaching, and signs that show when it's actually working.

ReggieNet is Illinois State University's customized learning management system, or LMS. It's powerful collection of online tools… but it's not always as easy or intuitive to use as one might think. CTLT's Charles Bristow joins Jim to highlight some of ReggieNet's most popular features. They discuss where instructors can get help with common problems, and they also share tips that instructors shoul...

So far, 2016 has been a tumultuous year, marked by truly horrific acts of violence. When a crisis occurs, how should we address it with our students? How can we balance the need to cope with traumatic events against the need to keep learning on track? There are no easy answers. As we mark the fifteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we look at the research resulting from that national crisis, ex...

Evaluating our own teaching is just as important as evaluating our students' learning. Too many of us simply rely on end-of-term surveys. In this episode, we explore ways to plan and conduct an assessment of teaching in the middle of the semester. We highlight a few options that might fit your teaching situation. Learn about the Small Group Instructional Diagnosis-- informally known as a Midterm C...

Teaching portfolios are about more than just promotion and awards. The process of creating a teaching portfolio can be a powerful form of professional development for faculty. But what should be in it? And how can we, as teachers, use it to better student learning? In this special episode, CTLT Director Claire Lamonica dives deep into portfolio philosophy with Erika Kustra, director of teaching an...

Avoid inflicting a syllabus snooze-fest upon your students! We continue our discussion from our last episode. This time, we move from a larger perspective to the nuts and bolts of how a syllabus is put together and what needs to be included in it. How do you balance “official” language with the need to offer students a welcoming and accessible introduction to the course?

We often think a syllabus as a contract with our students. But who wants to read through a contract? In this episode, we take a “big picture” perspective of the course syllabus. Discover ways to tap into your students' natural interest in the course by making the syllabus about them… and not just about the rules and policies of your class.

Read the syllabus, get out early… right? Wrong! We challenge common assumptions (made by both faculty and students) about what should happen on the first day of class. Discover how to set expectations, establish the culture of your class, and lay the groundwork for an enthusiastic and productive semester.