Using Teams in the Classroom

You may be wondering the best ways to leverage Teams to support teaching and learning regardless of teaching face-to-face, hybrid, or online. Many students will likely use Microsoft Teams in their future careers, so now is a great time to start learning how to use this platform to communicate, collaborate,… Continue reading…

Office Hours

Office hours can be a new experience for many students, especially first-generation and international students, and availing of them can sometimes be viewed as weakness or failure. Some simple ways to do this are:  Lastly, this slightly more humorous article from the Chronicle describes “the subspecies of North American professor” in terms of how… Continue reading…

Making Course Content Accessible

Making course content accessible may seem like an overwhelming task, but starting with one small thing makes it easy! Creating accessible learning environments doesn’t have to be complicated.  For more information, check out the article on Creating Accessible Learning Environments from Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching. If you are interested in additional facts… Continue reading…

Reflection and Teaching Effectiveness (spring 2024)

On February 5, 2024, Dr. Shawn Simonson , a Director of the Human Performance Laboratory and a Professor of Kinesiology at Boise State University, presented-on Teaching Effectiveness Frameworks. At the start he reminded us:   “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.”– John Dewey  Simonson was involved in creating… Continue reading…

Women’s History Month (Spring 2024)

March is Women’s History Month! Try incorporating some of  these teaching tips to create a dynamic and universal learning environment that celebrates the rich history of women and  highlights the often-overlooked stories of women’s pivotal roles in shaping society. It also  fosters a more full educational narrative and encourages students to… Continue reading…

Combatting Disengagement (spring 2024)

If you have been noticing higher levels of student disengagement recently, you are not alone. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education outlined common trends related to a larger “student disengagement crisis” that instructors across the country are facing including a combination of post-pandemic academic challenges, widespread mental health challenges,… Continue reading…

Final Assessment Tips

Towards the end of the semester, minds are turning towards end of semester assignments and exams which can add stress for everyone. As faculty we need to prepare meaningful ways to measure the students’ learning and support them in preparing for those final assessments. 

Encouraging Students to Learn how to Learn

Although we might want to assume that our students are coming to class prepared to learn every day, that is simply not the case. In a March 2024 article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, It’s time to start teaching your students how to be a student, Dr. Emily Isaacs states,… Continue reading…

Midterm Grades

This information focusses on preparing to hold mid-semester feedback opportunities and submit mid-term grades. Check out our Spring 2024 mid-term grades teaching tips for more information about the purpose of mid-term grades and how to discuss them with your students.

Teaching Tips | Teaching and Jewish Holidays (Fall 2024)

The Jewish High Holiday season begins with Rosh Hashanah followed by Sukkot and Simchat Torah. These teaching tips provide resources to help you support students during these times and other Jewish holidays. Additional resources for further reading are also provided. Jewish Holidays Q & A. You may have questions about Jewish holidays and how they… Continue reading…