Now that we’ve entered June, many of us finally feel we can take a deep breath and slow down a bit.
Leave it to me to flog you back into action, at least for a little while.
I’m going to put on my faculty developer’s hat here. (I was on the POD national core committee for three years.) Now, when perhaps you’re not as harried by exigencies as during the school year, may be a good time to muse about how you could take the courses you’ll teach this summer or fall to new heights.
Just imagine if all your students were rapt, fully engaged in your lessons and assignments. At the end of the course, not only did they learn much of enduring value, they stood as one, and awarded you a standing ovation (and superlative student evaluations).
Of course, there’s no magic formula for achieving that, but here are a few low-tech tips that may boost your odds:
++ Often, the best ideas for improving a class come from the instructors themselves. So, take a moment or more and ask yourself, “Is there something I want to do differently next term?”
++ Could you embed one or more immersive simulations into your class in which everyone participates?
For example, before assigning readings on the Civil War, an instructor informed the class that, next week, she’ll divide her class into groups of three: One student will play President Lincoln, one will play Jefferson Davis, and one will be the observer. They’ll meet for some minutes to discuss how they might prevent civil war. After, the observer will give feedback to the protagonists and the protagonists will give feedback to each other. Then the trio will trade roles and repeat the process.
++ Might the following work for you in presenting a lecture? (Remember, even in small classes, many instructors lecture.) Divide your lecture into a few mini-lectures. After each, each student turns to the adjacent student and summarizes what you said and then describes the mini-lecture’s relevance to their education or other aspects of their life. That structure would likely soon get tiresome but if used occasionally, can be a useful approach to lecturing.
++ Sometimes, you needn’t do all the teaching. Break the class into pairs and have one pair member teach a concept to the partner. Then, have the “student” in the pair say what he or she learned from the “teacher.” Switch roles for the next piece of learning.
++ Finally, here’s an oldie but goody, which enables you to increase your students’ engagement without your having to do any more work. After you ask a question, allow plenty of time (typically five to 15 seconds) for all the students to think about it before calling on someone. That encourages all the students to think about the answer, not just the student you call on.
Now, back to enjoying your summer.
