tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3132144160637940632024-03-13T01:45:23.043-07:00Joe Hoyle: Teaching - Getting the Most from Your StudentsProfessor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.comBlogger331125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-61784084599811894312023-12-27T07:23:00.000-08:002024-01-06T03:04:07.073-08:00TESTING IN COLLEGE<p><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I received
an email question recently from a professor at Rutgers about testing.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> W</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">hat students think about their
teacher is heavily influenced by how well the testing and grading process is
managed.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Here is an edited version of my
response to him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">In my new
(free) teaching book (</span><i style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Transformative Education</i><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">), I talk about testing
and grading as the last of the four essential points in my "Education
Diamond." It cannot be an afterthought but rather a key part
of building a successful learning experience for your students. <u>Anything
that students think about as much as they focus on testing and grading needs to
be taken very seriously.</u></span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><u> </u> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">All tests
should be motivational. They should be fair. They should serve as a
warning. They should be challenging.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">They should not be impossible.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I do not
use test banks.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Anything as important as
a test should not be turned over to some stranger who does not know your goals or
your students.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I know learning to write
good questions is hard but with a bit of practice you can become an
expert.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Have some courage.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Write your own questions.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">When my
students walk out of the classroom following a test, I want each one to think,
"Those were reasonable questions. If I had done everything Professor
Hoyle had suggested, I would have done well. The test was not easy, but
it certainly was not impossible."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">When I
create the tests, I have several rules that I explain to my students.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <u> </u></span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Clear communications are an essential part of
my class.</u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Anything
we cover in class is subject to being tested.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Conversely, if we did not cover a topic in class, it will not be
tested.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">If it is not important enough to
mention in class, it is not important enough to test.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--In
writing test questions, I try to make 1/3 of them very challenging.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I call these “A-level” questions and they
focus on critical thinking.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I want to measure
the true level of understanding that a student has attained.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Another 1/3 of the questions are “B-level,”
they require understanding, but the level is not as in-depth.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The final 1/3 (the “C-level questions”) are
easier—more inclined to require memorization and less in need of a deep understanding.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">After five decades, I have found that having
three levels of questions is the best way for me to assess each student’s actual understanding of the material.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Each
question must be tied to something we did in class.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The tests and the class must be
connected.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As students read the questions,
I urge them to identify that connection and consider what we did in class.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I also suggest that they write down potential
questions immediately following every class to consider how topics might be tested.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">When the test comes around, that list is extremely
helpful in spotting the topics we have stressed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Each test question requires careful reading.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Students are often nervous and will tend to skim questions and then be
shocked when they make silly mistakes.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I
urge them to take a deep breath and read the questions carefully and completely
before jumping to an answer. Underlining or highlighting are helpful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--In
writing the questions, I do not have the best student in mind nor the worst
student in mind.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I usually aim my
questions at the student who is about 1/3 of the way down the list of students,
a student who typically makes a B or a B+.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">If your overall test aims too high, you really do leave a lot of good
students feeling stupid.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">If your overall
test aims too low, many students will make an A without deserving it.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Almost
without exception I do curve every test.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">It seems to me that it is my job to decide the difference in “excellent”
work (an A) and “good” work (a B) and “average” work (a C).</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I correct every test and then line them up
from top to bottom.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I identify what I
believe is the lowest “excellent” test and what is the lowest “good” test and
what is the lowest “average” test an then I create a curve to establish that as
their grade.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Some of the curves are rather
convoluted but that happens less often than you might think.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--In my
classes, 15 to 30 percent of the students make an A.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I don’t intend for that to happen, but it
seems to result on a consistent basis.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">“Excellence”
is not easy to achieve in life.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I
realize grade inflation is prevalent, but if you explain that you are looking
for excellence, most students know in their hearts whether their work has truly
been excellent.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <u> </u></span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>I have said this before
but giving an A for work that is less than excellent actually hurts the student and sets
a bad tone for the class.</u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--I
provide an answer sheet that I email the students immediately after the
test.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">At that moment, most students are
keenly interested in how they were supposed to answer questions.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I want to take advantage of that
interest.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Also, by typing up the answer
sheets in advance, I find typing errors and questions that are easier or harder
than I had expected.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I can fix a lot of
testing issues in advance by typing up the answer sheets.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Occasionally,
I write tests where I give the students all the questions in advance but with specific
variables omitted.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">For example, I might
write, “Use XX interest rate for this problem and assume a life of XX years.”</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">What I have found in such cases is that the
test becomes a real learning experience.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Students work twice as hard preparing for a test when they have a valid
idea about the nature of the questions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--I tell
students that I will always be glad to talk about their tests and how to
improve.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">However, if they want to argue
a test grade for any reason, they have seven days.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I don’t want a student coming in two months
after a test wanting to dispute a test question that I can barely
remember.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I don’t mind a student arguing
a test grade.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">It is their grade
forever.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">They have a right.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">However, they must submit their dispute in a
typed form.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I usually take several weeks
to respond because I want to take my time.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Whether I add points or not, I type up my response to explain what I did
and why.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">By formalizing the process, I
have found that students only dispute a grade when they truly believe they have
a valid argument.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--To try
to keep students from getting too stressed out, I refer to my first test as “Spring
Training.”</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">It does count but it is primarily
a chance to see how well they are progressing and what adjustments they might
need to make.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I want learning.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I am not trying to create undue stress.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">--About 24
hours after my first test of the semester, I send out an email that I title, “When
you get your first test back, if you are not happy with your grade, here are
some suggestions on what to do.”</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I then
give them as many suggestions as I can.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">At
that point, many of them need some guidance.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">For many years, I have argued that the few days after the first test is
the most critical moment of the semester.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Almost immediately, students tend to start getting better or getting
worse.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><u><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As a teacher, take control of those
days and push the students in the direction that you want.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I could
probably talk forever about testing and grading.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">But, I’ll leave you with one last comment.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I want my students to learn to
develop their critical thinking skills.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I tell my students that all the time.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">However, if I don’t test the development of those critical thinking
skills, the students will simply assume that what I really want is for them to
memorize the material.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Keep that in mind as you write those tests.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As always,
if you want a free download of my new FREE teaching book (</span><i style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Transformative
Education</i><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">), it is available at the following URL.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">In addition, if it is helpful, please share
that URL. Educational ideas should be shared and not hoarded.</span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> (Thanks to so many people sharing the URL, the book has been downloaded on the average every 3 hours and 50 minutes every day for the past 136 days. That is a lot of people working to become better college teachers. THANKS TO ALL.)</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>ADDED
LATER: POP QUIZZES</u><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After
reading the above essay about testing, a professor at Troy University asked for
my opinion about pop quizzes. As
everyone probably knows, I am not shy about giving my opinion about anything
and everything in college teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I believe
it was the spring semester of 1982 and I decided to start giving pop quizzes to
one particular class because I really wanted the students to come to class well
prepared. I am a strong believer in experimentation so that was simply an
experiment. I never did it again. That probably shows what I
thought of my results. Why have I not returned to pop quizzes?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">--For
the entire semester, the class had a tension to it that I did not like.
The students arrived every day wondering whether “today is the day.”
Tension is not necessarily bad for a class, but that type of tension
seemed counterproductive.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">--On
days when I did give a quiz, the class always did poorer after the quiz.
The five-minute quiz got their maximum attention and, when it was over, they
exhibited little interest in the remaining conversation. It was like they
had run a 100-yard dash and needed to rest.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">--The
students became too interested in gambling. They would assess the odds
each day of a quiz and adjust their study accordingly. I wanted them to
be well prepared every day and not just on the days when they suspected a quiz. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 115%;">--However,
my main reason for abandoning pop quizzes was that the only reason to do them
was to push students to prepare for class. I believed that I could get
them to be prepared without holding the sword of a quiz over their heads.
In my book (<i>Transformative Education</i>), I write pages and pages about
using puzzles (and, for me, cold calling) to encourage and intrigue students
enough to be prepared. I believe the biggest challenge in college
teaching is getting students to prepare properly so I work very hard to create
questions/puzzles that will intrigue them into being ready to be part of the
conversation. </span><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">In fact, I sent my spring students their first
puzzle three weeks before our first class just to pique their interest.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I
am sure that some of my readers will have found ways to make pop quizzes a
positive part of their class experience. However, for me, it was a total
negative and I have chosen to address the problem of preparation in other ways. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-86312712122528261492023-11-27T06:28:00.000-08:002023-11-27T06:28:00.618-08:00IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST GRIT<p><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I find it
amazing how many people believe that all you need to do is work harder and
you’ll eventually become a better teacher (or a better student).</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If three hours doesn’t work well, it just
means that you should have worked for four hours.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You were a wimp.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You were lazy.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Any sign of failure simply indicates a lack
of dedication and hard work.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yes, I do
feel that hard work is essential for success, but I think we can overstress that
influence.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, I make the following
point in my new book on teaching, </span><i style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Transformative Education</i><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Angela
Lee Duckworth provides her own observation in a popular 2013 TED talk:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"’One characteristic emerged as a
significant predictor of success and it wasn’t social intelligence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t good looks, physical health, and it
wasn’t IQ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was grit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grit is passion and perseverance for very
long-term goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grit is having stamina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grit is sticking with your future.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I never
dismiss the importance of hard work.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Few
people invest as much time as needed to maximize success.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nevertheless, advice such as ‘spend more
hours’ and ‘develop grit’ seem too simplistic.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Preparation and practice are certainly essential.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My students are always encouraged to put in
additional time whenever they are struggling.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">However, an increase in the number of hours worked is rarely the
complete solution.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Success in any field
is more complicated.”</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One advice
I always give my students and other professors:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Be careful of simplistic answers to complex problems.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, I was
pleased yesterday when I was reading the book, <i>Lessons in Chemistry</i>, by
Bonnie Garmus, and came across the following quote, “Sure grit was critical,
but it also took luck and if luck wasn’t available, then help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone needed help.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Everyone
needed help.</span></u><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I liked tattoos, that’s one I might put on
my arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it is teaching or being
a student, that is the absolute truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
matter how much grit you have, no matter how hard you work, no one makes it through all the challenges of
life and school without help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
teachers, we both give and (hopefully) receive help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set specific office hours and tell my
students that they should come and see me at any time during those office
hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am 100 percent available to any
student during those times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I give
them a practice problem, I always suggest a time limit and tell them to come
see me if they cannot get to the answer in the allotted time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The answer for this practice problem is
$47,400.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think you can work the
problem in 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t get
that answer in 20 minutes, bring your work by during my office hours and I’ll give
you a hint or two to help you move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You might need a little push.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s amazing how many students wander in with the plea, “I got close to your
answer but didn’t get it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you
show me what I am doing wrong?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Everyone
needs help now and then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, how
about us as teachers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When is the last
time that you had a problem and asked for help?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you never have problems????<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you do, why not seek help?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
I tell my students (and members of my faculty), “You are not in this alone.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here’s a
suggestion that I like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pick out the one
or two best teachers in your building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most people have a sense of the people who are truly successful in the
classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go to that person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t make vague inquiries ("How did you get to be a great teacher?") that often provide
no benefit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have <u>one </u>very specific
question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m struggling with this issue
in my classes and wondered if you had any advice?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My bet is
that the successful teacher will be flattered and will probably give you some
great things to think about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Then, of course, s</span>ee if you
can implement some of those suggestions into your class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wait a
couple of weeks and go back to your successful teacher with another question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are slowly beginning a
conversation, a conversation with an excellent teacher built around those questions
that are challenging your own teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What can
you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That depends on what is
troubling you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a couple of
ideas (these are the kinds of questions that I worry about).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">--My
students never seem to be prepared when they get to class so I wind up
lecturing too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you get your
students to prepare on a consistent basis?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">--I want
to stress the development of critical thinking in my classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you cover the subject matter AND push
the students to think more deeply about the material?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are both difficult goals and trying to
accomplish them simultaneously is never easy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">--My
students seem to understand the material when we cover it in class, but they
have trouble once they get to a test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How can I help them reinforce the class learning so that the learning will be
more successful?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">--I want
to engage my students, but I wind up doing 90 percent of the talking in
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I get the students to be
more interactive?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">--My
students seem more interested in their cell phones than they do in learning my
material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What should I do about those
phones in class?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are
a lot of great questions that you can raise with a great teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The resulting conversation will increase
your understanding of the learning process and help you to make it more effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, being
a great teacher (and being a great student) certainly takes grit. Hard work is essential. <u>Nevertheless, we all need help.</u><u> </u> And, from my experience, help rarely walks
into my office. You have to go out and
find it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><u><b>A last-minute
reminder:</b><b> </b></u> I have an upcoming webinar on
November 30, 2023. It is on the topic,
“Eight Things I Have Learned in 53 Years of College Teaching.” If you are ready to begin the quest to
become a better teacher, I hope you will tune in to this live program or watch
the video at a later point in time. I am
not going to talk about how to teach specific topics but rather examine college
teaching in a general sense. Teaching is
such an exciting vocation. <u>We change
lives each and every day.</u> <u>For
that reason alone, we ought to work to get better every semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The eight
ideas that I will discuss all come from my new book on college teaching titled <i>Transformative
Education</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are interested in
becoming a better college teacher, I hope you will join me on the 30<sup>th</sup>
and consider eight of my thoughts on how to improve teaching.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here is
the URL to register for the webinar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you scroll down a bit, you’ll find a short video I made to introduce you to the
webinar on November 30.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://accountingcafe.org/2023/11/16/transformative-education/</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To get a free
download of my new teaching book (<i>Transformative Education</i>), go to the
following URL although it is not, in any way, necessary for the webinar on the
30th. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-58338109203005853752023-11-02T06:11:00.000-07:002023-11-02T06:11:00.147-07:00A GOOD DAY TO TRY SOMETHING NEW<p><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I write
about ten new teaching essays for this blog each year. If you would like me to drop you an email
whenever I post something new, just contact me at </span><a href="mailto:Jhoyle@richmond.edu"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jhoyle@richmond.edu</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. I would be delighted to let you know.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although I
am in my 53</span><sup style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> year as a college teacher, I still want to get better
each and every semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That goal never
leaves my mind.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As I have written often,
you can never improve without trying something new.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It can be a big, radical experiment, or it
can be small and subtle.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But, if you
never try anything new, you’ll be stuck at your current level.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Teaching is too important not to work on getting
better.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In all of
my classes, I give three tests and a final exam.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I want every student to have plenty of
chances to show me what they can do.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yesterday,
I returned Test Number Two to the students in one of my upper-level classes.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">They earned 3 A’s, 7 B’s, 5 C’s, and 2
D’s.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That’s about normal for one of my
classes.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’d love to tell you they all
deserved A’s, but they didn’t.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I am very aware
that some of my students were ecstatic with their grades whereas others were
sad and possibly devastated.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Handing
back a test always leaves me with mixed emotions.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I want the happy students to stay happy and I
want the sad ones to start thinking about improvements.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I don’t want that second bunch to give up and
lose all hope.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Students
often feel like a small cog in a class, almost invisible, someone the teacher
doesn’t really know or care about.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I decided
to try to change that perception yesterday.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wanted all the students to know that they were real people to me.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, I spent about 30-45 minutes and wrote
each of them an individual email talking about what I had seen so far and what
I hoped from them for the rest of the semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I only wrote them 2-4 sentences, but I wanted them to know that I had them
on my mind.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wanted to reach out and encourage
each of them to make needed change and finish the semester strong.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wanted
to provide encouragement.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wanted to
provide a positive future in my class.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The emails
didn’t take long to create.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I just wanted
each person to know that I had high hopes for them.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most of all I wanted them to know that I
believed in them.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here are a
few of the actual emails just to show you what I had to say.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“You are
very close to making an A but have not quite gotten there yet. In class,
you are clearly as well prepared as anyone so you might be a bit disappointed
by not having made an A so far. Go back and look at the test -- what
mistake kept you from making an A? It's not the end of the world if
you don't make an A, but I would very much prefer that you did make an A.
Just keep up the good, consistent work and be really careful on the tests.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I know
that you have worked extremely hard in this course and must be disappointed
with your grades so far. I am convinced that you are capable of much
better work so don't get discouraged. I did comment on the test that you
seemed to struggle with the time limit. Come by and see me some
time. I'd like to get a gauge on how much that hurt your grade.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You have
made a C on both tests so far. That is not bad but I'm sure that both you
and I would like to see the next test be a B or even an A. Look at that
test carefully. I know you put a lot of work in so I don't know if more
time is the appropriate remedy. What changes could you have made in your
study or preparation in order to move the next grade up? I'm
convinced that you are capable of a higher grade.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That was
a truly excellent test, and it was not on easy material. Congratulations!
If you keep up that level of work, you should do great. The real secret
to this class is to see what I want and then do it. You seem to have
reached that point.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“As I
mentioned to you after class, your work has been very consistent. I think
you are more than bright enough to make an A but I think you'll have to get
more focused. There are just other students who walk in every day
prepared to make an A and I'm not always sure that is you. I'm fine with
a B, but you can do better.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Okay, I
suspect you get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this a good
idea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be very interested to see if this
experiment seems to affect any of the students in their approach to the
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I don’t notice any change, I
probably won’t try it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the
nature of teaching experiments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like trying
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It keeps me focused on getting
better as a teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And,
finally, my new teaching book, <i>Transformative Education</i>, has now been
available for FREE for two months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without any type of real publicity, my book has been downloaded at the
following site every 4 hours and 10 minutes around the clock, seven days per
week, for all of those two months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you’ve read it, let me know what you think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you’ve not read it and want ideas on becoming a better teacher, here’s
the download site.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I firmly believe
educational ideas should not be hoarded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I give this book to you and anyone else who is interested for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No tricks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My only goal is to
help college teachers become better because I think our planet desperately
needs better college education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hope you
will get a free download and start reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Please feel free to tell anyone you know who might be interested about <i>Transformative
Education</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-42584466690572244732023-10-09T06:17:00.000-07:002023-10-09T06:17:03.095-07:00What Are The Stories That Can Help You Do Better?<p><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">I gave my first test last week.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">That always scares me terribly because there
will be students who struggle and then decide that they cannot possibly do well
in my course.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">One bad test and they give
up.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">They go crawl in a hole, so easily
defeated.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">They become immersed in the
wrong stories, stories that begin with, “I’m dumb.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">I can’t do this.”</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">That breaks my heart. </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">I want them to fight back.</span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">For that reason, I work very hard
in the week following the first test to change the narrative.</span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded", sans-serif;">We are a product of our own stories and I
want my students to be aware that they can change those stories for their own
benefit.</span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Below is an email that I sent
to my students last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
already preparing for our next test, and I want them to think about the stories
they are telling themselves as a result of the first test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they need to change those stories?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">**<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">To:<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>My
Students </span></span><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">From:<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>JH </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">As a few of you might know, I
spent last summer writing a book about teaching.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It
was a project that I enjoyed dearly.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I
worked 70-90 hours per week and loved every second.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It
allowed me to think deeply about teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What can work for my students (at least some of the time)? </span> <span style="font-size: medium;">How
can I help every student learn better?</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The book has been out about six
weeks and I have gotten great responses from readers as far away as Germany and
Canada. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Now, let’s make this about you. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">You just had your first test of
the semester.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Some of you did great.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Some of you did a bit less than great. </span></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">As I have stressed several
times during the past few days, how you ultimately do in this course will
likely depend on your reaction to your first test.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span><u>Will
the outcome of that first test push you to be a stronger student or scare you
into being a frightened student?</u><span style="color: inherit;"> </span>That,
to me, is a terribly important question.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>How
you answer that question may be the most important thing you do during this
semester in my class. <span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Will the
first test inspire you or beat you down?</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I am a big believer that we
often succeed in life based on our expectations of ourselves.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Below, I am going to provide you
with a few paragraphs directly from my teaching book.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>The
only thing I’ve changed from the book is the black dot lists (they are now for
students rather than teachers).<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I’d
like for you to read these paragraphs and consider how they relate to you and
your ability to succeed in my class.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Whether
you made 105 or 25 on Test One, YOU CAN DO BETTER. <span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I believe that 100 percent. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The paragraphs below are about
one thing:<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>the stories you tell
yourself, more specifically the stories you tell yourself about your work in my
class.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>In the book, the actual
stories are for teachers, but the idea applies just as well to you as a student.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>What stories are you telling yourself
about our course?<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Are those
stories designed to provide you with optimism and enthusiasm?<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Or, do they simply scare you and make
you feel hopeless?<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Do your
stories energize you or defeat you?<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">You are ALL bright people.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Trust me.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I
know that.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>You are capable of
great things.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>In class, I can
easily picture each of you 10 years from now being a true success.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>However, if you are going to
fulfill your potential, you need to tell yourself stories that will push you
forward and increase your belief in yourself (right now).</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">We all tell ourselves stories.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>The secret is to tell yourself stories
that will make you better. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">** </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The following is from: <i>Transformative
Education</i>.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>In case you are
interested, the book is available for free at:<span style="color: inherit;"> </span><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" href="https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/" target="_blank">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/</a></span></span><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">(Changes from the book are
shown in italics.) </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><u><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The Power of the Stories You
Tell Yourself.</span></span></u></span><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span>I
listen to audiobooks as I drive around in my Subaru.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Whether
fiction or nonfiction, my commute is always more pleasant when accompanied by
the sound of a good book.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>A few
years ago, I listened to <i>Wild</i>, a memoir by Cheryl Strayed.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It is long and complex so I will omit
a detailed synopsis.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>However,
near the beginning of this autobiographical work, the author comes to believe
she has lost control of her life at least in part because of the death of her
mother.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>She decides to focus on a
genuinely difficult challenge in hopes of regaining inner peace and stability.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>In that circumstance, I might have
taken up a hobby such as pottery.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">With virtually no experience to
guide her, Strayed chose to walk 1,100 miles alone through the mountains of
California and Oregon on the Pacific Crest Trail.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Even
now, the risk associated with that venture strikes me as absurd.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Although she faced horribly
frightening experiences during those three months, she ultimately succeeded.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>She was not the fastest hiker,
actually one of the slowest, but she made it.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Along
the way, she encountered enormous challenges but figured out solutions to get
through them all successfully. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">One morning I was listening
to <i>Wild</i> as I drove to campus.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>In
the book at that moment, Strayed was getting ready to begin her incredibly
long, difficult journey.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>At the
last minute, she lost her nerve and almost quit without taking the first step.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>In describing her faltering emotions,
she wrote a sentence that is so insightful that I literally pulled my car over
to the side of the road so I could write it down.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Fear, to a great extent, is
born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different
story from the one women are told. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Shakespeare could not have
written a better line.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>“Fear, to
a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell
myself a different story from the one women are told.”<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>What
an uplifting response to a personal challenge.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Those
words have stuck with me like an arrow for years.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>The
relevance to our lives is even more apparent if we swap out the word “Fear” for
alternatives such as “Hate” and “Envy” and apply the admonition to everyone.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Human beings are very much a
product of the stories we tell ourselves.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">What holds us back from
reaching our potential?<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Unless we
are careful, the stories we tell ourselves can create a substantial barrier,
one that prevents us from achieving our desired level of success.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>As the comic strip <i>Pogo</i> warned
many decades ago, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Consider the stories that pop
up in the back of your mind when a problem occurs in one of your classes.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Do any of the following possibilities
sound familiar?<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>They do for me
because they have all crossed my own mind at one time or another.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>In a moment of frustration, doubts
always arise. </span></span></span><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">This course is just too hard.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>The high school I went to was not
very good. </span></span></i></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I’m not as smart as these other students.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>They make it look easy.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>They sound so very confident. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I get nervous when I take a test and I
can never do well.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I make
silly mistakes.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I invariably do badly on important exams.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Going to college is a waste of time for
me.<span style="color: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not cut out for this. </span> </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I always know the material until I read a
test question and then I panic and my mind goes blank.</span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">No matter what I try it never seems good
enough. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I work as hard as I can, and I still
manage to sound totally stupid. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">All these stories are absolute
nonsense!<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Our fears create such
stories to give us easy excuses for avoiding difficulties, to give us
permission to surrender or fail.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>We
allow ourselves to be held back. <u><span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Come
up with better stories and you will come up with better results.</u><span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Consider the stories you tell
yourself and eliminate any that are drenched in fear.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Choose
stories that are positive, optimistic, and productive.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I really want to do well, and I plan to
change my study habits to enable me to start doing better. </span></span></i></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The teacher believes I can learn this
material.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I’ll seek more
help from him as we move forward. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">It might take work, but I know I can
learn this material.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It’s
not easy but it is certainly not impossible.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I can study more, and I can study more
effectively. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">If I take my time and focus, I can do
well in this course. <span style="color: inherit;"> </span>One
test is only a small part of the grade. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I like the excitement of class.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I can turn that excitement into
deeper learning.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">All of these mathematical puzzles are
actually fun to work.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I
don’t dread this course.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I didn't come to college to be
lazy. I came to college to create a better version of me. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The course has just started so now is the
time to really put out a good effort.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I’ll
work to get a bit better every day. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><i><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I can do this.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It
is not easy material, but I can do it.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I
now understand what the teacher wants from me. </span></span></i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">** </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Life has so many wonderful
stories if we can just avoid becoming bogged down by negativity. </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">If you are not doing as well as
you want, start coming up with better stories to tell yourself.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span class="xxcontentpasted0"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span></span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-family: "Trade Gothic Next Rounded",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-40984461556572970432023-09-23T08:01:00.006-07:002023-09-23T08:01:57.939-07:00TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION: AN INTRODUCTORY VIDEO<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
"Low-Stress Book Club" at Olympic College in the state of Washington
is reading and discussing my new book "Transformative Education--How Can You Become a Better Teacher?" over
the next seven weeks. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I'll be joining them by Zoom for Week Six which should be
fascinating. I can hardly wait. I made a short Zoom video to introduce these new readers to my book and what I was trying to accomplish. It was a fun project
for me and I thought I would share it on my blog for anyone who might be thinking about better teaching. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Here is the URL for that video just so you can see how I have
been staying busy.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(249, 249, 249); color: black; font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://youtu.be/PSeosJZFw98"><span style="font-size: large;">https://youtu.be/PSeosJZFw98</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-78432367654544946592023-09-06T06:55:00.005-07:002023-09-06T06:55:34.140-07:00WHAT SHOULD THE STUDENTS DO RIGHT AFTER CLASS TO FIGHT "SWISS CHEESE KNOWLEDGE?"<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Just a reminder
that my new teaching book (</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Transformative Education – How Can You Become a
Better College Teacher?)</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> can be downloaded for free at the University of Richmond
Scholarship Repository:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><a href="https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">And, if you want
to read about the book, here is a story from </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Inside Higher Ed</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2023/08/30/why-one-professor-makes-time-take-classes-himself" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2023/08/30/why-one-professor-makes-time-take-classes-himself</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">In my new teaching
book, I talk a lot about “the Education Diamond.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is my name for the four points in time
when a teacher interacts with students and can, therefore, improve the learning
process.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Getting
students to prepare before class.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Interaction
during the class session itself.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Helping
students organize and strengthen their learning after the class session (when
they face a severe challenge that I call “Swiss Cheese Knowledge.”)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Testing
and other graded assignments designed to ascertain the students’ understanding
of the material.</span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">If you want to
improve as a teacher, pick one of these four points in the learning process and
begin experimenting with how to help students do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experimentation is the key to improving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">So, despite this
being my 53<sup>rd</sup> year as a college teacher, I have picked one of the points
already and started working on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I chose the third point of the Education Diamond – what students do in
the 12-24 hours immediately after class in order solidify what was covered in
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>I have long argued that this
is the weakest point in the learning process for most students and teachers simply
because most students and teachers ignore it.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> For them, o</span>nce class is over, it is time to move on to
the next subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why I refer to
it as “Swiss Cheese Knowledge.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Student
understanding looks solid but it is actually just full of holes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the teacher doesn’t work to help the
student fill in those holes, we all know what will happen—they will get bigger
over time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why students often cry
in our offices, “I knew this when we covered it in class, but I couldn’t seem to
do it on the test.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their knowledge had
holes in it that were never filled in.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">This semester
starting with my second class of the semester, I emailed my students 10 minutes
after class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“I know our class
today seemed helter-skelter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My classes
always seem helter-skelter because I like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless, we covered a lot of important material today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, right now, sit down and write out 15
basic questions that you should be able to answer IMMEDIATELY based on our
coverage today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“You need to
identify what we covered of substance before it begins to leak out of your
brain.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Don’t procrastinate.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Do it now.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Then, find
someone else in class and exchange lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That will give you two different perspectives of what we covered today
that was important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there are any
questions on either list that you don’t have an answer for, that means I should
have covered it better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring it by my
office and I’ll try to give you a push in the right direction.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Okay, I think this
is a great idea, but I knew it was never going to work without some help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I wrote the first 15 questions for the
students to model what I wanted them to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Showing students what you want them to do is always helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Then, immediately after
every class since that day, I have sent them a quick email saying, “If you are truly
serious about doing well in this class, take the next 10 minutes and write out
your 15 questions about what we learned today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t need 16 questions, but I do need 15.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Finally, my
students create their own group chat rooms for this class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really like for my students to have a “we
are in this together” mentality so that they will work together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suggest that they start putting up their 15
questions on that chat space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want my
class to feel like this is a team effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They can probably teach each other better than I can.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Will this improve
learning?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why I am trying it out this
semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do know that I want to
improve what the students do after we have class rather than declare victory
and move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This idea has potential,
but I won’t know how well it works unless I try it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now you. Pick one of the
four points on the Education Diamond and come up with your own experiment for
improving the learning process at that specific point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, evaluate how well the experiment
worked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">That's how to improve as a teacher.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-6108052109164432362023-08-24T15:59:00.004-07:002023-08-24T15:59:33.897-07:00TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION by Professor Joe Hoyle (a free gift from me to you)<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I released a new teaching book this
morning.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is free.</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you will send your email address to me at </span><a href="mailto:Jhoyle@richmond.edu" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;">Jhoyle@richmond.edu</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, I will send it to
you.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">No catch.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Or at the very bottom of this essay, there is
a URL that you can use to get a downloadable version.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The book is 153 pages long and, in this
posting, I am going to post the first 1 ½ pages.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I think that will give you a pretty good idea
of whether you are interested in reading the book.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">--First, here is what I have told everyone about
the new book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I spent the past weeks, months, and years of
my life working on a book about great teaching.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It
is finished.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> The title is Transformative
Education, because I believe that should be the goal of every course we
offer.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p aria-hidden="true" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I
give this book to you for free.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I
made no attempt to have it formally published.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I
strongly believe that colleges and universities should freely share as much
educational material as possible.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>The
world desperately needs substantially more high-quality education.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Our planet’s problems are never going
to be resolved unless we double or triple the number of well-educated people.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Educators should avoid hoarding our
ideas.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I wanted to do my part.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Suggestion 1:</span></u><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read the first 20 pages and decide whether
to continue or not.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>By that
point, I am feel certain you will know whether this book is worth your time.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Suggestion 2:</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do hope you will read the
Dedication. If nothing else, read that one page.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Favor:</span></u><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the support of a publisher, I must
rely on the help of friends/colleagues/strangers/enemies to circulate the book.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>If you know anyone, anyone at all, who
might be interested in better teaching, please forward it along.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>“Free” really means, “Without the
kindness of others, this book will never be read.”<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p aria-hidden="true" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Advice
1:</span></u><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This work
is not a novel.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Read it slowly.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Read a couple of pages each day and
think about those ideas and suggestions.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>You
might not agree with every idea. Hopefully, you will find some that
can be helpful and have a significant, positive effect on your teaching.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Take your time.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Read three pages each day and you will finish the
entire book in less than two months.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Speed
is not the goal here. Thinking and improving are the goals. Take
your time and shoot to be a better teacher by the time you finish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Advice 2</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">:<span style="color: inherit;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set up a Word file on your computer.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>When you read a suggestion or tactic
that seems helpful, cut and paste it into the file.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Everyone
needs a system to keep up with ideas that you want to remember.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Saying, “I like that,” probably means,
"this will be forgotten," unless you create a system to store ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p aria-hidden="true" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Assuaging
Reader Worries:</span></u><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book
has absolutely nothing to do with teaching accounting.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>This book is about becoming a better
college teacher no matter what subject you teach. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">--I do not write here
about any accountants, but I do write about Paul Simon, Nelson Mandela,
Raphael, Martin Luther King Jr., and Doonesbury. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p aria-hidden="true" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">--I
have no quotes here from any accountants, but I do have quotes from Ricky
Nelson, Miss Piggy, Lao Tzu, and Scarlett O’Hara.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">--I have no comparison here of any accounting
rules, but I do have a comparison of Madame Bovary and Anna
Karenina.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">--Off the top of my head, my five favorite
statements discussed herein came from Bruce Springsteen, Mark Rothko, Tom
Hanks, the author Cheryl Strayed, and a man who played catcher in Major League
Baseball for 18 years.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">If you have questions, let me know at
Jhoyle@richmond.edu<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">--Now, here is the beginning
1 ½ pages of the new book.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">An Opening Reading<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Teaching Is Personal.</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fair
warning:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book will be personal
because teaching is such a personal experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some books about teaching have a clinical structure like the description
of a controlled laboratory experiment involving rats and mazes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those works can be quite beneficial, but my
writings will sound different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me,
improving the educational experience for every student is a personal goal,
probably bordering on an obsession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
want to encourage, guide, and assist college teachers in their quest to become
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never camouflage my
mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I do not want to overanalyze myself, but I
suspect that my desire to improve as a teacher comes, in part, from my regret
that I did not have better teachers in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A few were good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several were
awful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most were average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None were great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was frustrated that the bad ones did not
try harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parents paid a
significant amount of their hard-earned money to a major university, but many
of my teachers did not seem to care whether I learned one iota.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could they settle for being mediocre at
such a vitally important responsibility?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At 18, I did not understand their lackadaisical attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not understand it any better now that I
am well past 70.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I simply want every student to have a
legitimate opportunity to earn an excellent education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a great appreciation for teachers who
work hard to help students think, learn, and understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our schools can achieve better, more in-depth
results if teachers are both willing and able to assist students in maximizing
their potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am always distressed
when I read of educational inefficiencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“At some of the most prestigious flagship universities, test results
indicate the average graduate shows little or no improvement in critical
thinking over four years.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(“Many
Colleges Fail in Teaching How to Think,” Douglas Belkin, Wall Street Journal,
June 6, 2017).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such failure should be
unacceptable to every person involved with college education but also to our
society as a whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such indictments
should lead citizens to mass at the college gates with torches and pitchforks
demanding better from us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">An Opening Reading.</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grew
up in a tiny mountain town in North Carolina and attended the local Southern
Baptist church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before every service,
the pastor or a member of the congregation would stand before the assembled
group and read a few verses, usually from the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These words often served as the basis for the
comments that were to follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At other
times, the selected reading provided inspiration or helped listeners get into
the proper frame of mind to receive the speaker’s message.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">In this book, I plan to examine the day-to-day
activities of teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you
improve the learning process in your classes, not in a year or two, but right
now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you better educate your
students, not a few of them, but 100 percent?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just as importantly, why does it even matter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Given my background, I want to open this book
with a reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have selected a few
lines from Pat Conroy’s novel The Prince of Tides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It tells the story of Savannah and Tom Wingo,
twins who grew up in a dysfunctional family in the low country near Charleston,
South Carolina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The epilogue to this
book provides the following interaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Savannah speaks first and Tom replies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">She took my hand and squeezed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You sold yourself short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could’ve been more than a teacher and a
coach.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I returned the squeeze and said, “Listen to
me, Savannah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no word in the
language I revere more than teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>None.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart sings when a kid
refers to me as his teacher and it always has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve honored myself and the entire family of man by becoming one.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Conroy died in 2016 after a prolific
career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubt he ever wrote other
words that were better than these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
not here to judge, but if Tom’s response does not pull your heart into your
throat, then reading my book is probably not a good use of your time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Why are you reading this book?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you hope to gain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you read the above conversation in Pat
Conroy’s novel, is it more than just mere words to you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the message personal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will provide you with scores of ideas and
suggestions that I believe can lead to improved education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal is simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want teacher everywhere to get excited
about their careers, about the effect they have on so many college
students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that you can become
a better teacher and with work eventually a great teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My advice is simple:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go for it!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The book can also be downloaded from the
University of Richmond Scholarship Repository.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" href="https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-81709386216614112912023-06-23T07:42:00.002-07:002023-06-23T07:46:34.588-07:00Do You Have a Transformational Vision?<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have been working this summer on taking
the 300+ essays that I have written for this blog and turning them into a “teaching
book” that I could give away to any and all interested educators for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I considered this idea once before about
five years ago but never found a structure for the book that I liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past May, a friend suggested that I try
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I am just older and wiser,
but the process is going much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">The question I considered this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Assume that a college teacher comes to you
for advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her classes are going well
but are not yet great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wants to
improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What might you tell her?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">One of the tactics that I use in such
cases is to ask the person to sit with closed eyes and describe to me in as
much detail as possible what the perfect last day of class would look like for
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I firmly believe that the better
you can visualize what you are trying to achieve, the more likely it is that
you and your students will succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is like having a lighthouse that helps you navigate through the semester to
your destination.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here is what I wrote in this section of my “in-process” book.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“The learning process you are developing will simply not work unless
you have a clear vision of what you intend to accomplish.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Start the semester and every class session
with a mental image of what you want to see happen during the last class of the
semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">As I explain to my students,
“If you don’t know where you are going, you don’t need a map.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wrote earlier in this book that a college
course should be transformational.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Design
your learning process to bring about the specific change you want for each of
your students.</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“I always picture the students on the last day of class arriving early
so that they can chat with each other about their assignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are fully prepared and eager to discuss
the issues of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are ready to justify the solutions they
have developed for the puzzles I have assigned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The work has required serious thought and effort, but it is not
impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Class begins and the conversation
is animated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is willing to
speak and express their opinions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
students are interested and engaged even though the material is complex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do not fear being belittled or
reprimanded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take what they have
learned during the semester and use it to arrive at reasonable answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say as little as possible although I
willingly step in when I have a thought I want to convey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most importantly, a sense of joy permeates
the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Learning should always be fun. </span>At its best, I believe that college
education is a serious mental challenge laced with
enjoyment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“That vision is the transformation I hope to create.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It guides every step I take during the
semester to build up to that finale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever I make any class decision,
I consider what is most likely to help my students arrive at this outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“How do you see the last day of class?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you could rub a magic lamp and have a genie appear who granted
educational wishes, how different would you want your students to be on the
final day of the semester?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the saying
goes, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it.’”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Okay, that is enough about my classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
your vision?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it clear enough?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it aspirational enough?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will it transform the students in the way
that you want?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-52330057605955180782023-05-18T06:51:00.006-07:002023-05-18T06:51:38.572-07:00LEARNING HOW TO LEARN<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">One
of my pet peeves about teaching in college is that many of my students do not
know much about efficient learning.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They
are smart individuals, but their learning techniques can be rather primitive.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They want to learn and understand the
material, but in middle school and high school they were able to succeed with
little more than memorization and cramming.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">When that strategy fails to work in college, they grow frustrated.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They sometimes seem like talented athletes who
have never been taught proper form and, therefore, struggle even in matches
that they should win easily.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">For
that reason, I bribe (er, I mean, “give extra credit to”) my students in hopes
that they will spend their summer months learning how to be better
learners.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My classes will be so much more
successful if they arrive back on campus next fall as efficient learners.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If that happens, I can challenge them to
analyze deeper and more complex issues.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here
is an email (slightly edited) that I sent out this past Monday to my students
for the coming semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I won’t get 100
percent participation from them, but I suspect I will get close to 50
percent.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Nothing ever pleases me more during
a semester than when one of my students admits, “I’ve become a much better
student because of that book you convinced us to read over the break.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">To:
My Students for the Fall Semester</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">From: JH </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
hope your summer break is off to a great start. I am hoping to
travel across the country and also to Europe before I see you in the fall.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It’s a great chance to see the world outside
of Virginia.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Chance
for Extra Credit </span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Several
years ago, I read the book </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Make It Stick
– The Science of Successful Learning</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">, by Brown, Roediger, and
McDaniel. As you might imagine, I am deeply interested in how to help students
learn more effectively. I found this book to be quite insightful. For
example, one of the things the authors say frequently is that reading material
repeatedly is not really helpful in getting knowledge into your memory. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">According
to </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Make It Stick</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">, it is the
mental retrieval of information that really solidifies learning and that
is something we work on every day in class. If you want to learn
something, pull it out of your memory over and over, and your knowledge will
get stronger and stronger. As they say in the book, “One of the best
habits a learner can instill in herself is regular self-quizzing to recalibrate
her understanding of what she does and does not know.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They
even have a chapter titled “To Learn, Retrieve.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
have taken tai chi for about 5 years and my teacher very much follows that same
pattern. The first 20-50 times you do a move in tai chi you get it
wrong, but if you are persistent, eventually it becomes easy (or at least
doable). With enough practice, what seems impossible becomes fairly easy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We will
do a lot of retrieval in our class this semester. One of my mottoes is, “We will
do it until you can do it.” I like that thought (write it
down). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">** </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This
past semester I read </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Outsmart Your
Brain</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">, by Daniel Willingham, another outstanding book about
learning. In fact, the book’s subtitle is, “Why Learning Is Hard and
How You Can Make It Easy.” This book goes into dozens of tips on
becoming a better learner. Although I did not agree with every one
of those tips, I certainly believed strongly in a lot of them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">** </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
semester after I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Make It Stick</i>,
I offered my students three bonus points on the first test of the semester if
they would read this book during their break. Several did read it and those
students all talked about how useful the information was and how the book
helped them to understand what I was trying to accomplish in
class. I have been making this same offer every semester since that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This
semester, I am going to add </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Outsmart
Your Brain</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> to this list. Read either book and you will get
three bonus points on our first test. (You can read both books, if
you wish, but the offer is only for a total of three bonus points.) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Both
books are available on Amazon and used copies are fairly cheap. I
honestly believe my previous students have gained much more than three bonus
points from the ideas and tips provided by their reading. I have
always been surprised by how very little some smart students understand about
the learning process. In high school, it can be easy to be
successful just by using memorization without ever learning how to
learn. In college, or at least in my class, you need to be more
efficient. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here
are some of the things that two students told me about </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Make It Stick</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“During
high school, often times the material that you study is easy enough to cram in
the night before an exam. When I started off at Richmond, I was overwhelmed
with the amount of cramming I would have to do in order to make high grades.
During my freshman and sophomore year at Richmond I decided to study a couple
days in advance. After reading this book and seeing the results of students who
study in advance and continue to look over what you learn, by the time of the
test I often feel ready to go. This book has definitely had an impact on my
semester, as I may be increasing my study times per day but by the day before
the test, I don’t feel as stressed out and overwhelmed.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“I
think reading Make is Stick has reminded me of how to best study and
learn material. After being abroad last semester, I was craving work but the
book gave me a sense of mind when it came to the best ways to study. I liked it
because it didn't just plainly state how to memorize things efficiently. It
provides evident and demonstrates why it works better. For example, sometimes
when I don't feel like doing my homework or a practice problem, I think about
how the more you actually do a problem the better you will know it. It is
reinforcement such as that which gives sometimes seemingly repetitive and
exhausting work purpose.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">** </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Okay,
I could include dozens of quotes like these, but I am sure you get the
point. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
will make the same deal with you as I have with my classes in the
past. If you read either </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Make
It Stick</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> or </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Outsmart Your
Brain</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> prior to the first test in the coming semester, I will give you
three bonus points. This is not a class
requirement. There is no penalty if you choose not to read one of the
books. I think it is a good offer. I expect you to tell
me the truth. Don’t ever lie to me. That is the only way
I will get upset with you. You are my students, and I expect you to
be truthful with me. Read either book and get three extra points on
the first test. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Let
me know if you have already read both of these books (that is not likely but it
is not impossible) and I will provide you with an alternative book to
read. There are a number of good possibilities. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I am
looking forward to having the opportunity of working with you in the fall. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If
you and I both do our part of the work with enthusiasm and ambition, you will
be amazed by how much you have learned by the end of next semester. In
fact, here are two important promises: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--You
will understand more about the subject matter than you could ever have thought
possible. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--You
will be more confident in your ability to succeed in the real world after
graduation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-18915320543309505012023-05-01T07:33:00.008-07:002023-05-01T07:33:40.550-07:00MY PRIMARY GOAL THIS PAST SEMESTER<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">To:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My Spring 2023 Students</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">From:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">JH</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Near
the end of this semester, after you completed my course evaluation, I informed
you that I had obtained the school’s permission to include one additional question
on my evaluation form.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Over the decades,
I have pored over thousands of student evaluations (many for me, some for
others).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">As a result, I had come to believe
that a specific piece of information that I wanted to gather from my students was
not available on the official forms.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">For
that reason, you were asked to respond to one question that did not appear on the
evaluations of any other teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That
question was, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span> </span>“What do you believe is the professor's primary goal for this
class?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
my mind, establishing clear communications between teachers and their students is
one of the necessary components for a strong learning experience.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If I failed in conveying to you what I was trying
to accomplish, educational success would be difficult if not impossible.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We worked together for 14 weeks.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Between three 50-minute class sessions each
week and countless emails, you have heard me espouse many thoughts. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What was my purpose in all of this?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">You must surely have garnered some opinion
about the identity of my primary goal for you. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am always interested in student thoughts,
but I will be especially fascinated to read your answers to this added query on
my course evaluations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
will not see your responses for several weeks.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In the interim, I have spent time trying to decide for myself what my
primary goal was for this semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">After so many years in the classroom, you would think I should be able
to provide a solid answer without too much thinking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In truth, I have so many learning goals for
my students that it takes organization and ranking to determine which ones were
most important to me.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Now that you have
survived a very challenging semester, I thought you might be interested in my view
of the primary goal that I had for you.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What
was I trying to accomplish with all those strange questions and assignments?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Yesterday,
a student emailed me and commented that the class had been a transformative
experience.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I like that.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I want to make a real difference in the lives
of each of my students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is essence
of this job.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If students are no
different at the end of a semester than they were at the beginning, we have
wasted a lot of precious time.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Those
students should demand a refund.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Therefore,
in thinking about you and your course, I start with the central question, “What
kind of student transformation was I trying to bring about over the course of the
past semester?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">With
that question in mind, here is what I identified as my primary goal for you (and
every other student in my spring classes).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It is simple in one way but so very complex in many other ways.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When you finished
this semester, I wanted you to be tremendously proud of what you had been able
to accomplish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Nothing
would please me more.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Forget your grade
completely.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I do not care whether you
earned an A+ or something less than an A+.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wanted you to work hard and feel proud of what you learned.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">As an example, this semester I was personally
most proud of a student who made neither an A nor a B.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Please don’t fall into the trap of thinking that
grades are the goal. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I hope
you feel so proud of what you managed to learn that it gives you a huge influx
of confidence in your ability to go out from this day forward and learn successfully
(in other classes and in life in general).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If you are able to achieve that level of pride and self-worth, then this
class was transformational in a wonderful way.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wanted to help you believe in yourself. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is education at its best.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">However,
a little bit of thought will show that this primary goal is not really possible
to achieve directly.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">No teacher can walk
into a class and simply say, “You should be proud of yourself,” and have that
admonition make more than a slight effect on anyone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Like chess at its best, successful learning is
fascinatingly complicated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
my recent ponderings, I realized that I also had three “facilitating goals.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They are goals that are necessary to help
students achieve my primary goal.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">These
facilitating goals are the building blocks needed to form the foundation for a
successful educational experience.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">1--My
first facilitating goal is that I always hope that I can assist students in becoming
more efficient learners.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I want my students
to realize that if they can train themselves to use their mental talents well, they
would no longer need to be so dependent on teachers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Effective learning can be learned.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Scores of books have been written on the
topic.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Let’s see if we can put that research
into practice.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">How does a person develop
critical thinking skills?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That was a
question that was always close to the surface of our class sessions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This
was never going to be a “memorize and cram” course.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wanted you to become strong learners and
that requires other skills.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I tried to
build the steps of that process into every assignment.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is a transformation worth working toward.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Learn to be less dependent on teachers and
more dependent on your own ability to think and learn.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Becoming an efficient learner will have a
positive effect on you for the rest of your life.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is a goal that I very much want each
student to reach.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Soon,
you will be out of college and teachers will become rare.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If you discover how to learn better now, you
will be able to continue to grow in every future endeavor.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Sadly, mediocre learning habits can hold people
back for their entire lives.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is a warning
you should repeat a few times.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In our
class, I hoped you would come to appreciate the importance of preparation, a
step you have heard me preach on obsessively.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In addition, true learning requires practice and repetition – not a
little practice but a life of practice.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Too often students seem to believe, “I’ve done it once.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I can do it forever.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is a type of thinking I sought to alter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">2—My
second facilitating goal is more personal.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Over the course of this past semester, I wanted you to come to trust
me.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Before this semester, only 2 of my
66 students had ever been in my class.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The other 64 had no reason to trust me one iota.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Months before the class began, I knew that I
had to work to gain that trust.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Over
the past 14 weeks, I have asked you to spend hours upon hours on my assignments.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have pushed you to prepare and practice on
a daily basis.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have challenged you to
think deeply and analyze complicated situations and problems.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have cold-called on you several times
during every class session and expected an immediate response.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students will resist doing that much work if
they do not develop a level of faith in the teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">You have been in school for much of your
life.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I hope you have had teachers that
you trusted so much that if they asked you to do something you would comply without
hesitancy.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">For those people, you would
do the work with nothing more than the belief that it would be beneficial.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">At
every step along the way, I have tried to explain what I needed from you and
why.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“Here is what I want at our next
class and here is the benefit.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">With
faith in the teacher, a class can practically create miracles.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There is no limit to what can be achieved. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This is the vision that I had for our class.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Without
faith, students will try to defer or shortcut every assignment.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is just human nature.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am always impressed that some students do
better on my second test than on the first.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I think, at least in part, that is a sign that they have begun to trust
the teacher and started viewing the assignments as being worth the effort.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">On the other hand, when students do not
respond, then I know that I have not yet gained their trust.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">3—The
third facilitating goal is my favorite.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Over the course of the semester, I wanted you to come to enjoy learning
the subject matter.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am not sure what
happens to students during their years in school but too many seem to believe
that learning is dull and boring. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Learning can be (and should be) fabulous
fun.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">As I often say, the more you learn
the more the world opens up to you.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That
has to be one of the main reasons that people attend college – to have the
world beyond their current horizon open up to them.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That can be a very big positive for a
person’s life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Nothing
ever made me happier this semester than when I would walk into the classroom 10-15
minutes before class time and discover a group of students standing around
discussing the class assignment for that day (rather than burying their noses
in their phones).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Those conversations
did not seem to be out of a sense of dread but rather out of a genuine interest
in figuring out a viable solution.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
always tell people that I teach using puzzles because puzzles are fun.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That was how I wanted you to view my class,
“It was demanding but it was learning that was always enjoyable.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If
you ever walked into my office over the course of the past semester and said
something like, “We have this problem assigned for our next class and I’ve
tried to figure it out several different ways but it is really tricky.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Can you give me a hint so that I can try to
work it out for myself?” you will probably never understand just how delighted
your question made me.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">After you left my
office, I probably got up and danced.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students
will occasionally tell me that they will miss the class when it is over.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It is not me that they will miss but rather
the joy of trying to learn in an effective manner so that they can solve those
puzzles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
summary, you will likely have a different answer than me but here are my goals
for our class.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Primary
goal:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That you are extremely proud of
what you accomplished this semester and you use that confidence as a
springboard to be a more successful learner going forward.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Facilitating
goals:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">1 –
That you have become a more efficient learner so that you can use your time in
the future to learn more and understand it more deeply.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Better learning habits will go with you
throughout life.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They can be truly
transformative.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">2 –
That you came to trust the teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
realize that no one wants to do difficult work if they do not trust the person
providing the orders.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I understand that
perfectly.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If you did not do as well this
semester as you would have liked, it is probably that you did not trust me
enough to do whatever I suggested.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If
that is the case, I deeply apologize.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">3 –
That you came to enjoy the class and the learning experience so much that you looked
forward to each new class with anticipation rather than dread.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I believe to the bottom of my toes that
learning should be enjoyable.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There
should be a thrill as you put those pieces together.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There should always be an “Ah-Ha!” moment in
education.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I hope I was able to convey
that sense of wonder and joy to you this semester.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
look forward in a few weeks to reading my course evaluations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Have
a great summer.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I will miss you. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Most importantly, I am very proud of each of
you and what you accomplished.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Truly.</span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-2148696236980180522023-01-02T10:57:00.016-08:002023-01-02T11:06:34.494-08:00WHAT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS SHOULD I HAVE MADE?<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
always like New Year’s.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I like the feel
of freshness and optimism that comes from having the chance to start a brand-new
year.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Except that it can be cold, it is
one of my favorite days year in and year out.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
usually make one or two resolutions every new year.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This provides me with the chance to think rather
deeply about what part of my life I want to focus on in the days, weeks, and
months that are ahead.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">How do I want to
be better in 365 days than I am right now?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I take these resolutions seriously because they serve as a guiding light
as I move through each new year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">This
morning I was thinking back on the past 51.5 years of my teaching and I started
wondering what teaching resolutions I should have made 20, 30, 40 or more years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I could go back to 1986 or 1974 or
1993 where should I have put my focus so that I would teach better right then
(and, hopefully, be teaching better now).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">If I were to discover a magic portal so that I could go back to a much younger version of
myself, what resolutions would I have given to that poor, young, and inexperienced
teacher?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Three
things came to my mind without too much thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, here are my new year’s resolutions for Joe
for (let’s say) 1971.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">1 – <u>Learn
how to test better.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you test memorization,
your students will assume that what you really want from them is memorization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is a natural conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this one resolution, more than any
other, can help you grow as a teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Testing
just sets the tone for everything else you do in a class.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here
is one hint that has helped me over the last 10-15 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Type up a test for your students and give
yourself plenty of time so that you don’t get rushed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, immediately, type up a detailed answer
sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typing up those answers will give
you a sense of the true complexity of each question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What percentage of A students should get this
question correct?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>B students?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C students?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why would a student miss this question?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What knowledge is required to work this question?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What level of thinking is required?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading a question and then evaluating it is
risky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the time to type out your
answer just as if you were one of the students.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
have not given a test in many years where I did not type out an answer sheet in
advance and use that process to evaluate each question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why am I including the question?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will it help me differentiate the depth
of a student’s understanding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">More
than anything else you do, the time you spend writing a test and answering it
will improve the learning of your students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the easiest way to get their attention and show them what you
really want them to learn.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">2 – <u>Do
everything you can to get your students to prepare before they arrive at class EVERY
DAY</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s be honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most students have rarely had classes that
required them to prepare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Preparation is
a foreign concept to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently,
for many, note taking is a more important skill than preparation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my opinion, most students underprepare for
every single class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, when
class begins, they don’t know what you are talking about so they madly copy
down notes in hopes of figuring it all out later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, most professors let them get away with
that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is embarrassing or, at
least, it should be embarrassing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Don’t
be innocently delusional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask yourself
one essential question at the start of every class, “If I stopped right now and
asked five easy questions based on the suggested class preparation, how many
students would get all five correct?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t expect perfection, but I would hope in my classes that 100 percent of my
students would get at least 4-5 of those questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That will give them a foundation to build on during
the class session.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">You’ll
be amazed how smart your students suddenly become if you can get them to
prepare before they arrive at class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, you’ll be pleased by how much more readily they will become engaged
in class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Few students want to talk if
they don’t know what the class is talking about.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
cold call on my students from the time they walk into the room until they walk
out of the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The questions are
constant, not now and then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is simply
the way I teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I give students daily assignments
in advance and then start probing into those assignments through my class questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I do
this for one reason – it forces the students to prepare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students
hate this approach for about one week and then they begin to realize that they
like being actively engaged in the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t let that first week frighten you off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One anonymous student on my student
evaluations for the fall semester wrote, “His system of calling on students
during class makes it all more engaging. I think the Business School should
make cold calling a mandatory part of every class.</span>”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Last
night, I was watching an old television show and they were discussing a line from
Confucius that was written about 2,500 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Success
depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure
to be failure.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">2,500
years might have passed but I cannot think of a single thing I would prefer for
my students to ponder as they get ready for the coming semester.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">3 –<u>
Don’t get caught up in grade inflation.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I graduated as an undergraduate student, I had earned a grade point
average of 2.72. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually have my transcript
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sitting over here on a book case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I find most interesting is that I graduated
in the upper 36 percent of my class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nowadays, because of grade inflation, a 2.72 would be looked at as the
bottom of the barrel, but, for me, I was in the top 36 percent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grades have changed that significantly over
the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most grades at most schools
are A’s.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from the movie <i>A League of Their Own</i>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great." </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The hard is what makes it great.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> What a great quote. I often think that grade inflation has robbed college students of some of the spectacular thrill of working hard and making an A and I think that is sad. If 50 to 90 percent of your students make an A, why would anyone get excited by an A? I’m not in favor of giving no A’s but, next week, on the first day of class, I will write on the board in big letters, “A means Excellent.” I will then turn to my students and look them in the eye and say, “I know what excellent work is and so do you. If you give me excellent work, you will make an A. If you don’t give me excellent work, you will not make an A.” And, they will understand what I mean.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Learn
how to test better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Do everything
you can to get your students to prepare before they arrive at class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Don’t
get caught up in grade inflation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
could have come up with 15 more resolutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless, if I had told these three to my younger self way back in 1971,
I imagine they would have helped me on my long slow path to becoming a
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Happy
New Year!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-35430457672941135822022-12-17T12:47:00.005-08:002022-12-17T12:49:36.084-08:00WHAT QUESTION WOULD YOU ASK YOUR STUDENTS?<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have written, more than once over the years, about student evaluations—the
good, the bad, and the ugly. The ones we have at the Robins School
of Business seem fairly standard as far as I know. They are
electronic which is helpful. They ask each student to make quite a
list of judgments such as developing critical thinking, teacher preparation,
teacher enthusiasm, treating students with respect, and so on. Our
evaluation contains 22 judgments where students must select one of 5 responses
and then three open-ended questions. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I want to personalize my student evaluations. I do not
want to drop any questions because I understand that the overall results are
used to calculate school averages. Nevertheless, I want to add at
least one question that will appear only on my student
evaluations. If the evaluations are supposed to be for my benefit,
then I would like to ask a question that is specifically for me. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">With a bit of explanation, the person who oversees our student
evaluations has been kind enough to allow me to add one question for the spring
semester of 2023. We will be doing this as a test to see whether the
ability to personalize student evaluations provides any particular
benefit. I am delighted, but I have no idea whether this will work
or not. I discovered long ago that my ideas are not always great
ideas.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">This, of course, brings up the obvious. What one
question do I want to add to my student evaluations that will be just for
me? What do I want to know that is not already being
covered? I have a wonderful opportunity here and I don’t want to
ruin it with some useless question. Remember, the student
evaluations already contain a total of 25 queries. What is left to
ask?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">What would you ask? What question could you put on your
student evaluation that would be helpful in judging how successful you were
during the semester? If you have any good thoughts, stop
right now and send me an email (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/313214416063794063/3543045767294113582"><span style="color: blue;">Jhoyle@richmond.edu</span></a>) because I am interested in
every possible approach. I might change my mind and put your
question on my evaluations.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have read a lot of student evaluations over the decades and it
is difficult sometimes to get at the foundational information that I believe
would be helpful. Many of the open-ended questions almost beg the
student to write paragraphs if not pages. I don’t want more of that
because I already have that in the present form. Those answers often
ramble and lose direction. They seem designed to glorify the
professor or be vindictive. I want a question that can be answered
by a student in one sentence and will tell me something essential about the
semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here is what I finally submitted, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> “What do you believe is the professor's primary
goal for this class?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">To me, if I have not clearly helped every student understand what
I want to accomplish, then the semester would seem to be a failure by
definition. On the other hand, if the students truly understand what
I want from the class, then the rest of their student evaluation judgments are
much more meaningful for me because they are based on that foundation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Notice that almost all (perhaps all) typical student evaluation
inquiries have a positive and a negative side. Is the teacher
prepared? Is the teacher enthusiastic? Does the teacher
succeed in developing critical thinking skills? Heck, every student
can see which answer is “good” and which answer is “bad.” Consequently,
student responses all seemed to be biased based on the student’s general
feelings toward the teacher. “I like the teacher so I’m going to
rate the teacher a bit higher on developing critical thinking skills because
that will make the teacher look good.” What does that prove?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">However, the question, “What do you believe is the professor's
primary goal for this class?” does not necessarily have a positive and a
negative side. Yes, I do understand that a student might put, “To learn
the material” and that doesn’t really tell much but it is neither positive nor
negative. I am truly hoping, though, that the students will be more
specific than that. I want to know what they think I want them to
accomplish. We’ve been working together for months. Surely, they
have some thoughts as to my purpose for them and for the class.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">In the end, this is merely an experiment to see how the students
will respond and what I might learn from it. I have high hopes but,
if you check back in about six months from now, I will let you know whether
this “extra question” proves beneficial or is basically a waste of
time. Fingers crossed for interesting results. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">If it were you, what question would you want to ask?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-85342994423599131842022-11-15T06:30:00.004-08:002022-11-15T06:30:41.079-08:00 WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE FOR BETTER TEACHING?<p><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">A
few weeks ago, the goods folks at McGraw-Hill were kind enough to ask me to do
a one-hour webinar titled “Tips for Becoming a Better Teacher.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We assumed that a portion of the audience would
be accounting professors since I am an accounting professor and the 15</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
edition of the </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Advanced Accounting</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
textbook that I coauthor is coming out in January.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Nevertheless, we wanted the webinar to be of
interest to anyone who teaches in college whether they teach biology,
psychology, accounting, or everything in between.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">For
someone like myself who has taught a long time, it is an interesting challenge
to consider what advice you would give to a person wanting to become a better
teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What is really important?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What actually can work?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">After a long debate with myself, here is some
of the advice that I chose to provide in this webinar.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--Every
teacher should start out by acknowledging just how essentially important
education is for each individual and for our society as a whole.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Investing the time and energy needed for
success is much easier if you realize how important your role as a teacher is.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Every day, we have the opportunity to change
lives for the better. We need to take that role seriously.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--I
like to begin each class throughout the semester with a mental vision of the
“perfect class” at the end of the semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In other words, what type of class environment am I trying to
create?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What should the last day of
class look like?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What should the last
day feel like?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If you don’t know that,
then a class is just a random event without any guiding structure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--Use
technology but use it well and don’t feel a need to use all of the possible technology.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I think every teacher should keep track of
the available technology and make use of what feels good to you.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Nevertheless, there is no necessity to make
use of every new bell and whistle that comes out.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Think about your classes and be selective.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What technology can help you meet your goals?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">For example, I think making videos is a great
strategy for me and one that I use often. Students today have grown up in the YouTube generation. I like to take advantage of that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--Help
students focus on their class preparation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Nothing improves a class more than having students arrive each day with
an adequate amount of preparation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Don’t
be casual when it comes to preparation --- make that a real priority.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My experience is that virtually all students
underprepare for class.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Change that and
things will immediately get better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--Help
students focus on reviewing and organizing the new material right after every class.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Knowledge seeps out of the brain very quickly
if techniques are not applied to help solidify what has been learned. Have assignments set up to be done immediately after coverage to make the understanding both clear and permanent. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--The
better you test, the better the students will learn.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Spend serious time thinking about your
testing process.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Make sure that your
test questions are very well written.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
my mind, every test question should be (a) fair, (b) challenging, and (c) stress
critical thinking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students learning is
often affected by what they see on a test.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Don’t teach a student to think and then test them on memorization.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--Determine
what percentage of the talking you want to do in class.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In my classes, I try to avoid doing more than
half of the talking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is not
easy.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That means that I have to figure
out how to get the students to do the other half of the talking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is a tough challenge, but one that can
turn a passive class into an engaged class.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--Realize
that students cannot read your mind so work on developing good communication
techniques.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I use emails.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I use a lot of emails.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I keep them short and to the point.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This allows me to inform students of what I
need from them and why.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If I can get that message across, most students seem willing to put forth a better effort.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That’s a good start.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--We
all tell ourselves stories about our jobs, our students, and our classes.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It is easy for those stories to be negative.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Conditions are bad."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students are lazy."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students have not been taught how to
learn."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If you want to be a better
teacher, work very hard on telling yourself better stories.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Most of the students were well prepared today."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We had a great discussion in class."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The students appear to be figuring out what
I want from them."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I cannot possibly tell
you how important I think those internal stories are for becoming a better
teacher. Listen to yourself and make sure your stories will lead to a stronger and better version of you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If
you would like to watch the actual webinar, here is the URL.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I hope it helps you make key steps as you
seek to become a better teacher and eventually a great teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h1NfHprZrE&t=341s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h1NfHprZrE&t=341s</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-46595853923116329652022-08-16T11:27:00.013-07:002022-08-16T11:27:55.852-07:00 HELPING STUDENTS AVOID CONFUSION ABOUT YOUR CLASS<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
have taught now for more than five decades.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I know how I want my class to operate.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In contrast, the students are brand new to my class, and what seems
crystal clear to me is often terribly confusing to them.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I don’t like confusion.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It rarely helps education.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If
you have read this blog for long, you know how much I stress communications
with my students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My motto, “Just
because it is clear to me doesn’t mean it is clear to you,” never leaves my
mind.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Two
weeks ago, I sent out the course outline to my students to give them a chance in
advance to see how the coming class will be structured.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My bet is that 10 percent of the students
will look at it rather seriously and the others will adopt a “need to know”
approach.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That
is a recipe for confusion.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Should I just
accept this or can I help them clear up some of that confusion?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">On
our first-class day (next Monday), I want to use as little time as possible to
introduce the course while also making sure that the structure is clear to 100
percent of the students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">So, today, with
six days until our first class, I sent them a “scavenger hunt” – 31 questions
about the structure of the class based on the course outline and other material
that I had sent to them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Who
doesn’t love a scavenger hunt?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Heck, it
is fun.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
wanted to create some curiosity, but most of all, I wanted them to start
thinking about how a “Joe Hoyle” course operates.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">To them, education seems somewhat
random.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">From my perspective, it seems
very specific.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
don’t expect them to know the answers to any of these questions.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That is not my point.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I just want them to think about the questions
and why those questions might be important.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Then, on Monday, I will go through the 31 questions with them and,
hopefully, after 15-20 minutes, they will have a pretty good understanding of
how a “Joe Hoyle” course operates.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am
74 years old and I have never tried this before.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I might never try it again.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">However, at least once, I want to see if this
will reduce the amount of confusion that students can have about a
college-level class.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here
is what I sent my students this morning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">ACCOUNTING
302 – FALL SEMESTER 2022</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I think it
is very important for each student to understand the essential parts of the
Course Outline (and some of the information that I have distributed to you in
other forms).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In the first 15-20
minutes of our first class on Monday, we will go through the course
outline.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here are a whole bunch of
questions that I want you to be able to answer after we have finished.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">You can get many of these simply by a close
reading of the course outline.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">No matter
how you get them, 15-20 minutes into our first class, I want YOU to be able to
answer each of these questions.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I think
that is a reasonable goal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
will pass around a seating chart at the beginning of the first class.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Wherever you sit on that first day is where
you will sit (at least for a while).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">How
long should you anticipate having that seat in my class?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
what name do I prefer to be called?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
will you know if you are late for class?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
many times can you be late for class before you need to explain to me why you
seem to have trouble arriving on time?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where is my office?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
do I describe my office?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
class is scheduled on MWF from 1:30 – 2:20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How long will our class sessions actually be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I make up for that?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What are my office hours?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you
need an appointment to see me during my office hours?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When should you first come to my office?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my classes, there are two traditional
times for students to come to my office – what are they?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
often should you check your email for messages from me?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How many hourly tests will be given this semester?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When are those hourly tests?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What should you do if you are entitled to extra time on an
examination?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How much time will you be given on each of the three “hourly”
exams?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the final exam?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is the class grading scale?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Typically, how many students make an A or a B in this class?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
I curve our tests? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your
final grade is determined based on a weighted system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many points is each of the hourly tests
worth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many points is the final exam
worth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many points are the three
writing assignments worth?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When is the first writing assignment due?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
is the key to the writing assignment?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
the Internet and lots of other places, you can probably find/buy copies of my
old exams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you allowed to do
that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you break that rule, what
happens?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is my rule about phones in class?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is my rule about computers in class?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>21.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is my rule about talking in class?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>22.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is my rule about getting up and walking out of class during
class?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>23.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are two ways to get extra credit in this class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are they?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>24.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
try to post everything we do on Blackboard (our learning management
system).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you find this course on
Blackboard?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We will start the semester with Chapter 13 and spend about 3 weeks on
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is our coverage of Chapter 13
different from all the rest of the semester?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>26.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
will eventually use a lot of “practice problems.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are they and how do they work?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>27.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
sent you a document with quotes from past students about How to Make an A in my
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you learn from that
document?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do I expect you to do
with that document?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>28.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is my number one piece of advice about how to do well in this
class?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>29.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is my number two piece of advice about how to do well in this
class?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is my number three piece of advice about how to do well in this
class?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>31.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is the overall goal of this class?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-81828796264257015232022-08-08T06:14:00.003-07:002022-08-08T06:14:31.781-07:00BE INNOVATIVE IN FIVE EASY STEPS<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My
first class of the fall semester starts in 14 days.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It will be my 52</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> year as a
college teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have been pondering
how to get emotionally ready for the new batch of students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">How can I keep my teaching an exciting
activity for me?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If I am not excited,
why should the students be?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">About
two weeks ago, I flew to San Diego for a conference.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In the local Richmond airport, someone left
behind a publication from the </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Harvard
Business Review</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It was some type of
“Best of” series that was probably available in one of the airport book
shops.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I picked it up and read exactly
one article in the few minutes that I had before boarding the plane.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That article was, “How Coca-Cola, Netflix,
and Amazon Learn from Failure,” by Bill Taylor (originally published November
10, 2017).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am
fascinated (obsessed) by how people and organizations manage to grow over time to
become better and better.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">So, it was my
type of article.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I was immediately
captivated by the following three sentences because I think they are absolutely
true.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">People talk endlessly about
“innovation and creativity” yet, it can be hard sometimes to spot any actual
innovation and creativity.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Many people
would rather talk about innovation than be innovative.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">From the <i>HBR</i>: “I
can’t tell you how many business leaders I meet, how many organizations I
visit, that espouse the virtues of innovation and creativity. Yet so many of
these same leaders and organizations live in fear of mistakes, missteps, and
disappointments — which is why they have so little innovation and creativity.
If you’re not prepared to fail, you’re not prepared to learn.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Now,
change the words “business leaders” in that quote to “college professors” and change "organizations" to "universities." </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Does that change much about the quote?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Of course not!!!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Every university and every
professor that I speak with talk about educational innovation and creativity.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> C</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">onsidering that this is 2022 and
not 1982, it can be troubling to search for the results of those educational innovations.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Oh, I certainly know that there is always creativity.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> However, g</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">iven the problems of our
planet, I personally doubt that there is enough.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Taylor
talks about the fear of failure as stifling for innovation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that apply to you and your teaching? As you begin a new semester, that is not a bad question to consider.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
think a problem that college teachers face is that we often view innovation as something that must be a major change, something that takes a lot of time and effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, if we only equate innovation with
significant undertakings, then the fear of failure is real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is cautious about taking a considerable risk that might well end in defeat. We are not like Indiana Jones. Most of us are not big risk-takers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Does
innovation have to be a high-stakes gamble? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">As
you prepare for the fall semester, I want you to think about innovation in a
different way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are a few tiny
changes you can make in your class that could bring about improvement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t try to fix the world all at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t attempt a major renovation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about your classes and consider how a
few small changes might lead to better and deeper student learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Small innovations can lead to real improvement without leaving you open </span>to the possibility of extreme failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they work, that is great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The success will provide you with a
foundation for more changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they
don’t work, then don’t do them again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep
it simple.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Whenever
I talk with professors about educational changes, they always seem puzzled
about where to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want to change. They want to teach
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is genuine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want deeper understanding by their students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, they are not sure how to get innovation
started.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Here
is my advice in five easy steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinking
this way helps me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it will help you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">1—Picture
the <u>end</u> of the fall semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t
get in a hurry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take your time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about your class on the last day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As specifically as you can, identify the
characteristics or actions that you want to see in your students during that
final session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assume the semester has
gone perfectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assume it is the best
class you have ever taught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will
your students act or what will they be able to do on that last day?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my mottoes (for myself and for my
students) is, “Picture perfection.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t think we do that enough as teachers. What would you like for that last class to look like?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">2—Make
a list of the Top 5 or 10 things that you would observe in this final, perfect
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do students act?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do the students do that you like so
well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How have they grown?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make it specific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Create a list of what you would see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Smarter, more thoughtful students” doesn’t
tell you anything – what does that mean on the last day of your class?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">3—Make
two columns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is headed, “Things I’m
doing to get my students to this outcome.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The second is headed, “Things I’m not yet doing to get my students to
this outcome.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to determine what
you are currently doing in your class to move the students toward your “Perfect
Class Goal.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Thinking like this helps. </span>You also want to consider
what new actions might push the students to where you want them to
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is this last column that is most
important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spend serious time
thinking about what you might try during the fall that would guide the group
toward your perfect picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get
in a rush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an important
assignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t have 10-20 things on the “not
tried yet” list, you are not being creative and innovative enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another one of my mottoes:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The more ideas you have, the more likely it
that you will have a good idea.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, let
your imagination run wild.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4—Look
at this last list carefully.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Don’t attempt
to do everything!!!</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">That’s a problem
that often stops teachers from pushing forward.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Instead, pick 2-3 things from this list that (a) might be effective and
(b) can be carried out reasonably well in this coming semester.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In other words, when it comes to innovation,
Think tiny.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">These 2-3 changes will be the focus for your teaching this coming semester.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Something
new.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">These </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">initiatives</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> might fail, but they might not.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">They are worth the risk.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">5—Document
your list of 2-3 innovative things for the fall semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give yourself a definite plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(a) What are you going to do new and
different?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(b) When are you going to do
it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(c) How are you going to implement it
(although that might be self-evident)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(d) How are you going to judge the results you achieve? Try to make an assessment each week of the progress. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">You
CAN be a more creative and innovative teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t care who you are. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
world needs that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether you are young
or old, the world needs more innovative teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It is time to get started.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">You
CAN eventually achieve your perfect class, but it might well take 52
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">You
MUST understand what your primary goal is for your students and then find some workable
strategies to guide your push toward that improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Think tiny.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">If those
ideas work, do them again in the spring semester and build on them toward more success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">If they
fail, try to fix them and give them another shot or do something different in
the spring semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> My third motto for this essay: </span>Failure is only
failure if you stop trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Best
of luck to all my readers for a fabulous fall semester!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-11542253048233825982022-07-14T07:04:00.012-07:002022-07-14T07:04:56.180-07:00QUESTION: SHOULD YOU BRIBE STUDENTS?<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
I have a question about teaching, I pay close attention to what my friends do,
especially those teachers that I respect a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If a tactic works for them, then I should, at least, consider the
possibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a teacher is not
careful, it is easy to spend too much of your time giving out opinions and not
enough of your time taking in opinions (and evaluating them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Or,
as I might tell my children, keep your mouth shut and your ears open if you
want to benefit from a conversation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
have a close friend who is now retired who was a great teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">He did an excellent job and the students
loved him.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">He used to give out extra
credit points for many types of assignments.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“The cost is very little to give out a point or two and the students are
just so much more likely to do what you want them to do.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I suspect that he would have asserted that
students are human beings who tend to respond well to motivation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It seemed to work for him.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
had another close friend who was also a fabulous teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Unfortunately, he died a few years back.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">He got great results.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">However, he was adamant against giving extra
credit points.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“Why should I bribe
students for helping them to learn college-level materials.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If they are unwilling to do the work, they
should suffer the consequences.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If they
don’t do what I assign, they won’t learn the material and they won’t do well in
the course.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Sadly,
I see both points of view here and that leaves me in a quandary.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here
is why I am asking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I teach a very
complex accounting course each semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This is tough stuff for the students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">So, I tend to give them advice over the summer about how to do well in
the course.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There are certain things they
can do during these final 6 weeks before the first class that will get them
ready to do well when the semester starts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
teach accounting and, for those of you who don’t teach accounting, the
financial accounting rules are gathered into thousands of pages called the
Accounting Standards Codification (ASC).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">As with an attorney and the law, it is important for an accountant to be
able to find things within this massive set of accounting rules.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">So, I created a 7-question “Scavenger Hunt.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I told the students what I wanted them to
find in the ASC and how to locate it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
thought this was something that they would enjoy doing and would really help
them be ready for my class on August 22.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They would know how to find things in the rules.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">When
I emailed this to the students, I went out of my way to tell them that this was
purely for their benefit so I expected them to do it. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">However, I was not going to give them a few
extra credit points.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wanted them to do
it because it was good for them and not because they needed to be bribed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They are not 12 years old.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They are on the verge of entering the adult
working world.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I was
pretty sure that if I offered them a mere one or two points on the first test
many of them would do the work (it would only take 20-30 minutes) almost immediately.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">But, if I do that, am I creating students who
must be bribed or they simply will not do anything even for their own benefit.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Are students becoming like Pavlov’s dogs they
can only react to a specific stimulus?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Well,
nearly a week has passed since I emailed this assignment and I’ve heard from
none of my 17 students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That leaves me
wondering which of my two friends had the best approach to Extra Credit.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wondered what you might think.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-19571091533666859312022-06-09T12:39:00.002-07:002022-06-09T12:39:47.803-07:00HOW ONLINE EDUCATION CAN HELP SAVE OUR WORLD<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Here is a sentence for you: </span><span face="Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><u style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Wealth inequality begins with education inequality. </u></span></p><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I believe that sentence and I believe we as educators need to work as hard as we can to provide a high-quality education for as many people as we possibly can across our world. The world has desperate needs and this needs to be at the top of that list.</span></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Live education is absolutely wonderful. I love walking into class each day in order to teach 20-30 college students. However, I think I could do more good on this planet by trying to provide a high-quality education to 5,000 students around the world. And, that requires online education. </span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Virginia Society of CPAs asked me to give a virtual speech this morning to a group of educators describing my experiences in teaching online courses and live courses. Trust me, they didn't have to ask twice. This is a topic I feel very strongly about. </span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">After giving the presentation, I came home and opened up Zoom and did it again so that I could record it. The YouTube link is below. I have given a lot of speeches about education over my life but I don't remember giving one where I felt more passionate about the topic. </span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">I hope you will watch a little or a lot or all of it twice. More importantly, think about your teaching and your school. How can you provide a high quality education to as many people around the world as possible? We are teachers. This should be what we do.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please pass along the link to anyone who might be interested. </span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://youtu.be/ukY9qVux2dM" target="_blank"><span style="background: rgb(249, 249, 249); font-family: Roboto; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://youtu.be/ukY9qVux2dM</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></div>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-35253953519031184172022-05-31T07:13:00.007-07:002022-05-31T13:19:48.248-07:00SHOULD YOU COLD CALL ON STUDENTS?<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Note One: Every so often, I make this offer. I post about 10 teaching essays per year. If you will send an email to Jhoyle@richmond.edu, I will send you a short note whenever a new posting is put up. I will make no other use of your email address. Joe </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Note Two: I will be presenting at the online Virginia Accounting Educators' Conference on June 9. Would love to have you join me. You can get information at https://www.vscpa.com/conferences</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">**</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Should
You Cold Call on Students?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><u>Possible
Answer One:</u></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><u> </u> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">For the past 30 years, I
have cold called on each of my students once or twice every single day of the
semester.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I think it is the only way to
teach if you truly want students to pay attention and think.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><u>Possible
Answer Two:</u><u> </u> For the past 30 years, I
have never cold called on my students a single time. It just scares students and doesn’t really
accomplish anything. Making students
uncomfortable with random questions is not my goal in life. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">How
could I give you both of those answers for the same question?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot possibly have taken both of those
approaches over the last three decades of my teaching career.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Before
I explain my answers, let me describe an experiment I did this past Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pastor gave a good sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It lasted approximately 16 minutes (equal to
about 1/3 of the time of one of my typical class sessions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the sermon, I made my best effort to
pay close attention and stay focused. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
listened carefully and followed along.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">According
to my best judgment, it took approximately 4 minutes before my mind began to
wander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to think about something else
or I noticed something in the sanctuary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either way, I lost track of the sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was my own internal observation but about every 4 minutes, my mind
went scurrying off in some weird direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was only with great intensity that I could get my brain back on the
sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, it only lasted 16 minutes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">The
sermon was good and I really tried, but my attention-span was about four
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try it some time and see how
you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just count how many times your
mind wanders.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">On
another day, I watched an episode of <i>Jeopardy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pretended that I was a contestant and wanted to see if I could answer
the questions and be a winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed
to make it through the entire show without once losing my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paid attention to the categories and tried
to anticipate where each topic was going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay, the commercials did give me a break but, for the actual show, I was
all in, every moment, every second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Why
could I not stay focused more than a few minutes on the pastor’s (interesting)
sermon, but I was on the edge of my seat during my pretend experience on
Jeopardy?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Well,
that is an easy question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You already
know the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>I was a passive participant
at church and a (virtually) active participant on <i>Jeopardy</i>.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had nothing to do at church but
listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On <i>Jeopardy</i>, I had to analyze
the topic and be ready to respond as quickly as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">This
is not rocket science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You already knew
how this experiment was going to play out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We all know that engaged students stay better focused than passive
students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>So, why in the world would
you ever let one of your students be a passive learner who just sits there and
listens and maybe takes down a few notes????<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></u>If you do that, your students’ minds will just head directly off toward
day dreaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">We
know that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Why
do we do it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the alternative?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Most
teachers don’t like to cold call on students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They might call on the smart students or the students willing to raise
their hand but it is a brave teacher who makes cold calling a comprehensive strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Teachers would rather say every word in class and let the students day-dream than to cold call on them.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">A
little over 30 years ago, these were the exact questions I was pondering one
summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>I swore that I would never
teach to passive students again.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Never.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, how do you turn them
into engaged, active students?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t this
just a fundamentally important question for any college teacher?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
started with three fundamental beliefs:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">--I
wanted the students to know that they would be called on each and every
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No surprises, just a natural part of
the class.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">--I
wanted the students to be able to prepare for the questions so those questions
did not come flying in from outer space to scare them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">--I
wanted this to feel more like a conversation so it had less of a “right” and “wrong”
feel to it. I wanted it more conversational and less judgmental. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">After
that, at each class, I gave my students 5-10 starter questions for the next
session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are often tiny little case
studies, “A company has the following situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What should happen next?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as I walk into the room at the next
class meeting, I start asking the students about one of those little case studies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mr. Jones, “What should we do first in
this situation?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ms. Smith, “Do you like Mr. Jones’s
answer or do you have a better one?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mr. Wilson, “If we do what Ms. Smith
suggests, how is the company president going to respond?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ms. Greene, “What really is the
problem here that we are trying to avoid?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Is
that cold calling on students?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">If
you were sitting in the room as a student, it certainly might seem like cold calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, it is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The students have the questions 48-72 hours in
advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The students know they were
going to get called on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They never know
which question they are going to get, but they know they will get called on at least once or twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't view that as cold calling. It's a conversation with both sides talking.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Okay,
drum roll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the big questions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are my students passive learners or actively
engaged learners?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think they
begin to day-dream like they would during a lecture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, will they pay close attention, as if they
were contestants on <i>Jeopardy</i>?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
think you already know the answer to those questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Do I
ever cold-call on a student?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I think
that is mostly a waste of time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Do I
call on students to engage with me on questions that they should have thought
about in advance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, every single
minute of every single class session. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
never lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just have what I call “conversational
questioning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">The final
question that I usually get when I talk with college teachers is, “What do the
students say about this rapid-fire question-and-answer format? Don't they crucify you on your student evaluations”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">As
you might guess, my student evaluations are interesting to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">From
this past semester, one student made me smile by complaining, “I had to learn
everything in advance of class.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
student would not have realized it, but I could not have been more happy with
that answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could any teacher or student ask for more than that?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">But,
my favorite was from a first-year student who wrote, “To be honest, I am not
very interested in accounting, but this is the best course I have ever taken.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-88737290087706253302022-03-28T10:16:00.010-07:002022-03-28T10:16:38.504-07:00ONE QUESTION BUT TWO ANSWERS<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">A few weeks ago, I had the great honor of speaking to 84 seniors at Longwood
University who were heading out to do their student teaching in the schools
throughout Virginia.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">These students were
entering the teaching profession at a critical time in our history.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They were going to be changing many lives,
hopefully for years to come.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">When I say
that I was honored to speak to them, that is absolutely true. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We all need to be cheering loudly for every
person who is starting a career in teaching.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The
theme of my presentation was “One Question but Two Answers.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The question was straight forward.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It was one that I think every teacher should
ponder on a regular basis, “Be honest with yourself, how good do you really
want to be?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Whether
you are a teacher or a politician or a computer expert, no question is more
important.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">You are never going to be
better than you want to be so you need to arrive at an answer that is both
honest and personally satisfactory.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">To
address our problems, the world needs more ambitious people, especially people
who are willing to become teachers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
my mind, every college and university should be working diligently to produce
more teachers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That should be a top priority
at every school in this country.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Okay,
how good do you really want to be?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
gave those students two, connected, answers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The first was, “GREAT!!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I led
off with a favored quote of mine from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who, as President
of Liberia, gave the 2011 Commencement Address at Harvard and challenged the
students with,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“If
your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
wanted every member of my audience to walk out with the dream of becoming a
great teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted that dream to be
gigantic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">No
one dreams of being mediocre.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">No
one yearns to be average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">As
teachers, if we are going to change the lives of our students for the better,
we need to challenge ourselves to become great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We owe that to our students.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
could have preached forever on the importance of great teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I only had 45 minutes and I had a
second answer for my question that I also wanted to explore with the students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">How
good do you really want to be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second answer should always be, “BETTER!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is awfully hard to be great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
a teacher, that might truly be the impossible dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, we can all work to get
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone can get better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 51 years that I have taught, I have
never once arrived on campus when I did not want to be better than I was the
day before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I then
gave those 84 seniors four tips that I firmly believe will help each of them to
become better teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will not become
great teachers all at once but, if they work to become a bit better every day,
every week, every month, it is only a matter of time until they wind up being GREAT
TEACHERS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, the world needs more of
that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">So,
here are the tips that I gave to the 84 Longwood seniors a few weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have given them 52 tips but I am sure
that these four tips can truly make a difference in their quest to get better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">1—Give
as many pats on the back as you possibly can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I firmly believe that one of the problems with both the work place and
the school classroom is that we don’t compliment people/support people often
enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it is a student, an
assistant, another faculty member, a dean, a provost, a president, we should
all be passing out more pats on the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That doesn’t mean we have to be pleasant and smiling all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A poor effort should always be
corrected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, where possible, seek
out reasons to say supportive things to your students.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">2—Keep
a diary of your teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This comes
from a person who has written over 300 essays on teaching on this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I firmly believe that taking 15 minutes at
the end of the day (especially for a less experienced teacher) to record your
thoughts can be extremely helpful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It forces
you to think about what happened, why it happened, and what you might have done
differently if you wanted a different result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think writing about your work is one of the most underappreciated
aspects of learning to be a better teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">3—Find
the teachers in your building who seem to be the best at the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, take them out for coffee and pick their
brains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get into a conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have specific questions and then listen
carefully to what they say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are not
trying to become their clone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather,
you are trying to pick up ideas that might (might) work for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I used to have a good friend who was a great teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He died about 18 months ago but, until then,
I loved to take him to lunch and ask him questions about some aspect of
teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would think for a long
while and then he would give me a wonderful answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paid close attention and then tried to
figure out what applied to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t
always agree but I always listened and considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Too
many people will do this and then automatically reply, “Let me tell you why
that won’t work for me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t do
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen and consider.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">4—View
students as individuals and not as a group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is easy to think of your students as the “9:00 class” or as the “sophomores.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each person deserves to be considered as a person
with their own wants and needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing
in teaching is ever absolute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing
applies to everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can have
guidelines but each student who talks to you or who concerns you is dealing
with their own particular case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen
to them carefully before deciding how to proceed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard it said that when a person
talked with Mother Teresa, she treated them like them like they were the only
person in her world at that moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whenever a student talks with me, I try to remind myself of Mother
Teresa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
could have given lots of other advice to those 84 student teachers but those
four thoughts seemed to me to be a good way to address what I think it is the
key question in becoming a great teacher, “How do you get better?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-61072938203135180912022-03-14T15:34:00.002-07:002022-03-14T15:34:36.562-07:00Teaching Idea -- Zoom Video Conversation<p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I have always loved Sunday morning news shows where 3-5
“experts” sit around and have a conversation about some item in the news.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It just seems to me to be a relatively
casual way to learn more about a topic in an interesting manner.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Not a lecture – just a conversation.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I’ve always wanted to bring that
informal feel to discussions about my own classes.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> I
wanted to introduce the students to my thinking about the class and the
material and how they are doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">So, today, the student tutor for my introductory course and I had a conversation
about the upcoming second test in the intro course.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>Without any practice, we just chatted
about the course and how to do well.<span style="color: inherit;"> Casual stuff. </span>We
recorded the conversation on Zoom and then posted it to YouTube.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span> If I had not had a class tutor, I would have invited a senior to be part of the conversation or, perhaps, a colleague. Just someone to have a conversation with about the course. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I don’t know how it will work out, but I like to try ideas
that I have never seen before (just to see how they might work).<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>This is one that you might enjoy
trying yourself.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>It really is
simple.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>The email where I
introduced this to my students is below along with the URL.<span style="color: inherit;"> </span>I don’t think you’ll want to watch the
whole thing (it is NOT “The Power of the Dog.”) but a few minutes might push
your own creative imagination. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">** <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> To: Accounting 201 Students </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">From: JH </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I wanted to do something that would help you get started in
your thinking about Test Number Two which is about 165 hours away (not that I'm
counting). So, Ms. St. John and I made a Zoom video where we chatted
about your class, about Test Number Two, and about doing well. I hope you'll
watch it. I think you might find the advice helpful. But, none of
this will be on the test. Just meant to help you start the preparation
process. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Here is the URL. </span></p><p>
</p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit", serif; padding: 0in;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" href="https://youtu.be/knbnA4avn8U" id="LPlnk457920" target="_blank"><span style="background: #F9F9F9; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">https://youtu.be/knbnA4avn8U</span></span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-27912546567394214452022-02-18T11:49:00.004-08:002022-02-18T11:53:03.993-08:00TO BECOME BETTER, WHERE SHOULD YOU START?<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
1991 after 20 years in the classroom, as many of you know, I decided to change
my style of teaching.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Until then, I had
been a relatively traditional teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
lectured about 80-90 percent of the class session and would pause where
appropriate and ask questions to re-energize the students and get them engaged
for a few seconds.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Ten percent of the
students were always dying to try to answer every question (right or wrong) and
the other 90 percent were delighted to let them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My
teaching evaluations were good.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I won
awards.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">However, the level of this
teaching seemed superficial to me.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The
students were being trained to be good note takers and tended to rely on me to
do all the serious thinking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They expected
me to explain everything in minute detail.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They just seemed too passive to me.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">They seemed to be obsessed with memorizing every word I spoke and would only
get really interested in learning right before each new test.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
wanted something different.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wanted to
make a change.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Unfortunately, I was not
sure where to start and I really struggled.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Some times that is the toughest part of making a change.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
finally decided to set some goals for my classes that I wanted to achieve.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I called these, “Goals That Would Make Me
Happy.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">These became my goals in 1991
and they have remained my goals ever since.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In fact, they were my goals in class this very day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Only after I had decided on my goals could I
make logical attempts at achieving them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">1 –
I would try my best every day to do no more than half of the talking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The easiest thing a teacher can do in class is
talk.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am convinced that most teachers
simply talk too much. Walk down the hall of any classroom building and stop at
each door and see who is talking.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">95
percent of the time, it will be the teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If you truly want to engage the students, you have to get them to do half
of the talking or they will fall back on taking notes.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Trust me – achieving this goal takes an
awfully lot of work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">2 –
I would try my best to have every student talk once or twice every day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">When students walk into every class of mine,
I want them to know for sure that they will be required to be part of the
conversation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There are no
exceptions.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I want the best student and
the worst student to talk an equal amount each day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am lucky that I usually have no more than
28 students so I am able to make sure everyone talks in class every day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">You have to adjust your goals to fit your
situation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Think creatively.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">3 –
I would try my best to make sure that when the students talked each day they
were prepared to add legitimately to the conversation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have had students who could talk at length
about nothing.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That provides no benefit
to anyone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I didn’t want to ask them, “How’s
the weather?” questions that would allow them to talk without saying something
that was well thought out.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I want each student
to be ready to talk like a prepared college student and add true valid to the
conversation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">4 –
I would try my best never to “teach” my students anything that they could
memorize.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wanted learning to be at a
deeper level.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Memorization is not
learning.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">This is college.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wanted them to develop their critical
thinking skills and I am not sure memorization has any place in that objective.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">5 –
I would try to make the class as interesting as possible.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have always wanted classroom learning to be
an enjoyable activity.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I watched a
little of the Olympic figure skating this past week where the 15-year old child
was put under such intense pressure.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">As
I watched, I reminded myself that many of my students are only 3 years older
than she is.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Life has pressure.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Everyone understands that.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">However, we as teachers should try to keep
that pressure from being unreasonable.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We are here to help students, not crush them.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Okay,
where a teacher might go from here will depend on the teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There is no pure path.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There are many ways to address class goals.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am not trying to advocate for any particular
way to teach.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Nevertheless, to me, once
you establish very specific goals, only then can you consider what might allow
you to achieve them.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
1991, I found that, until I had established these goals, I kept wandering back
rather randomly to lecturing for most of the class period.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I kept coming back to the point where I was
talking too much and the students were copying down too much so they could
memorize all of my words.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I had to have some
goals to guide me beyond my traditional method of teaching.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What
are your goals?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Start there.</span></b></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-47623551994301056172022-01-05T06:32:00.006-08:002022-01-05T06:34:49.027-08:00THREE PIECES OF ADVICE FOR A GREAT SEMESTER<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, another
semester begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not taught in a
live, in-person class since early in March 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have missed it terribly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At my age, I feared it might never happen
again for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With masks and distancing,
it will not be the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, I
look forward to walking into a classroom on Monday at 9 a.m. with my usual, “Okay,
let’s get started.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is
always a genuine thrill at the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is always
the recognition that great things can happen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At the
beginning, anything and everything is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, I wanted
to share three pieces of advice this morning that might help you get the semester
heading in a good direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe the first week is so very important
because it sets a tone for the entire semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Create that foundation and then build on it each week thereafter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creating a wonderful class is like meticulously building a
tower, slowly one block at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In my never-ending
desire to do stuff differently, I have decided to deliver my three pieces of
advice to you using a short YouTube video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I like these and use them in my class a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even a person (like me) who is
technologically challenged can create the video on Zoom and then upload it to
YouTube.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It certainly does not look like
it was done by Steven Spielberg, but it conveys the message and gives me the
chance to speak directly to my students.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope you
will watch the video and consider steps that you plan to take to get the
semester off to a great start!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Best of luck
to you and your students!!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFQxkMu7_CE&t=20s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFQxkMu7_CE&t=20s</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-13820925092092616582021-12-13T11:22:00.000-08:002021-12-13T11:22:01.922-08:00TWO PATHS TO TEACHING GREATNESS – FROM GOOD TO GREAT, PART II<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In
my previous blog posting, I wrote about the challenge of evolving from being a
good teacher to being a great teacher.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
talked about the criticism that often surrounds college education.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In general, the argument is, “It is not good
enough and it costs too much.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I believe
if more teachers moved from being good to being great, that criticism would largely
die out.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Our world needs more great
teachers and our colleges and universities should make that a number one
priority if they want to survive.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">On
November 29, I suggested that college teachers should invent a teaching award
that they would then strive to win in their classes. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My point was that working toward such an award
(even if completely made up) would help focus each person’s teaching in a very personal way.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I still think that is a
great idea.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">(If you have read my blog over the last decade, you already know the two awards that I seek to win each and every
semester.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Over
the past two weeks, I have thought a lot about moving from good teaching to
great teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such deep thinking is helpful for teachers (especially me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
need more in-depth consideration of what great teaching is and how to achieve
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe every university should start
that conversation on some serious level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
decided to follow up today with another blog essay on becoming a great teacher,
but I wanted to approach the challenge from a different angle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">There
is a foundational imperative for great teaching that I believe many people do
not understand and, therefore, fail to address.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For me, the essence of great teaching is being able to go down two
parallel paths every semester at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first is the conveyance of subject matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether the course is physics, accounting, Shakespeare,
art history, political science, or whatever, every teacher has a plethora of information
that must be communicated to students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> College </span>courses are built on helping students learn sufficient basic information whether it is
about Einstein, Botticelli, Prospero, or Machiavelli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my mind, you cannot discuss art history
without knowing who Botticelli is.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
second path is more complicated and is often overlooked even by some very good
teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the development of each
student’s critical thinking skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
people complain about college education, I rarely hear them complain about a lack
of subject matter knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, they
complain that, “Students today cannot think.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
recently discussed this concept with a friend and I slowly moved my two hands
upward in parallel, “The right hand is the subject matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The left hand is the development of critical
thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a class to be great, the
two hands have to play off each other—pushing each student along to achieve
learning that is comprehensive, thoughtful, and usable.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
suspect that many, if not most, college teachers do a pretty good job teaching subject
matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not often find that to be a
huge problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a much bigger cynic
when it comes to developing a student’s critical thinking skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From my perspective, lectures and testing,
the heart of many classes, often seem to never go beyond subject matter
communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that is the case, then
it is no wonder that college education is criticized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No
matter how good subject matter conveyance can be, it will not create great
teaching by itself.</i> That, to me, is a firm belief.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">If I
were a provost, I would issue a challenge to my school, “How do we go about
being truly successful at both subject matter communication AND the development
of critical thinking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not speaking
of senior honors courses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am talking
about <u>every</u> <u>single</u> <u>class</u> that a student takes at our school from
their first day to their last.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
have taught in college for 51 years and I believe that is the essential problem
that we have to solve if our educational institutions are going to survive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The sad
part is that I do not have an answer for you on how to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know how I try to develop critical thinking skills in my students, but every teacher
has to attack this challenge in their own way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Here
are some of the tactics that I use.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
have not lectured in any form since 1991.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In my mind, a lecture is only leading your students down one of those
two paths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 1991, I was sick and tired
of being a “one-path” teacher.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
give questions to my students 48 hours in advance of every class I teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of those questions are easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A simple reading of the book will
suffice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the questions, though,
ask the students to go a step (or two) further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
require the students to think about a situation and come up with a reasonable idea
or a unique response or a possible hypothesis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
want to know what they think more than what the answers are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite quote is from James Thurber,
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.</span>” <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Nothing probably defines my class better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--In
class, we discuss each of those questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Obviously, the students struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thinking is really hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I cannot make that easy. </span>One of
my favorite class responses is, “Figure it out.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if they arrive at the wrong conclusion,
I want them to arrive at a reasonable conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is good practice for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being
wrong is no sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--For
my tests, I always allow the students to have a couple of sheets of notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because those sheets, force me to write more thoughtful questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any test question that tests memory is simply
leading them down one of those paths but not the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, with the Internet, memory is no longer
as important as it once was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to put them in a position that they have never considered so that I can see how they respond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(If you have ever wanted to be a coach, that
sentence should resonate with you.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
often set class questions and test questions in alternative universes just to
force the students to think differently. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Assume you are on the planet Krypotien and
you have the following situation, what would you do next?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Assume Shakespeare was transported to the
current year, what play would he begin to write first?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
could come up with other tactics but you probably get the point and I don’t
want you to become a clone of me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Okay,
here is my challenge for you today. <b>Make
a list of the specific tactics that you use that are designed to help your
students develop their critical thinking skills.</b><b> </b> That is a simple, non-confusing requirement. A tactic should involve
subject matter conveyance but it must also force the students to do something
that will have a positive effect on their critical thinking skills. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
you finish your list, send me a copy at <a href="mailto:Jhoyle@richmond.edu">Jhoyle@richmond.edu</a>
and then send a copy to the students you will be teaching in the spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students will always react better if they understand
what the teacher is trying to accomplish by the work that is being required.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-91830596125658430532021-11-29T07:04:00.002-08:002021-11-29T07:04:51.930-08:00Choose the Award You Want to Win<p><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></u></p><p><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Quick
Announcement:</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> On occasion, I make the following announcement
and I usually have quite a few people contact me. I post between 5-15 essays on teaching in
college every year. In fact, this is my
308<sup>th</sup> essay covering a span of more than a decade. At the moment, the blog has had a total of 631,721
pageviews (or an average of about 2,050 for each essay). If you would like to receive a short email whenever
a new essay is posted, send me a note at </span><a href="mailto:Jhoyle@richmond.edu"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Jhoyle@richmond.edu</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">.
I will not use your email for any other reason. You will always know when each new essay is available. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">"The
fact remains that declining domestic enrollment will force colleges of all political
leanings to compete harder to provide genuine value to students.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I read this assertion in my newspaper over
breakfast this morning.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">(“Colleges face
fewer customers but more competition” by Matthew Yglesias, </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Richmond Times-Dispatch</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">, November 29, 2021)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Colleges must compete harder to provide
genuine value to students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Now, that is
an interesting assertion with implications that should make faculty and
administrators both pause for a moment. What does that really mean?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">This
past week, I had lunch with my dean (he had salad while I went for the oyster
platter).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about many things,
but one topic in particular is a favorite obsession of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In colleges and universities around the
country, I believe most schools and departments have a reasonable number of
good teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had the pleasure
of knowing many such people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I
do not think we have a sufficient number of great teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that is a primary reason why
college education is so often maligned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are not able to coax enough of our good teachers to become great teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">To
provide a great education, schools need great teachers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That seems so self-evident that I am hesitant
to say it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We
could have an interesting debate over the definition of “great teaching,” but I
will take the easy way out and fall back on Supreme Court Justice Potter
Stewart’s definition of pornography, “I know it when I see it.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Maybe, rather than establish a definition, we
should list characteristics.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Great
teachers change lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Great
teachers awaken student curiosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Great
teachers promote a love of the subject matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Great
teachers inspire students to do their best.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Great
teachers have an effect on students that carries on for years and even decades.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Great
teachers help students learn to think.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Great teachers push students to work incredibly hard.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">This
list could go on and on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Going
from good to great.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am sure that Jim
Collins has made a fortune writing about specific businesses that managed to
bridge the gap from good to great.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It is
a tricky challenge.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">How can we encourage
more professors to make that leap?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If,
after seven years, they are good teachers, how can we entice them to be great after
14 years?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That seems like a reasonable
transition.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That seems like a reasonable
goal.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">How do we encourage more to make
it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Maybe
more importantly, does anyone actually think about that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, is it a subject that is simply ignored at
colleges and universities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When is the
last time that an administrator looked at a faculty member and said, “You are a
good teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want you to become a
great teacher.”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The true answer might
be, “Never.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need more great
teachers to change more student lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have a large number of good teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do we prevent them from settling for good?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
have taught in college now for more than 50 years and that is a conversation that I
have never heard anyone bring up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
teaching conversations seem limited to helping poor teachers improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is important, but more good teachers
need to consider how they can grow into great teachers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">So,
I want to offer one piece of advice today that I believe can help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was reading something yesterday that I
wrote years ago and it contained the following quote from Ellen Johnson Eirleaf
who served as president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, “If your dreams do not
scare you, they are not big enough.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
believe that one thing that prevents many teachers from becoming great is a
lack of ambitious goals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
it comes to teaching, do <u>you</u> have goals that are so big and demanding
that they scare you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it is the
drive to achieve those goals that will push you to become great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be honest with yourself, in the upcoming spring
semester, what are your teaching goals and do they scare you?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Here
is my suggestion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You belong to some
group:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a department, a school, or a
college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assume that the students within
this group are going to give out teaching awards next May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will invent several awards and all the students
will vote for the winners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">What
award would you want to win?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Design
a hypothetical award that you truly want to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most demanding teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kindest teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funniest teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smartest teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trickiest teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most caring teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teacher with the best Power Point slides.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">What
award fits your goals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all the
teachers in your group, you want the students to name you as the winner of this
specific award. How would you make that happen?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">This
will help you focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though the
award is not real, creating an idea of what you want to become can be
transformative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ambition is so important
for growth but it has to be specific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I
want to be a great teacher” is not very helpful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Focus
on one area that you deem important and it will serve as a springboard for
overall teaching greatness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to
start somewhere and identifying “your award” will help you establish a greatness
that works for you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
always know, each semester, what hypothetical awards that I would like to win
from my students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is essential to
know who you want to be as a teacher, the role you want to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So, d</span>esign an award that you would like to win
and then consider what it would take for students to vote for you over all of
the other faculty in your group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust
me, that can be (and probably should be) scary. Ambitious goals usually are scary.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">We
need more greatness in college teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That begins when you think about what greatness means to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What award do you want to win in the upcoming
semester?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313214416063794063.post-37697816164341092052021-11-11T07:17:00.005-08:002021-11-11T07:17:49.040-08:00 MARKETING YOUR COURSE<p><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Author’s
Note.</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Before I start today’s essay, I want to make
an offer. In the fall of 2020, I created
an online financial accounting course for the Robins School of Business here at
the University of Richmond. Rather than
try to mold a live class into an online course, I honestly tried to rethink the
whole process from start to finish. I
used some of what I had learned from the book <i>Make It Stick</i> as well as my 50 plus years of college teaching. The online course seemed to go quite well. We started in August with 74 students and we
finished in December with 74 students. No
one failed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">One
of the common arguments against online education is that it is “watered down”
and of a lower quality than live classroom education.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I focused on that challenge as I created each
component of the course.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">In the fall of
2020, approximately 70 percent of my students completed the school’s student
evaluation forms.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">From my perspective,
here are two of the most interesting results.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--The
course required you to think critically -- 4.672 on a 5.0 scale.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--The
course significantly increased your knowledge of the subject -- 4.629 on a 5.0
scale.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">For
an introductory level course where virtually none of the 74 students would ever
take another financial accounting class, I thought those results were good.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">My
point is this – for many important reasons, the world needs better online
education.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">That should not be the only
alternative for student learning but it needs to be a better alternative.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">As teachers, we need to educate more
people.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We need to educate them better
at a lower cost.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">If it is well done, if
it well designed, if it properly carried out, an online course can be a very
efficient way for students to learn.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Online
education does not have to be watered down.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It does not have to be a weaker version of a live class. We need to really focus on how to make online education work better so that many more people can learn our subject matter.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I have all of this material left over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have spent the last six months getting it organized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are interested, I would be happy to
share it with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
can show you how to use it to supplement your live or blended class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
can show you how to use it to create your own online course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--Even
if you never teach financial accounting, you can study it to stimulate your personal thoughts
about online education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need more
teachers thinking more deeply about online education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I used videos, guided readings, sequenced learning questions and answers, audio
questions and answers, and a whole lot of quizzes.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I emailed the students each morning at 6:30
and said, “Here is what I need for you to do today.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We will have a quiz in 3 days.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">It
is not a perfect system, but I think it can be used to teach students
efficiently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, the materials can be
used as a foundation for an even better program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">If
you are interested in seeing some of this material, send me a note at <a href="mailto:Jhoyle@richmond.edu">Jhoyle@richmond.edu</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">If
you know someone who might be interested, please pass along this message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Thanks for your help.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">**</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Blog.</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My spring semester classes start on January
10, 2022.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Registration for those classes
took place last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited two whole
days and then I emailed a long note about the upcoming semester to each of the
students who had registered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Why
would I do this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">--I
want every student to walk in on the first day of class excited about the possibility
of learning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
want every student to walk in on the first day of class understanding what I
want from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
want every student to walk in on the first day of class feeling that they have
the ability to do well in this class.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">--I
want every student to walk in on the first day of class believing that the
material will be worth learning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">My students
have all been in school for a large portion of their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often, they are full of dread rather than
anticipation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, many of
them have suffered through some dreary education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is one of the saddest parts of
my job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students rarely arrive at class thrilled
by the prospect of learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> For them, there is just not enough joy in the idea of learning.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">So,
I will spend the next two months trying to get them to believe in me, to believe
in themselves, and believe in the value of what I am going to teach them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can win this marketing campaign, the
quality of the learning in these spring classes will have no bounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what I want. I want every class to be the best that anyone has ever seen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">So,
what did I actually say to these future students in this introductory email?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did I market my course to them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a few of the comments I thought were
most relevant.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“I
am delighted that we will be working together. I have taught this class most
semesters for the past 50+ years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
firmly believe that it is the most important course in the B-school and, in my
opinion, the most interesting course (and, despite its reputation, it can be the
most fun).” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“There
is not a day that goes by in this class when we are not trying to understand something
important. I’m not here to waste your time.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Attitude
is always important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching students
with a mediocre attitude is a trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Teaching students with a positive attitude is a joy because you can help
them leap tall buildings with a single bound.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“I
want YOU to make an A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
crime in making a B or a C in such a challenging course but there is a crime in
shooting for a B or a C. The world needs more bright young people with serious ambition.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Go
to any of the junior and senior accounting majors you know (in your fraternity/sorority,
your dorm, or wherever) and ask the simple question, ‘I want to be one of those
people who makes an A in Professor Hoyle’s 302 class. What is the
key? Don’t try to scare me because I’m not going to run and hide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not a timid, frightened mouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to make an A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I go about reaching that goal?’
My guess is that they’ll give you good advice.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“The
list of students who are well prepared every single day for my class and the
list of students who make an A are pretty close to the same list.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Okay,
I could go on and on, but the message needs to come from you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What message do you want to convey?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are trying to get a head start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to get the students interested in
the class before they start dreading it as a dreary chore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
will write my students a few more times before the spring semester begins to give them
other suggestions on getting ready for my class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, the marketing key is this first
communication where I try to set the tone for the entire spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This course is interesting and fun and
challenging and worthwhile” rather than letting them tell themselves, “This is
going to be soooo boring and useless.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
it comes to convincing students to do the work you require, aggressive (but
thoughtful) marketing is never a bad idea.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p>Professor Joe Hoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05030049285564661108noreply@blogger.com0