Sample entry

Here is an outline of a sample blog entry, based on the reading we completed for Week 1 (Note: Your first entry should cover the reading for Week 2). This outline is meant to give you a better idea of the level of detail I am looking for in your own teaching blogs.

I. I found several ideas useful in this week's reading.

• First, that it is important to maintain proper perspective on teaching - to recognize that students are paying more attention to the content than they are to my teaching, and that both good and bad teaching days can be helpful learning experiences for teachers. I found this idea useful because...

• Second, that it is helpful to set up a work schedule at the beginning of the semester, with designated times for teaching-related tasks and designated times for coursework or research. This schedule should contain blocks of time for multiple tasks related to teaching, from the standard class prep and class meetings to grading, meeting with students, and answering email. I found this idea useful because...

• Third, that sharing responsibilities with students helps to reduce the teaching workload while increasing active learning in the classroom. I found this idea useful because...

II. These general concepts could be implemented in any field. Here is how I would go about implementing them in my own teaching.

• Taking time to jot down a few notes after a particularly good or bad class, reflecting on what seemed to work and what didn't work at all. If it is a bad class, I should remind myself that students don't worry about class dynamics nearly as much as I do. These practices would help me to...

• Setting up a weekly schedule that contains days devoted to teaching and teaching-related tasks, and days devoted to course work or research. This schedule would help me to...

• Asking students to bring in examples of media clips that illustrate what we have been covering in class, or asking students to bring in discussion questions and lead in-class discussions. These assignments would help me to...

 III. There are several other things that I would like to incorporate in my teaching in the future:

• Front-loading effort. I would like to complete as many teaching-related tasks as I can at the beginning of the semester because...

• Being careful to not put more effort into helping a student than he or she is putting into the course. It's a good idea to ask students what they plan to do to catch up with classes they have missed because...

• Being specific about course policies and consistent when enforcing them. Having a detailed syllabus is important because....

Recommended Readings:




PhD Comics



"Getting Things Done" Explained for Students

Active Learning Activities List

Teaching blog

One of the primary goals of this course is to apply the pedagogical theory and general teaching techniques learned to the specific context of your field and your classroom. To that end, each student will create and maintain a teaching blog during the semester via Google’s Blogger platform.

Each entry should be guided by three central questions:

• What was most useful to you in this week’s reading? 
• How could these theories or techniques be implemented in your own field? 
• What do you want to incorporate in your own teaching? 

Each entry should also include a brief list of links to additional resources you would recommend to your readers.

Entries are due by 12 p.m. on the day of class. The teaching blog is worth 25% of your final grade.