I introduced myself in a separate post, but I also want to share a bit about my teaching to help you get to know me a bit better.
I am a natural extravert, so I have always been drawn to big lecture classes. When I started teaching, one of my favorite classes was General Psychology where I could give a big performance-style lecture. However, over the past 20 years, my teaching style has changed. I still love a big lecture, but I haven’t actually taught an in-person section of General Psych since before the pandemic. Instead, I have been focusing on smaller, discussion-based classes where students learn skills throughout the semester.
Each of my classes is taught a bit differently. Psychology of Women and Gender is completely discussion-based with guiding “Questions to Consider” to help promote quality conversation. Students in this class also do a research project. This class used to be taught with a community engagement component, but I took it out during the pandemic and have not brought it back. My Psychopathology class is taught as a team-based learning class where students take individualized and group readiness assessments after they do the reading. We then spend the bulk of class time going over any unclear material and discussing case studies and controversial topics. I haven’t taught Personality since before the pandemic, but I used to have a lot of fun with role-playing activities and other techniques such as using jigsaw classroom activities.
I teach a research seminar that is also skill-based and teaches students the research process from beginning to end. I have the opportunity to change the focus of this every time I teach it as it’s a hybrid of an advanced research class and a special topics seminar. Finally, I teach a First-Year Seminar on positive psychology. I’ve recently redesigned this class to really focus on skill building. I give ungraded assignments and spend a lot of time giving feedback and going over feedback in class.
In the last few years, I have discovered a few new favorite teaching techniques that I will focus on in future posts. These include “Extension Assignments” where students have the opportunity to research topics of their interest and present to class, the use of Perusal to facilitate close text reading and enhance discussions, and more intentionally scaffolding assignments including giving and going over feedback.
Now that I am department chair, I teach fewer classes than I traditionally have. There are many things I love about being chair – I really love being part of the important conversations about the future of our institution and, as an extravert, I really do love a good in-person meeting! But being department chair also has its challenges and stresses and sometimes I miss spending more time in the classroom!