by the anonymous author of “The Raised Hand”

Question:  I’m in the midst of a mid-life teaching crisis. I’ve taught a large introductory course (175 students) for 13 years and am growing increasingly dissatisfied with lecturing day in and day out. My teaching has become lackluster; I’m in a rut. I have established myself as a productive researcher in my discipline, but I don’t think I’m viewed by colleagues or students as an accomplished instructor. My student evaluations have begun to slip during the past year, to boot.  I’ve heard some noise about “active learning” and would like to incorporate some of these strategies into my classes, but I’m really not sure where to begin.

Signed,

Chained to the Lectern

“The MLA Focuses on Teaching—And Job-Hunting Skills—at Its Annual Meeting” is Jennfier Howard’s report from the recent December 2008 Modern Langauage Association meeting; in her report, Howard refreshingly remarks “it is not intellectually unserious to talk about teaching” and “Pedagogy is not a dirty word.” 

Please access the link above to enjoy Howard’s piece. Her article was published in the January 9, 2009 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

by Ann M. Porter, PhD

As a faculty member within the Division of Music Education at the College-Conservatory of Music, and therefore a teacher of experienced teachers (graduate students) and future teachers (undergraduates), it seems I spend countless hours thinking about the art and practice of teaching.  My reflective practice and research inquiry are so intertwined that it’s often difficult to think about them as separate entities (and perhaps they aren’t).  At times I’m thinking about my own teaching of teaching, at other times I’m thinking about my students’ teaching abilities—in other words, just like many of you, I’m thinking about what I do in the classroom and how that effects student learning and outcomes. 

Additionally, those of us who teach future teachers feel the extra burden of needing to provide an excellent model of teaching every time we step into the classroom.  In fact, if our students are in the correct mindframe, they are constantly examining and critiquing not only their own teaching, but also the teaching that they observe on a daily basis.  It is under this magnified lens of teaching teachers that I offer the following musings.

by our new yet anonymous “Points of View” professor

It takes a couple of years for new faculty to feel as though we’ve established a routine and have truly become part of the university. Tenure-track junior faculty have to find ways to balance life and work; and somewhere in the midst of publishing, teaching, and service, we have to acclimate ourselves to a new town and a new university, establish new routines, and build new friendships. 

 I’m lucky to have a host of colleagues to help guide me along these ways, and I’m even luckier that some of these same colleagues have become wonderful friends.  Last fall, my newfound friends convinced me to go to the gym with them. They argued strongly with the familiar refrain that exercise positively benefits all aspects of life.  So I relented, and three times a week since October, I’ve been regularly working out with the same group of people. As many of you know, when you first return to serious exercise after a long absence, the road back is hard—it takes work, commitment, and dedication—and the road was made much easier because I had others helping me.