Teaching Time-Out

We can make simple and straightforward adjustments to help students really feel like they matter. Mattering is a psychological concept. When we feel like we matter is a specific context, we feel like people are paying attention us, that we are important, and that others depend on us in that setting. Researchers have explored mattering with faculty and students, and the findings highlight that the best college teachers really think of their students as human beings first, with complex lives that can add to the learning they wish to have occur in their courses. We’ll review two studies on mattering in college classrooms in this time-out, and identify how creating an environment where students feel like they matter can lead to improved student outcomes.                                                                                                        

Faculty Perceptions of Mattering in Teaching and Learning: A Qualitative Examination of the Views, Values, and Teaching Practices of Award-Winning Professors: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07342829211057648

Post-Traditional Students’ Perceptions of Mattering: The Role of Faculty and Student Interaction: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07377363.2022.2108642

We’re taking a time out today to reflect on learning through reflection - how can we learn what and how our students are absorbing the information in our carefully designed courses? Dr. Blanton will highlight two studies in the journal Teaching of Psychology that have implications and suggestions for instructors across the humanities and sciences. 

Two articles anchor the discussion for this time-out:

Dr. Conrad’s paper on self-reflections in a memory course: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0098628312465863

And Dr. McGrath’s paper on office hours and learning reflections in a statistics course: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0098628313514186

Our time-out today is focused on “rapport” and the minimum tactics needed to see significant outcomes with students. Dr. Blanton will highlight some key findings from the works of Dr. Rebecca Glazier and share some simple adjustments college instructors can make to increase the sense of rapport students perceive with their instructors. 

Here is a link to the paper I reviewed, along with Dr. Glazier’s book:

Glazier & Harris 2020

Connecting in the Online Classroom: https://a.co/d/bM5Z8st

In this episode of Teaching Time-Out, we are zooming out from the classroom and thinking about our teaching philosophy statements and how we can practically approach putting together this document. Dr. Blanton will review some key resources and questions to reflect on as you think about writing or re-writing your teaching philosophy. 

Here are links to the mentioned sources:

James Lang on the Chronicle of Higher Education https://www.chronicle.com/article/4-steps-to-a-memorable-teaching-philosophy/?sra=true&cid=gen_sign_in

Kearns and Sullivan: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/advan.00123.2010

Schönwetter, Sokal, Friesen, & Taylor: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13601440210156501  

University of Minnesota Center for Educational Innovation

https://cei.umn.edu/teaching-resources/writing-your-teaching-philosophy

In this first episode of Teaching Time-Out, we are focusing on the first day of class. How can we best use this meeting to engage students, and establish the environment we want for the duration of the course? Dr. Blanton will review the work of Drs. Herman, Foster, and Hardin and the dual-interview activity. 

Here is a link to the primary supporting paper from the Teaching of Psychology: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1080/00986281003609314