Bird by Bird

Bird by Bird

My students are starting to feel overwhelmed right now. They have math tests and English papers and lots of hours at work–two even told me today that they just picked up second jobs. It’s easy for them to give up in the face of so much to do. So it is always at...
Trying to be a Creator–Even in November

Trying to be a Creator–Even in November

For a number of years now, I have taught my ENG 107 students about the idea of personal responsibility. We use On Course, a college success book written by Skip Downing, as the primary text in that class. The whole book is based on the choice between being a Victim...
Learning for Life

Learning for Life

In my high school, there was a statement over the entrance way that read, “Learn not for school, but for life.”  I think the best gift of being an educator is that we have the ability to learn from every student, every peer, every day.  I know that is a journey that...

Applying Ordinary Teaching for an Extra-ordinary Learning Time

In this second post of a series using the different categories of significant learning outcomes (SLO) as a basis for sharing how some teaching strategies and best practices came to be, the ordinary actions of teaching and learning are worth exploring for their...
Darn Serious Learning

Darn Serious Learning

Lately, there seems to be a force that is developing on campus. Because of the on going projects that have been popping up on campus looking at poverty, homelessness, food drives, and clothing drives,  I think the biggest subject that is being raised is ‘awareness’.  ...