Ask-Dr-Kirk

Tips For Students In Making A Good Impression On Professor

Professors Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman posted recently on “13 ways to make your professor love you.” I’m thinking this might be good to put in a syllabus for undergraduates.

Among their suggestions: Look interested during class; ask questions, especially those related to reading assignments; bring in relevant newspaper or internet articles; and thank your professor when he/she does you a favor.

Road Trip To Georgia

I'm off to Savannah, Georgia, to teach a faculty development workshop at Savannah State University on Friday. The university's website states its goal is "a 'value added' education, resulting from classroom interactions, co-curricular activities, quality instruction, internships, practicum, research, and the infusing of technology into the curriculum...Thus, in addition to topics of teaching effectiveness and classroom management, I'll discuss using educational technology such as blogs, wikis, and Twitter in the classroom.

I'm looking forward to it.

Accent The Positive

Tom Vander Well writes on quality assurance and recently gave the following advice to call center employees:

If you're working the phones today, I'd encourage you to keep a note pad or sticky-note on your desk. Each time you have a pleasant, friendly customer - jot down a hash mark or write the customer's name on your sheet. When one of those negative customers comes along, look down at your sheet and refresh your memory of all the pleasant customers you've talked with.

Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to see the glass half full.

I'm thinking this is excellent advice for us as teachers also...

The Teaching Professor Has A Blog

Check this out: The Teaching Professor has a blog with lots of free information on teaching and learning here.

Help In Putting Together That Tenure And Promotion Document

I recently turned in my 49 page application (not counting supporting materials) for tenure and promotion to Full Professor at the University of South Florida in Sarasota.

Came across these helpful resources as I was going through the process that I thought I would share.

Professor David Silver (University of San Francisco) talks through his narrative on service.

Dr. Fred Yaffe (Dean, College of Arts and Science, University of La Verne) shares this paper on putting together promotion and tenure portfolios.  Download Promotion and tenure portfolios

Creative Student Projects

Digital Storytelling is a method educators could use to give students a creative way to express themselves. One way to do that is to have students digitally tell about a movie or book in one minute, using music, costumes, sound effects, etc. Check out this one minute video done by students on Forrest Gump. 

Found this via Dr. Strange who linked to Dr. Alec Couros’ student, Amy Perrey’s blog. What other ways could students use digital storytelling?

Professor Ranked #3 Of Top Jobs in America

Money magazine in their November 2009 issue has ranked Professor as #3 in their list of the 50 best jobs in America. One of the major reasons was the flexibility that faculty have in planning their work schedules. I would have to agree that this is one of the reasons I love my job!

How To Turn Around A Toxic Classroom

Interesting comments on what to do to turn around a toxic classroom.

Here are some more suggestions:

How to handle disrespectful students

Zero Tolerance policy

How to get respect from your students

Trust me. Your students want you to be in charge.

Free Art History Web-book

Here's a free multi-media source for art teachers "designed as a dynamic enhancement (or even substitute) for the traditional art history textbook" by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker.  

It's an interesting site for anyone interested in Art.

Good Thinks.

I'm reading over a paper on which a student discusses his future plans. At the end, he typed, "Good thinks will come."

My first thought was to get out my red pen and circle the typo.

However, maybe he's planning to do some excellent thinking in the future?