Tag Archives: class
How do you get into that popular course?
Perhaps the most important thing to learn from this blog is that people who are confident will not let the rules restrict them if there is something they want. I’m not talking about scary serious rules like driving on the … Continue reading
The power of explaining someone else’s idea
In our short evening class we like to have time to think, time to write, time to talk, and time to share. When these go together well, it is transformative. Last week in the last class before spring break, we … Continue reading
Build curiosity first, then answer questions
First day of class and I meet these wonderful new students, all 54 of them, more actually if you count the hopefuls. If I can’t make behavior seem interesting and wonderful, I have no business teaching. I have a … Continue reading
If you don’t lecture, what do you do in class on the first day?
In a couple of hours my students will be forming their indelible first impressions of me and my wonderful teaching assistants. Studies show that their opinion after the first 10 minutes correla tes highly with their opinion at the end … Continue reading
Why struggle for the attention of your students?
Is half the class on their computers or phones? Are they sleeping? Is your Facebook page full of advice or queries about how to hold the attention of your students? Do you have strict rules about phones and computers? Do … Continue reading
What not to do on your first day of class
Are you about to teach your first class of the semester? Is your syllabus ready? Have you picked just the right texts, balancing content with cost? Are you a few PowerPoints ahead? Have you thought about how this semester you … Continue reading
