Notes on Teaching and Learning

To be honest, I wasn’t planning on writing an “end of the semester reflection.” But as we wrap up this semester, I find myself more reflective than usual. This year has been challenging for me as an instructor, both logistically (to teach in dual-mode in non-traditional classrooms) and emotionally (to foster community amongst students in […]

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Spring semester always seems to pass quickly, and this year’s late start has added further stress to an already hectic and nerve-wracking time. This can be especially stressful as instructors attempt to keep students engaged and motivated and plan meaningful end of course experiences. However, the end of the semester is also the perfect time […]

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Think back to a time when things didn’t go as planned during a discussion section, a lab experiment, or an exam. Why didn’t the students perform as well as you hoped? Oftentimes, the answer to this question is because we didn’t clearly communicate our expectations to the students. We weren’t being transparent with our teaching. […]

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In lieu of a spring break for this unusual academic year, Notre Dame has opted for a series of mini-breaks. These rest days are designed to protect the health and safety of the campus community not only by discouraging travel, but also by providing a brief mental respite for students and instructors. But what if […]

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Switching to hybrid, online, or asynchronous modalities can present a number of challenges for instructors. When students and teachers have fewer face-to-face interactions in a shared physical space, it can be difficult to facilitate engagement with course material and foster student interaction and collaboration. One partial solution to this problem is to make collaborative digital […]

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If you are interested in alternatives to the traditional point-based grading system, I’m here to say that you don’t have to dive in all at once. Last semester, I dipped my toes into this whole new world by incorporating specifications grading just for assignments.  Here’s how I did it: I gave my students very clear, […]

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Students are more receptive to your teaching strategies when they know you care about their learning. What’s one concrete way to show that you care? Learn their names! Knowing your students’ names builds community in your classroom, creates a sense of mutual respect, and helps you seem more approachable.  Here are a few tips to […]

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Congratulations! You have made it to the end of an unprecedented, non-stop semester. During this interlude between holidays, I encourage you to (1) reflect on your classes this fall and (2) start planning for the spring. Reflect Before diving into your CIFs, take a moment to evaluate your own teaching. What went well this semester? […]

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If you haven’t yet, read part one of this post here, which outlines the way I draw parallels from the video game Celeste to positive attitudes, active learning, and metacognitive techniques in the classroom. This post focuses on parallels between the game and teaching strategies in introductory courses specifically.  I am not an experienced video-gamer […]

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As a first generation college student, I always felt like I was the only person struggling in the classroom. To compensate, I put incredible pressure on myself to perform what I thought was a successful student persona. This led to more anxiety and poor grades. Fortunately, my professors noticed and did two very simple things: […]

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