Twenty-Minute Mentor Series
In addition to the CIE-sponsored Friday Forums, please consider placing the following Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on your calendar: December 13th, January 17th, February 14th, and March 14th. Those are the upcoming dates of the CIE-sponsored 20-Minute Mentor...
Defunct Adjunct
Hello, my name is Ryan and I'm a defunct adjunct. I've brought it all upon myself. In addition to being an adjunct at NMC, I have a full-time gig at a local Internet hosting company in Traverse City where I host daily webinars teaching people how to create their own...
Go Lions
In these last few weeks of the semester, I find that more of the learners in the classroom are attempting to catch-up on the material in order to pass the final. As I watched my Lions drop another game to the Steelers, I remember the advice I was given when I...
In Search of the Somatic: an ending
The following quote by President John F. Kennedy serves as a timely reminder that health, physical education, recreation, and dance are crucial to the education of all students. "Physical fitness in not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the...
So many suggestions! Where do I start?
Teaching / learning ideas tap our shoulders all the time. Which are worthy? Would Think-Pair-Share work for me, or should I try One-Minute Paper instead? Can I do both - and maybe Muddiest Point too? When I attend a cross-discipline conference, I typically find a...
Clickers in the Classroom
"Clickers lead to teachable moments in the classroom." That's part of what Linda Walter and Jean Rokos have to say about clickers. Linda is in her fourth year and Jean is in her first year of using clickers in the classroom. The benefits they see to students: Improved...
Test Anxiety
I have to admit, I don’t understand test anxiety. I have students that tell me they have test anxiety, and that when they sit down to take a test they go blank. I do believe these students, but I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it because I seldom get stressed...
The Hardest Job Everyone Thinks They Can Do
A suggested reading from Linda Rae, former CIE secretary. This piece was inspired by a heated discussion I had with a man who believes that teachers have an easy job. Please feel free to share it with others if you agree with the message. I used to be a molecular...
Jigsaws in the Classroom?
The jigsaw technique is a collaborative learning strategy that was developed in the early 1970s by Elliot Aronson, a well-known psychologist and co-author with Carol Tavris of Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me). The jigsaw technique divides the class into groups—often...
Guiding student preparation – a journey
When I began teaching in 2002, I was surprised to find so many students coming to class without completing (often, without even starting) their reading assignments. Why didn't they read? How could they expect to succeed? Further, what should I do? Were my expectations...