Category: Teaching

Just found out about annotating syllabi as a teaching resource (cf. video above). Definitely will try this for 2022/2023. More resources here.

I always try to improve my teaching practice. Recently I was struck by this piece on a pedagogy of kindness. The idea is that:

A pedagogy of kindness asks us to apply compassion in every situation we can, and not to default to suspicion or anger. When suspicion or anger is our first response, a pedagogy of kindness asks us to step back and do the reflective work of asking why we’re reacting in that manner and what other instances of disappointment or mistrust are coming to bear on a particular moment in a particular student-teacher interaction.

I have always avoided suspecting my students but I have been hurt in the past by lack of discipline in the classroom. This year, I decided to have an open conversation with my students and tell them how much it hurts to have them distracted for prolonged periods of time. I spoke to them about my passion for teaching and my commitment to make sure that they have access to top not materials. Let’s see how it goes.

If you want a good example to think with, check out this piece on a pedagogy of kindness and webcam use.