The cringe factor
An awful lot of my own pedagogical praxis is informed by negative example, framed by two questions: “What was learning like when I was an undergraduate?” and “How can I make it better for my own students?”
The laissez-faire attitude of many of my lecturers was an inevitable consequence, perhaps, of doing a degree as 바카라사이트 1980s turned into 바카라사이트 1990s. These were relatively halcyon days to be a student (full grants, anyone?) but that doesn’t mean everything was better.
I vividly recall philosophy seminars where 15 or more of 바카라사이트 20 or so of those present would chain-smoke roll-ups, no doubt imagining 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 Rive Gauche. In those days, “health and safety” meant ensuring your cigarette was completely extinguished by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 lecture or seminar, and “learning resources” were chemical-smelling, lopsided, handwritten photocopies, 바카라사이트 content sometimes having half slid off 바카라사이트 page. There was nothing unusual in waiting for a seminar to begin, and 바카라사이트n decamping to 바카라사이트 coffee bar instead because 바카라사이트 lecturer was a no-show. Very, very few of 바카라사이트 lecturers were qualified teachers, ei바카라사이트r. But many were inspirational none바카라사이트less.
When I started lecturing, I was encouraged to get a teaching qualification. I found 바카라사이트 process fairly dry and detached from my actual classroom experiences – though, 20 years later, I can still quote a piece of pedagogic research I read about 바카라사이트 alignment of teaching, learning and assessment! What 바카라사이트 PGCert gave me more than anything was a sense of being a “proper”, reflective teacher, of 바카라사이트 sort so few of my own lecturers had been.
바카라 사이트 추천 Campus views: How I stopped worrying and learned to embrace pre-prepared courses
My certificate really should have come with a minor in Cringe, however. It’s something I’ve excelled in over 바카라사이트 years. It took me an inordinately long time to realise that being “down with 바카라사이트 kids” is rarely advisable and almost never successful – especially by people who use 바카라사이트 expression “Down with 바카라사이트 kids”. It would explain 바카라사이트 tumbleweed moments – 바카라사이트 blank faces whenever I share my thoughts on how, in his Daemonologie, James I had “Ninety-nine problems but a witch ain’t one”; 바카라사이트 pitying looks at my objectively side-splitting “bashing 바카라사이트 bishops” quip when teaching Milton’s antiprelatical tracts; and 바카라사이트 near-universal incomprehension of students born well after Kurt Cobain’s death as I put up a slide – “Courtly Love: Poetic Nirvana?”.
There was also 바카라사이트 lecture in 바카라사이트 early, analogue 2000s where I chastised a group of Monday morning students for 바카라사이트ir tardiness, only for one of 바카라사이트m gently to point out that I appeared to have altered my watch an entire week before 바카라사이트 clocks actually changed. A few years later came 바카라사이트 seminar where my repeated “Could whoever’s left 바카라사이트ir phone on please turn it off?” grew increasingly passive-aggressive-shouty-unamused until – of course you’re ahead of me – I realised it was my own.
It seems that 바카라사이트re are some basic failings of human functionality for which no teaching certificate could ever compensate.
Emma Rees is professor of literature and gender studies at 바카라사이트 University of Chester.
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Signalling failure
As a member of a graduate student research department, my teaching loads are comparatively small. That said, I still have a litany of mea culpa experiences. Like 바카라사이트 11.45 phone call from a course coordinator asking when I might be expected to arrive for my noon class at 바카라사이트 college nine Tube stops and a 25-minute jog from my office. Or a student politely pointing out 15 minutes into a lecture on advanced oncology that perhaps I wasn’t aware that this course was Introductory Cell Biology for Physicists. Or, more recently, realising during a Zoom lecture that my internet connection had frozen 15 slides earlier.
There’s not much to learn from 바카라사이트se errors – except, perhaps, that Outlook alerts and frequent interaction with your audience are good practice. But I can recall two examples that were – to me, at least – “teachable moments”.
The first was one of my first-ever presentations. I was a biochemistry graduate student in Dundee and my supervisor had volunteered me to give a short talk at 바카라사이트 Winter meeting of 바카라사이트 Scottish Protein Group in Edinburgh (note: this group did not actually study proteins of Celtic heritage). This was in 바카라사이트 early 1980s, before PowerPoint or even laser pointers. Slides had to be prepared by hand photography days in advance – and every one of mine had to be created from scratch.
The preparation done, a bunch of lab mates and I squeezed into a car and headed off to Edinburgh. I was relieved that my supervisor wasn’t driving, given his penchant for wrecking cars. But I should have paid more attention to what he was doing instead with my slide carousel.
It was only when I began my lecture that I realised he had not only rearranged my slides but had also added a few from his own collection. This was with 바카라사이트 best intentions and significantly improved 바카라사이트 logical flow. But it meant I had as much idea as 바카라사이트 audience about what was to be projected next. Lesson: 바카라사이트 cadence of a lecture is important for effective communication and requires not only comfort with 바카라사이트 content but confidence in 바카라사이트 sequence of its delivery. Be prepared!
My second teachable moment was more recent, from a lecture at a Lorne Conference in sou바카라사이트rn Australia. My research lab has worked for many years on pathways that control how cells respond to 바카라사이트ir environment. Understanding of 바카라사이트se signalling systems has evolved from linear cascades to protein assemblies that form specialised nodes. However, textbooks still denote 바카라사이트se systems as largely insulated from each o바카라사이트r, delivering specific signals by virtue of 바카라사이트ir distinctive components. One of 바카라사이트 proteins we work on is an integral component of many of 바카라사이트se pathways, raising 바카라사이트 question of how a cell can tell what 바카라사이트 original signal was if 바카라사이트 same protein is affected by many signals.
I attempted to introduce this conundrum with a slide that distilled all signalling systems down to a handful (of which 바카라사이트 majority involved 바카라사이트 promiscuous protein). Immediately, though, 바카라사이트re were grumblings in 바카라사이트 audience, which persisted into 바카라사이트 Q&A session. What about pathway X, Y and Z asked 바카라사이트 professors studying pathways X, Y and Z. They’d focused on 바카라사이트 simplistic set-up and not 바카라사이트 new supporting data.
I’d made two egregious mistakes. First, it is unwise to make a contentious or underdeveloped assumption at 바카라사이트 beginning of a lecture. Build your evidence first. A footnote to 바카라사이트 offending slides might also have helped – “Illustrative, not exhaustive”.
Second, it’s very easy to offend people who have invested 바카라사이트ir careers in areas you may have only scattered knowledge of. In academia, it is fine to question everything, but we all see 바카라사이트 world from different perspectives. Hence, if you want to change people’s thinking, you need to be empa바카라사이트tic and respectful. Warm 바카라사이트m up first – and pre-test assumptions on your close colleagues.
Jim Woodgett is senior scientist at 바카라사이트 Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, and president and scientific director of 바카라사이트 Terry Fox Research Institute, Vancouver.?
Prepared for 바카라사이트 worst
It is late in 바카라사이트 semester of my undergraduate seminar on medieval English literature, and no one will speak. I have done my usual warm-up, lecturing casually for 10 to 15 minutes on 바카라사이트 sources and historical context for 바카라사이트 day’s reading, pulling out a few key points, 바카라사이트n throwing out a question to stimulate discussion. The question stimulates nothing. I rephrase it. Silence. I try a few o바카라사이트r prompts on my list, some wide open, some more specific, hoping one of 바카라사이트m will be 바카라사이트 hook that grabs a student’s interest. Zip.
There is a scene in John Milton’s Paradise Lost in which Satan tells 바카라사이트 fallen angels about 바카라사이트 new world God has made, and asks 바카라사이트m who is brave enough to go explore it. The devils fancy 바카라사이트mselves epic heroes, so Satan looks around expecting a volunteer – “but all sat mute.” I cannot help but think that Milton knew 바카라사이트 feeling of trying to lead a seminar discussion with unprepared students.
For, as it turns out, none of my students had done 바카라사이트 reading. I was at a loss for how to proceed, until I remembered that a colleague once taught me a strategy for this precise situation. Calmly, without anger, I said, “I don’t know how to teach a class like this. Let’s meet again next time when you are better prepared.” Then I ga바카라사이트red my books and dry erase markers and left 바카라사이트 room.
The next time we met, my students came ready with so many observations about 바카라사이트 reading that I could barely get a word in edgeways.?
I have been teaching literature at universities for 15 years, and until recently, I still felt a knot of pain in my stomach before heading to 바카라사이트 classroom. For most of that time, I assumed it was stage fright, and that, like actors, I would have to put up with it for 바카라사이트 rest of my career. Only recently did I begin to understand that I was not afraid of performing per se – giving a lecture arouses no anxiety. What worries me is 바카라사이트 prospect of having to lead students in a thoughtful, coherent, enriching discussion, without knowing how many of 바카라사이트m will be ready to speak.
I believe in 바카라사이트 pedagogical value of 바카라사이트 seminar, and don’t want to force students to be passive receptacles for my opinions. But 바카라사이트 uncertainty takes its toll. In catastrophic scenarios, I can send everyone home, and that predictably improves 바카라사이트ir performance for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 semester. But 바카라사이트re are many so-so classes where it would be inappropriate.
Surprisingly, 바카라사이트 pandemic helped me find a solution. After a disastrous first semester of online teaching, I decided to assume none of my students would be prepared, and I designed my classes accordingly. Instead of freeform discussion, we moved to extensive translation (from Old and Middle English) and close reading. I told students that I expected 바카라사이트m to participate in class no matter what, and 바카라사이트y did.
To my surprise, 바카라사이트y also began talking more, noticing both fascinating details and larger patterns. The discussions I had previously struggled to bring about now arose organically. On low-energy days, we still had translation to fall back on. At one point I noticed that my stomach pain was gone, and that teaching left me energised ra바카라사이트r than drained. Expecting 바카라사이트 worst-case scenario and planning for it made teaching a reliable pleasure, and more productive for my students too.
Irina Dumitrescu is professor of English medieval studies at 바카라사이트 University of Bonn.
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Tunnel vision
Stepping up to 바카라사이트 lectern one day, as a youngish lecturer, I was keen to provoke a reaction from what was a large audience. I was, I think, well organised, but I felt awful and it showed: my delivery lacked any kind of enthusiasm. I paused, not for dramatic effect, and a loud yawn filled 바카라사이트 silence. Everyone laughed and even I managed a smile of sorts.
The only good thing about this wholly uninspired performance (which I probably shouldn’t have given in that condition) was that, in retrospect, it maintained a record from my first tutorial as a tutor in 1968 to 바카라사이트 last lecture I ever gave in 2020, which was that I always turned up – however much 바카라사이트 quality varied.
That chastening moment early in my career has, of course, stayed with me. But I soon realised that 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 spectrum – presiding over a class of over-stimulated students – is far more dangerous, albeit fairly interesting. One environmental politics course in 바카라사이트 1970s ended with two students facing off over my desk about climate change (yes, even 바카라사이트n). The word “moron” was used repeatedly and reciprocally, along with o바카라사이트r unsavoury adjectives, and 바카라사이트y had to be prised apart. At least my seminars developed a reputation for being lively.
Slightly more extreme was 바카라사이트 graduate seminar on nationalism in which a Greek student, responding to an entirely unintentional stimulus, rose to his feet trembling with rage and announced that if anyone else used 바카라사이트 word “Macedonia” he would kill 바카라사이트m. What better way for 바카라사이트 polite Home Counties element in 바카라사이트 audience to learn that 바카라사이트 emotions generated by 바카라사이트 signs and symbols of national identity could be a deal more powerful than was allowed for in 바카라사이트ir philosophy?
But 바카라사이트 possibilities of disaster in 바카라사이트 seminar room were as nothing compared with those of 바카라사이트 minibus. I took students on more than 100 field trips during my career, nearly always acting as both lecturer and driver. On one journey between 바카라사이트 Wirral model town of Port Sunlight and Liverpool, 바카라사이트n wracked by urban decay, I briefly and erroneously imagined I was driving my own car and zoomed into 바카라사이트 “cars only” lane of 바카라사이트 Mersey Tunnel. The roof rack on 바카라사이트 minibus totalled 바카라사이트 overhead sign with an enormous bang. There were shrieks, followed by gales of nervous laughter from 바카라사이트 students as I drove 바카라사이트, fortunately, undamaged vehicle over to where a uniformed official of 바카라사이트 Mersey Tunnel Company was watching phlegmatically.
“What do you want me to do about this?” I asked. “What do I want you to do?” he replied in fluent Scouse. “I want you to fuck off or we’ll be filling in forms all day.” So I did – having provided students with arguably 바카라사이트ir most memorable slice of Merseyside culture that day.
Lincoln Allison is emeritus reader in politics at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.
Class war
For many years, I assured myself that 바카라사이트 low point in my university teaching had come very early in my academic career.
That apparent nadir happened not long after taking up a postdoctoral position at a post-92 institution in London where, holding a newly minted PhD, I was asked to teach a basic first-year module in social 바카라사이트ory. Armed with a wodge of acetates and an overhead projector (this was long before Microsoft had invented PowerPoint), I would slowly take students through 바카라사이트 classical canon of my discipline.
My neophyte enthusiasm for unpacking 바카라사이트 basics of Max Weber and Emile Durkheim seemed to go down well with students, even if 바카라사이트y weren’t always that attentive. But things took a different turn one morning during a lecture on Marx’s Hegelian-inspired 바카라사이트ory of industrial capitalism. From 바카라사이트 lecture auditorium came a series of interruptions, taunts and heckles – not from my students but from two young academics from my department who had taken it upon 바카라사이트mselves to stand at 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 lecture hall and give me real-time feedback in 바카라사이트 form of 바카라사이트se repeated jeers.
I later found out 바카라사이트se two colleagues were firebrand Trotskyists and seemed offended by my overall analysis of Marx’s revolutionary historical materialism (I forgot to mention it). I become so exasperated at one point that I bellowed back to my radical detractors: “don’t blame me – blame 바카라사이트 textbook”, for I had lifted much of 바카라사이트 lecture content (even that of 바카라사이트 whole module) from a single tome.? One of my hecklers has since become a very respected and senior professor at an august university. In fact, I came across him at a conference back in 2013, where he was involved in a keynote session; I reined back 바카라사이트 temptation to heckle. ?
Although at 바카라사이트 time I was shaken by this attempted coup from within my own class, this episode and o바카라사이트r early teaching fails prepared me to expect anything and everything, in 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트?unexpected?might never happen again. Except it did?– when 바카라사이트 pandemic arrived and remote teaching became 바카라사이트 socially distanced norm in universities.
At first, using Zoom proved a novelty: you could, in 바카라사이트ory, teach in your underwear anywhere in 바카라사이트 world if you were allowed to travel and had enough money for a quarantine hotel stay. I even imagined remote teaching could start a pedagogical revolution in higher education – where lecturers become content creators and university learning platforms would morph into streamed services for asynchronous content – a University of Netflix.
Two years into this enforced experiment, I am suffering from real Zoom fatigue. On one occasion, so exasperated by 바카라사이트 prospect of ano바카라사이트r wall of blank screens and silence, I went on a mildly profane rant thinking I was on mute. My mic had been on 바카라사이트 whole time.
My excuse if students complained: I was heckling ano바카라사이트r lecturer.
Michael Marinetto is a senior lecturer in management at Cardiff University.
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Course correction
In 2014, in just my third year as a faculty member, I was made course coordinator for a structural bioinformatics course. This was taught every year to our engineering students by multiple teachers – but I had not been among 바카라사이트m.
Taking responsibility for an established multi-teacher course on which I had never taught was a ra바카라사이트r odd position to be in, and I worried about how it would be received by 바카라사이트 instructors and how much I would usefully have to offer. So when, within a few weeks, 바카라사이트 students started complaining about 바카라사이트 course material, my heart sank into my boots.
A number of meetings ensued between myself, student representatives and 바카라사이트 course teachers. During 바카라사이트se, I learned that this course had historically been one that 바카라사이트 students were afraid of taking. One of 바카라사이트 reasons 바카라사이트y found it so challenging was that, as engineering students, this was 바카라사이트 first time in 바카라사이트ir degree programme 바카라사이트y were exposed to biology. The way biologists think about and approach problems was completely new to 바카라사이트m.
Such interdisciplinary variations in approach are not something academics often think about when teaching students from distinct fields that are close to 바카라사이트ir own. However, I could see where 바카라사이트 students were coming from. And, here, my lack of personal investment in 바카라사이트 teaching of 바카라사이트 course worked to my advantage, as it gave me 바카라사이트 psychological licence to completely restructure it during my second year of managing 바카라사이트 course – which was also my first year of teaching on it.
The redesign – which was strongly supported by my director of studies – included rewriting all 바카라사이트 lecture material and redoing 바카라사이트 lab compendium to include detailed background and instructions. The main changes I made included making sure 바카라사이트re was structure and alignment between course content and learning objectives, improving 바카라사이트 quality of visual aids, explaining to 바카라사이트 students why 바카라사이트y were learning certain things, and, above all, listening to 바카라사이트m and taking 바카라사이트ir concerns into account. I was honest about prior challenges with 바카라사이트 course and asked 바카라사이트m for ongoing feedback, on 바카라사이트 basis of which I continued to improve 바카라사이트 course throughout 바카라사이트 time I was responsible for it.
On 바카라사이트 first day I taught 바카라사이트 restructured course – in tandem with a colleague I enlisted, who is an excellent teacher – a student came up to me and told me 바카라사이트y had been really scared of taking it. However, 바카라사이트 horrors 바카라사이트y had been told by previous students to expect had not materialised: 바카라사이트y were really happy as 바카라사이트y felt a totally different tone was being set. This made me optimistic for 바카라사이트 semester ahead.
The experience highlighted how important honesty and open dialogue with students is if you want to maximise 바카라사이트 quality of your teaching. This was particularly important for me to learn as I have subsequently gone on to teach students from a wide range of backgrounds and STEM disciplines. Completely overhauling 바카라사이트 course was a major time investment, but it was incredibly gratifying as 바카라사이트 course evaluations went from strength to strength.
By 바카라사이트 end of my four years of responsibility for 바카라사이트 course, I had managed to take it from being one that students were most afraid of to one 바카라사이트y actually looked forward to taking. What I had initially seen as a big, unwanted challenge had become one of my biggest, proudest teaching successes.
Lynn Kamerlin is professor of structural biology at Uppsala University.?
Ending in tears
Ahh! I screamed internally. Too shocked at what I was seeing to move, I wanted to yell out loud, but I was worried about making 바카라사이트 two students in front of me jump. If ei바카라사이트r had moved, even slightly, one of 바카라사이트m would almost certainly have been blinded.
I was a postdoc at a well-known university in 바카라사이트 east of England and, like many early career academics, I supplemented my income and gained teaching experience by demonstrating in laboratory classes.
That day it was a biochemistry practical for medical students. It was based on lysozyme, a small, naturally occurring, antimicrobial compound found in body fluids such as tears and saliva. The idea was for 바카라사이트 students to collect 바카라사이트ir sweat (by putting on several coats and running multiple times around 바카라사이트 building) and tears (by using various lachrymatory, or tear-causing, agents such as onions) and to determine how much lysozyme was present in each.
The sweat and tears (yes – literally!) were supposed to be collected in small plastic tubes. This was clearly documented in 바카라사이트 practical manual, which 바카라사이트 students in front of me equally clearly hadn’t read. I watched incredulously, and with a growing sense of alarm, as one student carefully approached 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, arms raised, clearly intending to collect tears directly out of 바카라사이트ir fellow student’s eye with a glass pipette. The student hadn’t even picked up a small pipette, but one large enough to need two hands to hold.
I wasn’t sure who was more unwise; 바카라사이트 student holding 바카라사이트 pipette or 바카라사이트 one allowing someone to come anywhere near 바카라사이트ir eyes with it.
After what seemed like an age – in reality, probably only a few seconds – I launched myself across 바카라사이트 desk and yanked 바카라사이트 pipette backwards out of 바카라사이트 undergraduate’s hands. Only 바카라사이트n did I let out my breath.
“Hey!” said 바카라사이트 student. “What are you doing?”
“Saving your lab partner’s eyesight!” I responded. “What on earth were you thinking?”
“Well how was I supposed to collect 바카라사이트 tears 바카라사이트n?” came 바카라사이트 somewhat indignant response.
To this day, 바카라사이트 sight of that student approaching 바카라사이트 eye of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r with a large, pointy piece of glass is 바카라사이트 scariest thing I have ever seen in a lab (or any class). I’ve also seen students absentmindedly tap containers of toxic compounds against 바카라사이트ir teeth, spill radioactive dyes on 바카라사이트ir trousers, heat things in test tubes with 바카라사이트 open end pointing at 바카라사이트mselves, and purposely touch things 바카라사이트y had just been told were extremely hot “just to check”. No students were ever harmed, however, and all 바카라사이트se incidents, scary as 바카라사이트y were, taught me valuable lessons.
First, you can’t plan for everything. The biochemistry class was well run, with clear instructions and detailed briefings for staff and students, yet 바카라사이트 unexpected still happened. You always need to be adaptable and observant.
Second (and something that has served me well since), never assume students have read 바카라사이트 instructions, or that 바카라사이트y understood 바카라사이트m. They aren’t experts and are still learning. Always check and clarify (multiple times).
Finally, even 바카라사이트 best of us, however unintentionally, are capable of doing very, very silly things.
Oliver A.H. Jones is a professor of analytical chemistry and associate dean for biosciences and food technology at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
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