by our experienced yet anonymous “Points of View” professor

It’s an exciting time—and a challenging one—to be a teacher at the University of Cincinnati.  Many of us are a bit nervous as we face semester conversion, collegiate restructuring, and the One University initiative. I’ve spent years honing my skills to deliver effective didactic lectures coupled with readings, assignments, and exams,  and now I’m being asked to rework my ten week-long courses into a fifteen week-long format.

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