Podcast discussion of a new book which addresses some of the differences between work at research institutions and teaching-focused institutions. The synopsis highlights new faculty, but about halfway into the podcast they also start discussing mid-career (and even late-career) choices too.
As we welcome new colleagues and new students (and continuing mentoring folks who have been here longer), it's worth asking what the institutional and interpersonal factors are which contribute to "imposter syndrome," and what we can do instead. The word "teacher" (or "chair" or "director") could be substituted for "manager" all over this episode.
These questions are posed as a "step 0" for thinking about a course before implementing an alternative grading structure, but they'd be useful for considering how you want to approach any course.
"We have built our entire educational system, but in particular our course design, on the (ableist) assumption of near-100% attendance from near-100% of the students."
As we think about a J-term at Kenyon, it might be interesting to look at The Great VCU Bike Race Book as a model for demonstrating the connections between a set of shorter, more experimental courses.
As we think about the role of sustainability for the College and our curriculum, this panel discussion on addressing environmental justice in the curriculum makes for good listening.
Terrific ideas about using music and writing as an opening section of every class. This weaves a lot of threads together, from writing and class preparation to the role of rituals in attention.
This estimator provides a useful check of how much work your class asks of students. It might be a good tool to give your students directly, as a planning tool for getting all their commitments met.
I don't necessarily agree with every last example in this article, but even where I might quibble, the suggestions are useful in illuminating the ways and reasons we meet. This might be as useful to our students when we assign group work, as it could be for ourselves and our colleagues.
Structured reflection with a trustworthy friend is a great way to improve your teaching, and can make it easier to conduct a project in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).
"Play is intellectually rigorous. But it can also bring joy to the classroom. In this moment of multiple elongated crises, I believe that we need all the joy we can get."
On this day off from classes, we hope you find some time to play, and to consider how to build in more opportunities for playfulness in your courses.
I have to admit I can't reliably tell "resting scholar face" from "I think you're an idiot face". This might be a valuable resource not only for your own presentations, but for you to share with students before you have them presenting in class.