Tea for Teaching

Teaching Creativity

When thinking about creativity, many students (and faculty) believe that they are either creative or not. In this episode, Susan Keller-Mathers joins us to discuss how the study of creativity can help us get past this false dichotomy in order to develop our creative thinking skills. Sue is an Associate Professor at the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University.  She teaches graduate courses in creativity and has published over 30 articles, chapters, and books on creativity, creative behavior, and the use of deliberate methods to facilitate creative learning. Sue has worked with multiple departments on her campus and with colleagues in over a dozen countries to help infuse creative learning into teaching and learning practices.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Class Dismissed

Institutional racism in the form of redlining and unequal access to educational and housing opportunities have left generations of students without equitable access to higher education. In this episode, Anthony Abraham Jack joins us to discuss the challenges that first-gen students face and what colleges and faculty can do to reduce these inequities. 

Tony is the Inaugural Faculty Director of the Boston University Newbury Center and Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership at Boston University. Tony’s research has appeared in numerous scholarly publications and he is the recipient of numerous awards from the American Sociological Association, American Educational Studies Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, Eastern Sociological Society, and the Society for the Study of Social Problems. He is the author of The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students and Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

International College Students

International college students face cultural and financial challenges in addition to those all new college students face. In this episode, Peter Ghazarian and Hayley Weiner join us to discuss strategies institutions might use to support international students.  Peter is an Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership in the School of Education at SUNY Oswego. He has worked in international education in the US, UK, Germany, and Korea. Peter's work focuses on higher education, leadership, public policy, multiculturalism, and human migration. Hayley is a graduate student in the Higher Education Leadership program at SUNY Oswego.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Beyond ChatGPT

Faculty concerns over student use of AI tools often focus on issues of academic integrity. In this episode, Marc Watkins joins us to discussion how the use of AI tools may have on student skill development. Marc is the Assistant Director for Academic Innovation at the University of Mississippi, where he helped found and currently directs the AI Institute for Teachers.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Enhancing Inclusive Instruction

We often don't have the opportunity to hear directly from students about inclusive teaching practices. In this episode, Tracie Addy, Derek Dube, and Khadijah A. Mitchell, the authors of Enhancing Inclusive Instruction, join us to explore how student perceptions of inclusive teaching practices align with the growing consensus on what constitutes inclusive teaching. 

After serving as the Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning at Lafayette College, Tracie will be transitioning to a new role this summer as the Director of the Institute for Teaching, Learning, and Inclusive Pedagogy at Rutgers University - New Brunswick. Derek Dube is an Associate Professor of Biology and the Director of the First-Year Seminar Program at the University of St. Joseph in Connecticut. Khadijah A. Mitchell is an Assistant Professor in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in the Temple University Health System and Affiliated Faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Temple University College of Public Health.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Extending Kindness

Beginning faculty often receive warnings that lead to antagonistic relationships with their students. In this episode, Cate Denial joins us to discuss how a pedagogy of kindness can build productive learning environments for all students.

Cate is the Bright Distinguished Professor of American History and Director of the Bright Institute at Knox College. She is the winner of the American Historical Association’s 2018 Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award and sits on the board of Commonplace: A Journal of Early American Life. She is also the author of A Pedagogy of Kindness, one of the first publications in the new Oklahoma University Press series on teaching and learning, edited by Jim Lang and Michelle Miller.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Nudging, not Judging

During the pandemic, faculty participation in professional development activities expanded dramatically. Faculty involvement, though, has been gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels. In this episode, Sarah Rose Cavanagh joins us to discuss strategies for bringing more faculty into discussions of teaching and learning.

Sarah is a psychologist and the author of four books related to teaching and learning. She is the senior associate director for teaching and learning and associate professor of practice at Simmons University and also is a regular contributor to the Chronicle and many other publications. Sarah often serves as a keynote speaker and we were very fortunate to have Sarah join us for a keynote address at our Academic Affairs Retreat in Oswego last August.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Growth-Mindset Messaging

First-generation college students, on average, have lower GPAs and higher dropout rates than continuing-generation students. In this episode, Elizabeth Canning, Makita White, and William B. Davis join us to discuss a growth-mindset intervention that has eliminated this equity gap in a large STEM class. 

Elizabeth is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Washington State University. Makita is a graduate student at WSU’s Experimental Psychology Program, and William is a Professor of Molecular Biology and the Interim Vice Provost for Academic Excellence and Student Achievement at WSU.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Active Learning Initiative at UGA

While there is compelling evidence that active learning results in increased student learning, these initiatives often face resistance from students and faculty. In this episode, Megan Mittelstadt and Leah Carmichael join us to discuss the active learning initiative at the University of Georgia that provides professional development for faculty, active learning training for students, and for the redesign of classroom spaces. Meg is the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Georgia. Leah is the Director of Active Learning, also at the University of Georgia.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

CATs and AI

Classroom assessment techniques, initially developed at a time when chalk-and-talk instruction was the norm, helped to shift the focus from teacher-centered to learner-centered instruction. In this episode, Todd Zakrajsek joins us to discuss how generative AI can enhance these techniques by providing more immediate feedback.

Todd is an Associate Research Professor and Associate Director of a Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also the director of four Lilly conferences on evidence-based teaching and learning. Todd is the author of many superb books, and has published five books (so far) in the past five years. His most recent book is a 3rd edition of Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, with Thomas A. Angelo.

A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.