teaching
concerns
The "Change-Up": A Good Pitch to Have in Your
Teaching Repertoire
Bill McAllister,
Former TRC Faculty Consultant, History
In this issue of Teaching Concerns, we are re-printing a popular article originally published here several years ago. We often find ourselves recommending the change-up strategies described here by our former TRC Faculty Consultant, Bill McAllister. It’s been over a decade now since this piece ran in our newsletter, and the insights remain just as relevant today... (Full Story)
Book Review: What the Best College Teachers Do
by Ken Bain. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, 2004.
Reviewed by Cedar Reiner, Former TRC Graduate Student Associate, Psychology
Ostensibly a summary report of a fifteen-year study of nearly a hundred carefully selected college professors in various disciplines across the country, this book resists simply presenting the reader with a list of the practices of its elite study participants. Instead, Ken Bain, Vice Provost for Instruction at Montclair State and founding director of four major teaching and learning centers, organizes the book around several central questions. At first glance, these questions seem to offer simple and practical advice (e.g. “How do these professors conduct class?”). However, as a group, these chapters, and the book itself, make a case that what makes the best teachers the best is not what they do, but rather what they believe. (Full Story)
Rethinking Courses (University Teaching Fellows)
The University Teaching Fellows Program aims to help our most intellectually sound and successful junior faculty members develop into exceptionally fine teachers. The selection committee – comprised of award-winning faculty – seeks to choose junior faculty members who show promise of becoming both eminent researchers and inspiring teachers. (Full Story)
Courses We Wish We'd Taken (Teaching+Technology Fellows)
With support from the Teaching+Technology Initiative (TTI), five faculty Fellows are at work on the four projects described below. Each aims to create approaches and structures that will deepen student engagement in learning, fostering mastery of content. (Full Story)
Distinguished Teaching Professorships
The National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Teaching Professorships (DTPs), one of which is awarded annually to an associate or full professor for a three-year period, recognize excellent undergraduate teaching in the humanities. Deborah Parker was selected to be the Daniels Family Distinguished Professor of Italian, 2008-11. The Cavaliers’ Distinguished Teaching Professorship for 2008-10, which recognizes an eminent scholar for outstanding teaching of undergraduates, was awarded to Trenton Merricks of the Department of Philosophy. Follow the link to learn more about the awards and this year’s recipients. (Full Story)
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The "Change-Up": A Good Pitch to Have in Your Teaching Repertoire
Book Review: What the Best College Teachers Do
Rethinking Courses (University Teaching Fellows)
Distinguished Teaching Professorships
TRC Graduate Student Associate Positions Announcement
Deadlines: Find out more about teaching-related programs, awards, and other activities.
Programs: Learn about various TRC programs for faculty, post-docs and graduate students.
Workshops : See the list of upcoming workshops and pre-register. Search our growing collection of videos of past workshops.
Teaching Tips: Search our archives for short, practical articles on a wide range of teaching topics.
Consultation Services: Sign up for one of a limited number of confidential teaching consultations available for Spring. Submit requests online by the February 9, 2009 deadline.