UW-Stevens Point
Professor | Communication Sciences and Disorders
What support is most important for faculty and instructors, specifically during the Covid-19 pandemic?
I think empathy, kindness, and flexibility are key as we deal with this pandemic. I think we need to assume the best in each other, extend grace, and realizing that we are all operating on reduced bandwidth. Expectations for ourselves, our colleagues, and our students need to be adjusted accordingly.
How has your understanding of teaching and learning changed over the years?
It’s less about teaching and more about student learning. I’ve realized that I am not the content-deliverer, rather the learning catalyst. I am learning that if I craft creative assignments and classroom experiences, that I can trust the students to engage in the learning and become problem solvers and question-askers.
Are students different today than they were 10 or 20 years ago? How so?
I think that they are spread thin, working more, and have more anxiety from when I started teaching 13 years ago,
How have the needs of students changed over the years? What must faculty and instructors do to meet these changing needs?
Because they are working more, they need flexibility and understanding. I think we need to be willing to get to know them and their life situations (as much as they are willing to share) and sometimes create assignments that have flexible dates or different options for completion.
What is the role of the OPID Advisory Council in your life as a faculty or instructor?
In my department and colleague I am sharing OPID events and frequently talk about teaching and learning strategies, initiatives, and opportunities. I have led a discussion on Joshua Eyler’s book, How Human Learn, and Parker Palmer’s book, The Courage to Teach within my academic department. I also support and try to attend most CITL activities and share them with colleagues. Being on the OPID Advisory Council has brought me in contact with wonderful new friends and colleagues throughout the UW-System and I am constantly inspired to hear what other campuses are doing and to learn from colleagues at the council meetings and OPID events.
