Thanks to our terrific contributors and a lot of readers, ProfPost (University of Cincinnati’s ground-breaking, written-by-professors-for-professors blog) has had over 12,000 hits since its January 2009 launch. We think we’re really on to something here, and we’re starting to take some risks to make things lively.

That’s why we’re looking for a few professors with fresh takes on teaching and learning—and we’re running a couple of competitions to shake those professors from the bunch.

“Points of View” Columns (Deadline: August 15, 2009):
We’ll choose two professors to write at least three posts each over three quarters, and we pay $250 per quarter in faculty-development funds for doing it! The focus of these submissions is completely up to each writer but should relate broadly to teaching and learning in higher education. We believe the best rule of thumb is to write about whatever is lately on your mind…if it’s nagging at you, it will probably interest other professors, too.

“Points of View” submissions should be posts of 500-1000 words and should be emailed to liz.tilton@uc.edu by August 15, 2009.

“Raised Hand” Column (Deadline: August 15, 2009):
This column is sort of the hip professor’s “Dear Abby.” If you’ve got a quirky way of seeing the classroom, college students, or your fellow professors, this competition may have your name (written in chalk dust) all over it. We’d like someone to field some tough/funny/insightful questions having to do with 21^st Century teaching—if you can do it with a twist, we want you. And, to sweeten the deal, we pay $250 per quarter in professional-development funds for each of the three quarters you write a column or more for us.

We tried to formulate a catchy question to which you could showcase your wonderful responses, but we couldn’t come up with a question we all agreed was a good one. So, we’ve decided to let you pose your own question and then answer it yourself. Don’t think we can’t roll with the punches.

Please write a 500–1000-word response to your question, and then email both the question and your answer to it to liz.tilton@uc.edu by August 15, 2009.

Notes regarding both “Points of View” and the “Raised Hand” competitions:

—Submissions should be approximately 500 to 1000 words.

—Our panel of judges will determine winning submissions by August 30, 2009.

—Winners earn the right to publish their columns anonymously.

—There’s a good chance that submissions not winning the competitions will eventually be published in ProfPost

Now, pick up your pen and write something for us.

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

by the anonymous author of “The Raised Hand”

 Question:

I’ve heard it’s advisable for professors to arrive at class early in order to greet students, especially on the first day of the term. However, most of my colleagues arrive at class right on time and immediately begin teaching. I admit that I often arrive exactly on time, too, because it makes me look more “professorial.” Sometimes I feel like a high-school teacher when I’m in my room early. Which is best?

Signed,

Confused Junior Faculty        

by the anonymous author of “The Raised Hand”

Question:

I’m beginning to think I should have become a corrections officer rather than a teacher. I’ve been a faculty member at UC for 14 years and recently have encountered student behaviors unlike anything experienced during the early part of my career.