What Time of the Day Do You Prefer to Teach?

When do you like to teach? Are you a morning person? Do you like weekly seminars? Are you living the online asynchronous life? How much choice do you have in the matter?

In my 25 years of teaching, I've taught many different schedules. Back in the day as an adjunct it was a once a week 3-hour class after filing TPS reports in an iron cage. Not sure I have the stamina for that now. Once I became full-time I settled into customary M/W/F or T/TH offerings. For a long time, I'd teach a class, have a break, teach another class, and then one more. Or teach two classes, take a break, and have one more. I should note we used to be on 4/4 at the beginning of my career but for most of my career it's been a 3/3 which I still experience today. 

The problem for me as an overthinker is that if I had a break in between classes I might think too much about how class went and overcorrect for the next session. My energy would also drop and I'd find it hard to get the energy back up for a class later in the day. I've always had colleagues who teach their classes consecutively, no breaks. Do it all and be done. I avoided that for years, thinking I'd get too tired by the third class. It turns out that's the schedule that works for me. For a few years in a row I've taught my classes consecutively, both the 55-minute M/W/F classes and the 80-minute T/TH classes. Not gonna lie, doing the 80-minute classes back to back to back is tough but I can do it and then do office hours before or after class. No schedule is perfect for it works for me. I'm a true morning person so I prefer to get classes started each semester at 9:00 a.m. 

As I mentioned, I'm an overthinker, and teaching all my classes in a row prevents overthinking. There's no time to wallow in the mire, it might be said. I just keep swimming and do the best I can. Sometimes it leads me to be loose and free...okay, I think to myself with just a few minutes between classes, let's try something different with the next group. Don't rinse and repeat. I'm also more forgiving when I'm not having a great day. If I'm in a teaching sl*mp (a word I don't like to use in baseball or teaching) then it helps not to have time in between classes. Or to have too long in the day before classes begin (that's why I like to start early). I always strive to go 3 for 3 in terms of what I deem to be "good classes" but I've learned to be satisfied when I go 2 for 3. 1 for 3 is bad day, 0 for 3 is really bad day. But I try to process those bad days during my commute home and get back in the swing of things the next time through. I should also note that in any given semester I teach two sections of one course and one section of a different course. 

What's your preference for when you teach and what do you find works for you?

On Hitting (and Missing)

What's the difference between being a hot hitter and being in a slump? Sometimes it seems small and a matter of luck. When you're going good teammates and coaches say "stay hot" and your confidence builds. The ball finds open space. A player loses their footing or makes an error. You just keep getting on base and feel like you can do no wrong.

It's kinda like teaching. I say this after a "mid" year in the classroom. I was okay. Fine. Sometimes pretty good. Other times I just couldn't find it. In batting terms I probably hit around .250. I've made up this rule that a good day of teaching is when 2/3 of my classes go well. 3/3 is a great day. I can live with 1/3. 0 for 3 is a horrible day and stays with me for a while. The semester average was probably that I got a hit once every four classes. I didn't always strike out the other times. Maybe I grounded out or a kid made a good play on me. There's a lot of factors in performance be it in a classroom or between the lines of a playing field.

I'm helping out the coach of a school baseball team this season. Some of the kids are going great at the plate, a lot of them are not. It makes sense. They haven't had a lot of reps. They spend all offseason inside doing tee work and hitting off machines. You can't replicate the ball coming off a kid's hand or how a pitcher effectively moves the ball around the plate and switches up speeds and pitches. You have to stand in the batter's box, be judicious with pitch selection, get your timing right, swing hard, connect, and even with good pitch selection, good balance, good timing and a sweet swing the ball might still find a kid's glove. 

In hitting, as with teaching, sometimes only a minor correction is required. In batting your timing might be slightly off. Your head movement might be off. Your pitch selection might need improvement. Confidence usually requires a boost. Be careful not to overcorrect. Same as in teaching. After a bad class (or classes), confidence needs a boost. You need a good class. Participation helps. Good content helps. As with hitting, be careful not to overcorrect. Expect the ups and downs. Keep your head up when you're in a slump. Keep grinding. It'll come your way soon. 

Dream of Missing a Class

It's almost back to school time. Last night I had a dream that the semester had begun. After finishing up the first week, it suddenly occurred to me that something was off. I failed to show up for one of my class sections. On the one hand, a ridiculous dream, as if I would actually forget to attend one of my own courses. Yet, it taps into a school year anxiety. The fear of being unprepared, the worry about things not going smoothly. I've had dreams like this before. It's usually just a sensation that I missed the boat, that I screwed up big time. It doesn't usually continue on to a happy ending. It just leaves me with the feeling of having messed up. It's no surprise I'm at my computer planning to finish up a syllabus on a Friday morning. A dream like that gives you a little kick in the behind.

The Teaching Statement on My Syllabus

This class will be a mix of lectures and discussions. I do my best to include as many students as possible in discussions. I try various strategies to elicit participation. Knowing students' lives are busy and complicated, I try to be understanding and flexible. I treat students with respect. I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I always try to get better at teaching. I value punctuality and consistent attendance. I don’t usually police use of devices—but I ask that you be considerate of everyone in the classroom and to please avoid distracting from the learning environment. To be honest, it bothers me when students use laptops for things other than taking notes—it’s a major distraction to students and me. But, I don’t try to ban phones and other devices. I believe there are times that devices can help the learning process. In conclusion, I’ll leave it to you to decide what you do with your devices—however, please be courteous and mindful of the situation. Aretha Franklin provides the perfect guide: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Sociological Debates

It's syllabus time. I'm working on my Introduction to Sociology syllabus, and nearly done. I only have about four open dates on the syllabus. This morning an idea occurred to me to fill those dates with sociological debates. I'll spread them throughout the semester and list them on the syllabus as "Sociological Debates: Topic to Be Determined." I'll solicit suggestions from students for topics.

Last time I structured a debate in class, students did a great job debating about athletes who silently protest by not standing for the anthem. It was easy to find students who wanted to take different positions in that debate.

I haven't decided the point value for this assignment, but I tend to make assignments like this low stakes to take the pressure off the situation. There are students who don't like to be in the spotlight in front of their peers. But an exercise like this is a good one for students thinking on their feet while they try to make a persuasive case. And the class as a whole gets to listen and take in various points of view from their classmates. It's also a productive way to engage with controversial topics.

I'm thinking I'll ask students to share the sources of information they use to help shape their arguments. I'm going to say something like "This isn't all about relying on your opinion or just winging it for a few minutes in front of class, or using theatrics." I want students to accumulate sources to prepare for these debates and to seriously engage with their peers on interesting and important topics of the day.

"A cascade of little annoyances can easily gather momentum"

"A cascade of little annoyances can easily gather momentum." That's a quote from the book Cultivating Teacher Renewal: Guarding Against Stress and Burnout (Barbara Larrivee, 2012, p. 8). Chapter one in her book is entitled “The Consequences of Stress and Burnout.” As she notes, some stress is normal and useful. The problem, she says, is when stress is long-term and ongoing. Therefore, “the goal is not to be stress free but rather to keep the harmful effects of cumulative stress at bay” (p. 3).

She makes the distinction between big stresses and little stresses. We all deal with job stresses of various sizes. An example of a big stress she mentions is an increase in work responsibilities that becomes hard to manage. Another example of a big stress I can think of is the endless stream of e-mail we endure. I get increasingly irritated by long e-mails in my inbox. Brevity, people, brevity! I try to keep my e-mails short and to the point. Lately I find a phone call to be way more efficient than a sequence of e-mails.

We shouldn’t overlook the little stresses that add up, like someone knocking on your closed door when you're eating lunch or someone who asks you for a last-minute favor. I really try to be respectful of people's time. I try not to shove work onto people's plates. I think a lot of stresses -- big and small -- could be lessened if we better respected each other's time. I rarely meet someone looking for more work to do. Most of my colleagues are stretched to the max.

Larrivee says there’s a link between stress and burnout. She describes burnout as "the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that results from chronic job stress and frustration" (p. 8). She emphasizes that burnout is a process that develops over time. Unfortunately, people often don't realize something is wrong until they've reached the exhaustion stage.

I'm trying to be more aware of the stresses I'm encountering. And I chat up my colleagues about stress. We should be talking about our stress and sharing our coping resources. Workplace norms like "do more" and "be more productive" can leave one feeling inadequate. I'm not running around advocating that people "do less" or advising people to "be less productive." I'm only saying that we shouldn't make each other feel like we're never good enough or that we should always be doing more work.

The myth that we have summers off to restore ourselves doesn't help. Many of my colleagues work through the summer by teaching courses and by catching up on research. For some of us at teaching-focused institutions, summer is the only time we can do research for an extended length of time. And for some people, teaching in the summer isn't optional, it's something they need to do to pay the bills.

Most of us want to be team players and be productive members of our institution, but there are times we have to say no and times we have to be protective of our time. We want to make meaningful contributions without burning out. I'm increasingly interested in learning about (and promoting) personal strategies and forms of interpersonal and institutional support that can lessen our stress so that we're in better shape for the long run.

Bad Habits. This is No Way to Grade.

I just finished grading a large pile of essay exams. It feels good, except I've been grading since 4:30 this morning and I have three classes to teach today. I told myself to spread out my grading. I didn't. I I graded all day yesterday and finished grading this morning. The process would have been smoother had I graded throughout the weekend but my preference and choice was to do other things during the weekend, like remembering I have two children and that it might be nice to go outside. Much of Saturday was spent with the kids at soccer, and Sunday involved a little bit of football and time spent with relatives.

The habit of working in the early hours of the morning goes back to college. I would spend normal hours studying in the library but run out of time and mental gas and shut it down to toss and turn in bed and have a pitiful night of sleep, only to get back up before the sun and resume studying. I was rewarded for doing so in the form of good grades and academic success. So, in a way, it works. But what a lousy habit. Surely there has to be some other way to find proper hours in the day to get done what needs to get done. Or maybe not.

I'll end this now that I'm probably in the realm of self-pity but really it's just a journal entry in the form of a blog that says to myself, "Get your shit together." I need to develop better habits because my habits around grading are in desperate need of improvement. Okay, I'm off to teach my three classes and they'll probably be good ones because I'm happy that the grading is done and I'll probably be loose in the classroom and manage to find my A or A minus game. Should that happen, it will further reinforce how I tend to go about my work.

Keeping the Attention of Students

I have written before about the complicated lives of students. They are tired. They are stressed. They have a lot going on in their lives. I can't always command their attention and that's okay.

I actually complimented two of my classes yesterday for paying any attention to me, at all. Seriously. I talked briefly about video games in my Introduction to Sociology class. The best selling video game so far in 2015 is Mortal Kombat X. I showed the trailer in class to discuss the game as an element of American culture. Several students told me they play the game/like the game and said the trailer is actually a tame representation of the game. It was then that I said out loud that it's miraculous they pay any attention to me carrying on about sociology. I know that taking an interest in video games doesn't automatically mean not taking an interest in academic matters. It's just a reminder that students aren't always going to be excited about a sociologist talking about feelings and humanity and structural inequalities. It's easy for me to stay engaged. I'm constantly moving around the classroom and hustling for class participation. They are sitting in chairs with a million distractions in their heads and another million distractions on their devices.

It also occurs to me that this is a society in which Donald Trump is running for president. This is a society with people who take Donald Trump seriously as a presidential candidate. Most of my students could probably care less about Donald Trump. Still, we are part of the same society that includes Donald Trump having the time of his life tweaking the American electorate and working over the media.

So what does it all mean in this day and age to be a sociology professor? Hell if I know. I do the best I can to teach my subject matter. I always try to be a sympathetic and flexible professor. I'm appreciative that very busy students in a very strange society give me a chance to teach them sociology.

Three Words of Wisdom for New Professors

I was asked to attend the new faculty orientation and offer words of wisdom about teaching our students. I gave them three great words to use in the classroom and I'll share them here: “I don’t know.” It’s liberating to say "I don't know" in the classroom.

There are lots of times I'm caught off guard and there are many times I just don't have the answer. So I say things like "I have to think about that" and "I’d have to read up on that before I give you a clear and confident answer." None of us knows it all, so I take the pressure off myself by not pretending to be a know it all.

Something That Makes Me Happy as a Professor

There are many things I like about my job as a college professor. But today I just want to mention one. Papers were due in my Introduction to Sociology course today. Some of the students were hyping their papers and that made me happy. One student promised "This paper will change your life" and another student warned "You better be sitting down when you read this paper." Another student said her paper will make me cry. I love that these students showed enthusiasm about the paper. I love that students felt so confident about their work that they guaranteed high quality. In my career, I can't recall many instances of students hyping their work so I guess I found it refreshing. I praised the students for raising the bar and told them I'm excited to read their papers. Just a nice thought from the day that I wanted to share and remember.

"Where Data is King and Jargon is Queen"

I don't want to lose track of the phrase "where data is king and jargon is queen," which appears on page 213 of This Is Not a Test by José Luis Vilson. I love that phrase. There are valuable uses for data and some amount of jargon and buzzwords is inevitable, but we need to remain critical and creative thinkers so that we don't automatically accept any new idea that comes along packaged in data and trendy language.

Throughout the book, Vilson emphasizes the importance of building relationships with students. We can introduce all the technology, accountability measures and evaluation systems we want, but what remains paramount in education is that we treat students as people, teach them with respect, and strive always to connect with them in ways that enhance the teaching and learning process.

I have a healthy respect for data but I am not a "datamaniac" (a term Vilson uses on page 184 that I like). Of course we can use data to help us understand how we can improve all parts of the teaching and learning process. But we need to be cautious about assigning magical powers to data. Data are not the be all end all.

Simple Teaching Tip: Always Carry Index Cards

Not breaking new ground here, just a simple suggestion for increasing student participation. I always have a pack of index cards in my bag that I carry to class. If class participation stalls, I can break out the index cards. Whatever the topic happens to be, I pose a few questions and ask students to write their honest answers on an index card. I tell them not to put their name on their card unless they want to. When students have finished writing their responses, I collect the cards and read some of the responses. I don't identify anyone by name. Usually it only takes 4-5 cards to get to something that sparks discussion. It's common for a student to raise their hand to respond to something I've read on an index card. I love it when students respond to something a peer has said. I'll continue to read responses from the pile, occasionally asking the class "Does anyone want to take credit for this?" Sometimes no hand goes in the air, so we don't know who authored the response, but in many cases a student will take credit and elaborate. This leads to more debate and discussion.

So that's it. Trust me, everyday is not an index card day. Like any other technique, it can go stale if it's overused. It's just another tool in the box that helps keep class discussions going. And keep in mind this is a great way to involve shy students in the discussion. If I read 15-20 cards from the pile, I've most likely included cards written by students who tend to be quiet in class. So this is a way to increase contributions across the board.

If you've never done this, give it a try and let me know how it went. And please share your ideas for stimulating participation.

Calling All Students (Thinking About Class Participation)

Do you only call on students who raise their hands in class? This is a question I like to ask my colleagues when we talk shop about teaching. Keep in mind that I write from the perspective of someone who teaches classes with a maximum of forty students. My typical Introduction to Sociology class has forty students. But my Research Methods class never has more than twenty. So the ways I try to elicit class participation have a lot to do with my class sizes. 

When I first started teaching, I only called on students who raised their hands. That seemed like the natural way to go. But it wasn't long before I became comfortable calling on students who didn't raise their hands. I just wanted more people to join the conversation. I never want to embarrass a student or make them feel uncomfortable. I just want to try to give students a chance to express their points of view. I take a lot of interest in students who appear to be very shy. It seems like nothing would ever get them to raise their hands. But shy students have something to say too. 

More often than not, I am rewarded for calling on a student who didn't raise their hand. The student might be surprised at being called, but usually the student handles the situation well. The student generally does a good job of responding to my question. In return, the student hears something I say a lot in class: "Thank you." I am sincerely thankful when students contribute to discussions. So many interesting and unexpected things occur when more people join the conversation. 

Sometimes, calling on students who haven't raised their hands is just a practical thing to do. There are days when no hands are raised. There are moments when it feels like I'm pulling teeth. Sometimes all it takes is one student to spark the conversation. And in some cases that only happens when I call on a student who didn't raise their hand.

Perhaps someone is reading this and thinking: "This guy is a real moron. He's actually writing something about calling on students. What a fool. They are students. They should be called on, no matter what." If anyone has that thought, I would remind the person that a teacher is taking a risk by calling on a student who didn't raise their hand. There are times when I have called on a student and their face has turned bright red. There are times when a student quietly says "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" or just gives me a blank look. They might be extremely shy, or sick, or tired, or startled, or confused, or just totally caught off guard. No one wants to be a deer in the headlights. So if I catch someone at the wrong moment, I apologize. The apology is for embarrassing them when that's what I have done. I suppose someone else might be reading this and thinking: "Who is the oversensitive professor who would apologize to students? They're supposed to be engaged. They're supposed to be prepared. Too bad if they're caught off guard." I disagree. Students lead complicated lives. Many are exhausted, many are overwhelmed with too much coursework, many are stressed by financial and personal problems, many have jobs to worry about too. So I'm not going to hassle a student for not having something to say at any given moment. It must also be said that some students don't want to say anything--ever. Some are afraid of what their peers will think, some are nervous about speaking in public, some have a speech impediment (please note that I have had students with speech impediments contribute to class discussions on a regular basis. I'm just saying that some students with speech impediments are reluctant to speak). So there are lots of reasons why people would prefer not to speak. And if a student asks me not to call on them (which I think has only happened once or twice), then I don't.

I sum it up this way in my syllabus in a section about my teaching style: Usually, I wait for students to raise their hands before I call on them, because I don’t want to call on someone who doesn’t have anything to say.  However, as the course progresses, I will call on students who don’t raise their hands, for the purpose of including students (especially shy ones) in the conversation.  When I call on a student, it is never to embarrass them or put them “on the spot.”  

Despite the potentially embarrassing moments that can flow from this approach, I will continue the practice. I'm not saying all teachers should do as I do (and I definitely respect my colleagues who don't call on students unless hands are raised). Overall, it works well for me and I'd like to hear what others have to say about the subject. As I mentioned earlier, I am often rewarded for calling on students who don't expect to speak. Recently, I called on a student in my Introduction to Sociology class who hadn't said anything in the first four weeks of class. It seemed to me she was paying close attention during class. I wanted to hear what she had to say. So I called on her. In the two classes since then, she has raised her hand several times. What if I had not called on her the first time? Would she have ever raised her hand? To me, the benefits to students (and to teachers) of calling on students without their hands raised outweigh the disadvantages. Mistakes will be made, no doubt. But teaching and learning are like all other forms of social interaction: not perfect, and sometimes embarrassing. We do the best we can. For my part, I strive to include as many students as possible in the process of learning. I'm learning, too. When I hear from more students, I learn more. 

Let's Do What We Can Today

Let's do what we can today
as teachers and learners.

We don't have much time today
even though it feels like a drag.

Today we don't all feel great
No juice
Not feeling it
Not on point
So let's do what we can to help each other
and lift each other's spirits.

This is our chance to learn and grow
even if just a little bit.

Let's aim to think a little longer
Think a little deeper
See something a different way
Give that thing a second thought.

Today some of us are tired
Bored
Distracted
Sad
Confused
So let's do the best we can to support each other.

And let's look for pleasure in all of this.
It's there.
We've got to find it...
together.

Let's challenge each other
Respect each other
Maybe even try to understand each other.

And there will be days
when we're happy and silly
and funny and loving life.

Those are the best days.
But all days are days to learn something.
So let's do the best we can today
as teachers and learners.

Author's note: This poem is about the dog days of teaching and learning. It's easy to learn on a good day. But not so easy on a bad day. Those are the days we especially need each other.

Crafting a Cell Phone Policy with Students

I haven't been in a classroom since December 2011. Following the Fall 2011 semester, I enjoyed sabbatical leave. I return to the classroom in September. I'm looking forward to teaching again. I'm not looking forward to cell phones. For an excellent discussion about cell phones and texting in class, I recommend this piece by Nathan Palmer. I agree with Nathan's comment that "you can stop cell phone use, but the costs aren't justified by the rewards." I totally agree with Nathan that I don't want to use up my goodwill by policing students' cell phone use. I ultimately view the War on Cell Phones as a war that can't be won.

For many years I've included a perfunctory statement in my syllabi asking students to not use cell phones during class time. Students respond to the policy by "politely" using their phones underneath their desks, as if I can't see them. Sometimes I ask students to put their phones away, other times I don't have the energy to do it. There's so much cell phone use, I can't stamp it all out. My colleagues generally admit they are also at a loss for what to do, although a few will boast that no student would dare use a cell phone in their class. Maybe it's true; maybe a few people have squashed all cell phone use, but I have a hard time believing that it came with no cost to their relationships with students.

So what am I going to do in the Fall semester? Instead of writing a lame statement prohibiting cell phones, on the first day of class I'm going to ask students to develop a policy about the use of cell phones. I'm going to ask them what they think a reasonable and fair policy should be. I plan to do this in each of my classes. Keep in mind that professors aren't the only ones who dislike Texting While Learning. Students do not uniformly support the use of cell phones in class. Some of my students have complained to me about the use of cell phones in class. Some students find the use of cell phones as distracting as I do. Considering that students bring a range of viewpoints to this subject (as with any subject), it will be interesting to see how it plays out. What do you think of the idea of including students in the development of a policy on cell phone use?

How will this work? I'm not a power-hungry authoritarian type, but I'll have veto power when students design the policy. So if all they come up with is "Cell phones can be used at all times, for any purpose whatsoever," I'll be forced to block it. But I can safely predict that students will design a nuanced proposal. As I work with students to make policy, I'll have them consider several key questions: (1) For what purposes are cell phones appropriate? (2) Should cell phones be used for Twitter, assuming that tweets involve class-related content? (3) What limits should exist on cell phone use? (4) What is a proper way to ask a student to stop using their cell phone? (5) Is it only the professor who should ask a student to stop using their cell phone? (6) What, if any, consequence should there be for a student who ruthlessly and rudely uses a cell phone throughout class? 

Assuming that students work together with me to form a sensible plan, it will become the official policy for the semester. It might take a long time to work out the details (possibly even the entire first session), but I think it's a valuable use of time.


In all, I want this to be an exercise in thinking about the use of cell phones during class time. I hope students will care more about cell phone use after having a hand in shaping the policy. However it works out, students will discover on day one that I value their input and encourage their participation in class.

Asking is Teaching

Lately I've been thinking about questions. Upon the death of Mike Wallace, much was made of his ability to ask good questions. Commentators spoke with admiration for his ability to ask tough questions and elicit information from interview subjects. I noticed some debate about the actual value of the responses he received, and naturally Wallace had critics who accused him as barely more than a showman.

But this isn't about television. This is about asking good questions in our classrooms.

Asking good questions in the classroom is an art form. I consider it an essential tool for the craft of teaching. I'm always trying to ask good questions. These are some of my favorite questions to ask in the classroom:

1. So, what do you make of this? This question basically asks a student to give her/his opinion. It's a simple open-ended question that begins discussion. No doubt it calls for a follow-up question.

2. Do you want to say more? Some students are comfortable talking a lot, others prefer to say something brief. Quite often a student only gives me a little answer, but I love the content in the initial offering. And so I give the student an opportunity to expand her/his thoughts.

3. Can you think of a counterexample? It's common practice to ask for examples, but I also like to ask for counterexamples. It's a wonderful way for students to engage with the subject matter.

I said earlier this isn't about television, but TV interviewers do provide an interesting frame of reference. An interviewer like Bill O'Reilly often behaves like an interrogator. Supposedly on the hunt for "the truth," he promises to find information in a fair and balanced manner (laugh track). As you can see from my three questions above, I pose questions in a gentle manner. I'm not out to prosecute them. I'm not out to embarrass them or put them on the spot. I want them to have their say and to think critically about the material--key parts of the learning process.

Here are a few more examples of questions I ask on a regular basis:

4. Do we agree with what the student just said? One way I get students to think critically is to have them discuss the ideas of their peers. Suppose a student says something controversial or something that is easily fact-checked. In such cases, I let the students do the work by asking students to respond to what a student has said. Sometimes students voluntarily do this work by raising their hands, but I often have to prod them to challenge their peers. I work hard to ensure that the conversation between students proceeds in a respectful way.

5. What's a counterpoint? Gotta say, I love this question. It opens the door to an additional point of view. Sometimes I ask this to a student who has just said something, thereby making the student immediately come up with an alternative viewpoint. I frequently ask it as another way for students to engage with the ideas of their peers. It's also gives students a way to discuss the information I'm presenting at the moment. This lets them know that they can question whatever it is that I'm teaching. Just because I'm teaching something doesn't mean that I'm trying to convince them of something. In fact, this leads to one more example:

6. Do you buy this? Admittedly, this is the kind of question you might hear on television. It's not the smartest question in the world. But suppose you've just spent twenty or thirty minutes introducing a set of ideas. You notice students aren't nodding. They seem to understand what they're hearing, but they're skeptical. Perhaps they're not comfortable voicing an opinion that runs counter to what you've presented; that is, until you ask "Do you buy this?" The question assures them that they are welcome to disagree with the premise of the material you've just taught.

All of these questions come around to the same goal: getting students to think, getting students to articulate their viewpoints, encouraging students to consider various perspectives, and teaching students to discuss ideas in a respectful and serious manner.

No doubt about it, folks: asking is teaching.

Author's note: I recognize some of these questions aren't a good fit in a Research Methods or Statistics course. The six questions I've included here are ones I frequently use in my Introduction to Sociology course and topical courses.

How Do You Get Better?

This week I saw an interview of Anne Hathaway, conducted by Charlie Rose. Rose asked a simple yet elegant question: "How do you get better?" Quick on her feet, she immediately replied: "I go to the theater. I watch Meryl Streep movies. I watch other people's work." I was really impressed with her answer. To lean on a cliche, we are all a work in progress. None of us are perfect. We can always get better at what we do. But how?

I related to Hathaway's answer in that I occasionally observe my colleagues teach. So, to get better, I go to the classroom. Fortunately, my position as chairperson for a period of five years afforded me opportunities to see other people teach. I always picked up a trick or two: a new way of asking a question, a different way of using space in the classroom, a technique for engaging students, etc. We all know it's easy to get stuck in a rut. Watching other people do their thing helps us to get better at doing our thing. I'm not chairperson any longer (and I notice a corresponding decrease in headaches) but I still peep into classrooms occasionally and linger outside classroom doors. That's not as weird as it sounds. Hathaway goes to the theater, I go to the classroom. But I can't buy a ticket to the classroom, so I hang outside so as not to intrude. But I still get to see other people in action. In what ways do they present information? How do they talk with students? What do they do well? What could they do better? What were missed opportunities? There's so much to see and observe.

I taught my first class in the fall of 1998. All these years later, I know one thing: I don't have it all figured out when it comes to teaching. None of us do. We work at our craft, work at being our best, and strive for those beautiful moments when learning is in the air. It's hard to describe when the learning happens (and we know that it often "happens" outside the classroom) yet we've all had that "aha" moment when something good happened. Teaching, like acting, is an art. To get better requires constant work and practice.

So, how do you get better?

I'm HOTT. Except I'm Not.

I got an e-mail yesterday informing me I'm included in an article on a website called hercampus.com. It's a list of the best and worst professors in the U.S. The list is compiled based on reviews from ratemyprofessors.com. It's not news to anyone that ratemyprofessors.com isn't scientific. We know that it's basically a haphazard sample of student opinions. That doesn't mean that the comments are worthless, but it does mean that they aren't representative of the population of students who have taken a professor's classes. I'm on the list of "best professors"--I suppose that's better than being on the list of worst professors. The author of the article boils down my ratings by saying "most of the students say he is 'amazing', 'interesting' and 'HOTT.' For the record, only one student said I'm HOTT. I'm not sure what the extra T means, but I assume it's good. I'm flattered that someone thinks I'm HOTT, but I assure you that I'm not. (Today I look like I'm going to a casting call for a Dockers commercial. Only I wouldn't be hired, because I'm short). I don't think I'm unattractive, I'm only saying that at least 99 out of 100 people in a room wouldn't describe me as HOTT (or HOT).

The writer goes on to say "Beyond being easy on the eyes, it seems that Niagara students also enjoy the ease of his classes and the entertainment value of his lectures." The author correctly points out that most of my reviews come from students in SOC 101. This is no small point. I teach several classes: Social Psychology, Race & Ethnicity, Research Methods, and Introduction to Sociology. The way I teach SOC 101 is very different from how I teach upper-level courses. I do see how my Intro class is perceived as easy (although it might be "easy" because I teach it well--just a thought). However, I certainly don't love being reduced to someone who is "easy on the eyes" and "easy." I doubt that's how a representative sample of my students would describe me.

There are worst things in the world than being characterized as a "talented teacher" who is "totally cute" (those are other phrases in the article). If I may say so, I do think I'm a talented teacher. "Totally cute" is a long stretch. I guess I can't pick and choose adjectives. And I'm not mad at the writer--she's only working with the "data" from ratemyprofessors.com. Furthermore, I sent my picture to a writer for Huffingtonpost.com when she was writing a similar story earlier this year. I figured "why not." As long as she was writing a story, I might as well send a picture. So I sent a picture of me with my son Troy, who inspires me in life.

So I write this not out of frustration or because I'm upset. I write it to reflect on what it means to supposedly be one of the best professors in the nation. And to emphasize what we already know: that a haphazard sample of comments should be taken with a huge grain of salt. Come find me at a conference (or do a Google image search) and you'll agree that I'm not HOTT.

Ultimately, I think this post reflects my concern about not being taken seriously. Who wants to be labeled an "easy professor" who is "entertaining" and "totally cute"? Even if I am entertaining, or cute (debatable), there's more to me than that.

The Private Lives of Students

We don't always know what's happening in the lives of our students. Sometimes we forget that their lives are complicated. They're not just our students. They deal with family problems, they have jobs, they have social lives and social problems. They deal with stress, just as we do. Often our students show up in class with the appearance of being bored, or tired, or disengaged. Sometimes they really are just tired. Hell, sometimes they're hungover. But in some cases there's more to the story. Much more. I think it's important to remember that students deal with a lot of different feelings and emotions, so we shouldn't take it personally when they are tired or disengaged in class. It's hard not to be offended if someone is "out of it" during class. We might rush to judgment and get upset when they aren't involved in class discussions and don't seem singularly focused on the class content.

So where is all this coming from?

On a few occasions this semester, students have confided in me about personal problems they've experienced. A few students have shared very personal information with me to explain why they've missed class or will miss an exam. I'm not trying to be mysterious here; it's just that I would never violate their privacy or their confidence. So let's just say I've learned that some of my students are going through (and have gone through) some very difficult situations. They are the kinds of things I would have had enormous trouble dealing with as a 20-year-old (or as a 30-year-old, for that matter). I admire these students for coping with significant challenges in their lives. I worry about them because it would be hard to get through such difficult situations. And it puts into perspective what goes on in the lives of students. More happens to them than we might think. As said, sometimes a tired student is just tired. Sometimes a student really is just bored. Sometimes they drank too much the night before. But a lot of times, there's more to the story. So I err on the side of reserving judgment. I err on the side of not assuming. I have come to understand that a lot goes on in the lives of students, and it's impossible for many of them to come to class with a clear mind and clear head. For my part, I try to be compassionate and sympathetic (AND FLEXIBLE) when it comes to extending deadlines for assignments or rescheduling exams (not in case of hangovers, obviously). In short, I don't automatically give a student a hard time if they show up late or if they are disengaged in class. I try instead to be understanding and helpful. In short, I try to be supportive.

On PowerPoint

I won't call PowerPoint a villain. That's too strong, in my opinion. I don't see it necessarily as an enemy to good teaching and learning. I will also say that PowerPoint is definitely not a superhero. In no way do I see it as rescuing teachers and students. So if it's neither villain nor superhero, what is it? What does it do to our teaching? At best, what does PowerPoint accomplish? At worst, how does PowerPoint get in the way of good teaching and learning?

In general, I'm not a fan of PowerPoint. It seems to me like an extra option that one might get when buying a car or cell phone. Just because it's available doesn't mean I have to use it. But just because I don't love it doesn't mean others can't make good use of it. I understand how PowerPoint can effectively organize information and efficiently distribute it. I can see how the animation of text and the inclusion of graphics can help to gain and maintain the attention of students. I even use it once in a blue moon myself. It's just another tool in the box for me. Not as vital as a hammer or screwdriver. Just the 100th tool in my box that I can use on a rainy day. Sorry for the mixed metaphors.

I am not against the use of PowerPoint. I only ask people to reflect on the purpose for using it. I also ask people to think about how often they should use it. Using PowerPoint once in a while is very different than using it day in, day out. Take the students' perspective: how awful must it be to settle into a PowerPoint presentation every single class? I am a proponent of mixed methods: using a variety of teaching techniques to engage students and actively involve students in their learning. If PowerPoint is one of those techniques, wonderful. I just don't see how the regular use of it enhances learning (that's not just my personal opinion, there is some academic literature to support that viewpoint). By the way, if one looks long enough at the literature, one can find evidence to bolster one's point of view about PowerPoint.

Bottom line: we all know that technology doesn't do the teaching for us. We are the teachers; technologies aid our teaching. No one would say that using PowerPoint as a crutch is a good idea. If PowerPoint helps you be a great teacher, go for it. Does it? If PowerPoint is your default mode of instruction, ask why that's so. Teaching is a blend of style and content, a constant challenge of presenting information in an interesting way that results in students learning that content, and then being able to apply what they've learned in some way. What tools help you achieve your teaching goals? What tools make you a better teacher?