Today’s post is a two for one! We’ve got two great teaching tips from two wonderful teachers. First, you’ll hear from Joe Lostracco, in his post “Teacher as Learner” and then you’ll get a great idea from Christie Carr, in her post “Agenda on the Board.” Enjoy!

Teacher as Learner

by Joe Lostracco

I’ve previously described a simple technique to demonstrate close reading. Early on in my Composition II classes, I’d assign a short story I’d never read. Then, the students and I worked together exchanging ideas about the story’s themes and possible interpretations. Finally, we revised our interpretations, using evidence from the story. By grappling with the unfamiliar, I showed my students how to do the same thing. One of my students remarked that “it’s as if there is a new meaning, a new interpretation lurking behind every sentence that that crawls or leaps from students’ mouths.” In addition to actively engaging students in the learning process, the technique kept me active as a learner.

Agenda on the Board

by Christie Carr

When I first started teaching eight years ago in the Student Development Department, I came up with the idea to write an agenda on the chalkboard to help me stay on track. It turned out the students liked it, too. The agenda, written in bullet points, included information we covered the previous week, homework due, the current lesson highlights, and homework to be assigned. Today I use this teaching strategy in my hybrid course and it still helps keep students focused. It also reminds students that they have a second weekly class period, just not on campus.