Teaching and Learning Strategies Blog

Remember the best class you ever had? Maybe it was your 10th grade English class, where you got turned on to Pride and Prejudice or Catcher in the Rye.  Or maybe it was a college math class where you learned that math is not hellish - it’s actually cool! Think back to how you felt in that class.  Engaged? Like it was FUN? Like you wanted to recommend that class to everyone you knew? There’s a very real possibility that the reason you felt that way isn’t because it was an amazing subject, it was because you had an amazing teacher.  I still remember my high school physiology teacher. Somewhere between dissecting a cat and stabbing my own finger to determine my blood type, that guy won me over from…

On Saturday morning, for the first time ever, I recorded a lecture on Zoom.  It was a guest lecture for a friend who teaches a class at a local university. Afterwards, she sent me a link to the recording, so I got to critique my own performance. Wow, did I learn! Because everyone is scrambling right now to shift meetings and classes online, I thought there might be some value to sharing my experience for the benefit of all.  I hope these lessons learned and tips make you feel more confident in the coming days and weeks when you need to present on Zoom or any other video conferencing platform. 1. Don’t be the host  If you are the primary presenter, have someone else be the host.  There are several…

How would you like to find a single activity that could help you: learn your specialty subject more deeply,make a positive change in the world, andestablish yourself as an authority in your field? You found it: it’s teaching! You might be thinking: Me? A Teacher?  Kirstin, you’re crazy! I’m not an expert at what I do - I’m still learning. That’s absolutely true, and do you want to know something?  The people you look up to as experts and teachers in your field are still learning, too.  They just started a little before you, and they are doing it faster because they are teaching!  Here’s an important secret you should know: You don’t have to know everything about a topic to be an effective teacher and provide value to others.…

Why You're Already a Teacher You might be thinking, "I'm not already a teacher - I'm a professional (or entrepreneur)!" Well, I'm going to convince you that you are a teacher, and explain why that's great and why you should embrace it and learn to do it better. Picture this: You’re in a conference room with 10 of your colleagues. Sandwiches and Tupperware containers full of yesterday’s leftovers are scattered on the table. People are chatting quietly, but they’re waiting for something. They are waiting for you to start talking. You’ve agreed to do a brown bag presentation about a project (or new technique, or report summary), and ready or not, it’s go time.  You look at your watch. It’s 12 noon so you say, “Well, I guess we should…