Teach Strats

HIGHER ED TEACHING STRATEGIES FROM MAGNA PUBLICATIONS

Teacher sits at desk looking tired

Waking up to Tired Teaching

This article is part of The Path to Wellbeing: Overcoming Burnout and Reigniting Your Teaching special report. Download a FREE copy here. I have been

Read More >>
Syllabus and curriculum plans drawn out in a notebook

Revisiting the Syllabus

The syllabus—most of us use them, many of our students don’t read them. We wondered if this venerable artifact of teaching might merit a revisit.

Read More >>
taking notes on the reading

Taking Notes on the Reading

Every course has assignments, but do they get the attention they deserve or do the same versions end up in the syllabus year after year? How much variety is there in the assignments students complete, in degree programs or even across their years at the institution? Bottom line: we think there’s more that could be done with assignments, and this feature aims to provide examples that illustrate innovative approaches and thoughtful attention to design details.

Read More >>
office hours alternatives

Office Hours Alternative Resonates with Students

Faculty regularly face the problem of getting the students most in need of help to come to the office for help. Not only do a small number of students take advantage of office hours, typically those who show up are not those who most need to be there. In previous issues we have reported on research that offers some reasons why this happens. When students start getting feedback that they are doing poorly, some begin to doubt their abilities. They conclude that they just don’t have what it takes and so getting help isn’t going to make any difference. Other times, it’s the stress of having to face the professor with their failure. Some students are so lost, they don’t even know what to ask, and their confidence is so shaken, they have trouble processing helpful information when it’s delivered.

Read More >>