Ask-Dr-Kirk

Studying For Final Exams

I went down to the coffee shop on campus Monday morning and found at least half of my class studying for the final to be given later that day.  This isn't something I typically think to suggest but I think it's a great idea for students to study in groups...they learn from each other as well as from me!

Advice For Professors: What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School

Professors Paul Gray and David E. Drew offer advice from their new book, What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School: 199 Helpful Hints for Success in Your Academic Career (Stylus Publishing, 2008). As they note:

“Most new Ph.D.'s who accept faculty positions are shocked to discover that no one told them what their day-to-day jobs would really entail. They struggled as graduate students to master the literature, theories, models, and analytical techniques in their fields and wrote dissertations of which they are proud, but they quickly realize that this knowledge is separate and distinct from understanding and dealing with the challenges and obstacles that face a beginning professor.”

Some tidbits from the book: 

Finish your Ph.D. as quickly as possible. Don't feel that you need to create the greatest work that Western civilization ever saw. Five years from now the only thing that will matter is whether you finished.

Don't take a tenure-track faculty position without the Ph.D. in hand. We estimate the odds are two to one against your ever finishing your degree. Furthermore, without a Ph.D. you will be offered a significantly lower salary, and you may never make up the difference.

Know that publications are your only form of portable wealth. Prioritize accordingly.

Never, ever choose sides in department politics. The side you are on expects your support and will give you no reward for it. The side(s) you are not on will remember forever.

Never become a department chair unless you are already a tenured full professor. Yes, it will reduce your teaching load. Yes, it will give you visibility. No, it will not confer power on you.  Most department chairs do less research and publish less while in that position than they would as a faculty member. Thus you are producing less portable wealth per year, and you are reducing your chances for tenure or for promotion.

Write most of your articles for refereed journals. Papers presented at meetings get you funds to be a world traveler. However, even if refereed, conference papers don't really count for tenure, promotion, or salary raises.

Do, however, serve as a reviewer for journals, particularly top journals. Treat this job seriously. You will see much junk being submitted and appreciate why some journals reject 80 percent or more of their submissions. You will develop an aesthetic for what is good and what is not. You will correspond with some powerful people. When you do get a good paper to review, you will receive much earlier knowledge of an important new development. And the information gained is worth more than the time you take reviewing.

I've been teaching at the college level for 26 years and would agree with their advice.  Unfortunately, some of this I had to learn the hard way my first few years.

How Was Stonehenge Built?

This is interesting.  Wally Wallington demonstrates how he thinks Stonehenge was built.

The Frustration And Satisfaction Of Learning Something New

Yesterday I met with Angela Maiers and Mike Sansone while I was visiting in Des Moines (Thanks Mike for the great lunch at Huhot!).  They decided that as it was the second anniversary of the date I started my teaching blog that I was ready to learn something new.  I am now on Twitter and soon hope to develop my own wiki for my classes.

Professor Lisa M. Lane (MiraCosta College) writes about the fear of learning new things...when everyone else seems to be ahead of you and you're struggling to figure things out.

"I dreamt the other night that I went to the first day of class as a student, an upper division or graduate class of some kind. About 20 students. The professor walks in and begins an interactive lecture. I realize I don’t understand what he’s talking about. I look around and see that each of the other students has a stack of about 7 books. Seeing I’m lost, a helpful student opens one and points to a chapter for me. But it’s obvious from the way the professor is talking that everyone has read this already. Before the first day of class. Everyone is quite literally “on the same page”, and I have no idea what’s being discussed."

I think it's good for us as teachers to attempt something new and thus remember the frustration and then the satisfaction of learning, something our students experience on a regular basis.

It's My Anniversary!

Two years ago I started sharing my teaching tips as well as those of others on this site.  Thanks to Tim Johnson and Mike Wagner for encouraging me to become a blogger and to Mike Sansone for teaching me the "how to" skills.  I also want to thank all the readers who have commented on the blog or emailed me with their own tips, stories, and links.  I look forward to another great year of teaching and learning!

Can We Give Out Information On Our Students?

In an article published this week in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Steven J. McDonald clarifies the privacy act, Ferpa, that affects the information we give out about our students. Interesting points include:

While Ferpa applies to official records (such as transcripts), it does not apply to personal knowledge.  “Thus, for example, a professor who observes a student behaving oddly in a classroom, a resident assistant who notices a disturbing change in a student's temperament, or an adviser who sees a student become increasingly withdrawn and uncommunicative is free, as far as Ferpa is concerned, to raise the concern with others — and should do so. We do neither the student nor ourselves a favor if we don't try to reach out and deal with such situations when we still have the opportunity.”

In addition, McDonald addresses the issue of giving out information to parents: 

"Primary control over a student's records does shift from the parents to the student when the student enrolls in college, even if the student is still a minor, but primary control is not the same as total control. Institutions can disclose student information to parents under any number of circumstances:

• If either parent claims the student as a federal tax dependent, the institution may, with confirmation of that status, disclose any and all information it has about the student to both parents, regardless of the student's age or whether there is an emergency.
• If the student is under 21, the institution may inform the student's parents of any violations of its alcohol or drug policies, regardless of whether the student is a tax dependent or whether there is an emergency.
• If the institution reasonably believes that there is a health or safety emergency involving the student, the institution may alert the student's parents and seek their assistance, regardless of the student's age or whether the student is a tax dependent.

Moreover, we can make such disclosures even if the student has asked us not to. Ferpa doesn't give students a veto over any of the permitted disclosures except the one for "directory information."

Certainly if a student told me about personal issues that he/she is struggling with or if I observe a student is having trouble coping with stress, I would suggest to the student to see a school counselor.  I've even made the call myself and walked the student to the counselor from my office.  However, in this day of "helicopter parents," I find it easier to refuse to answer any questions from parents about their child's grades or attendance and to refer the parent to an administrator.

Repeat After Me...Would You Like Fries With That?

Ben Stein writes about an interesting experience he had recently at a Barnes and Noble store where the employees were college students. 

As he and his friend walked back to his apartment, he said,

"That was amazing. Those people didn't know how to do a basic transaction like mailing books."

His friend corrected him:  "No...they don't want to do it. They didn't even really try very hard. They're college students. That means they don't care at all. They're getting paid whether they send the books or not. They're like civil servants -- only civil servants have a good attitude, and these guys have a poor attitude."

Unfortunately, I have seen this same attitude with some of my own students.  Many of my students are hard working, attending school while working 30-50 hours a week.  They seem to understand the importance of education to their lives and careers.  However, others (and more others than I would like to see) feel it is a chore to attend classes and do the work required.  They are indignant that I expect them to be on time.  And they make decisions which I don't understand.  Recently I announced that at the end of the three hour class, I would be giving them an opportunty to earn additional points on an in-class assignment as they had not done well on their exam.  Several of the students did not bother to stay until the end, instead choosing to slip out during the break without saying anything to me.  These students, of course, are the very ones who could have really used the points. 

Tip For Dealing With An Upset Student

Here's a great tip from The Professor in the Classroom:

When talking to a student who is upset, stop and say, “Just a minute, I need to write this down. It helps me better understand your point of view.”  This technique serves several purposes. First, it lets the upset student see that you regard what he or she is saying as important. Second, it forces you to listen and to absorb. Finally, it gives you time to think and summarize the student’s points of contention before you respond. You’ll find this technique puts you in a position to manage upset students more effectively—and shows that you are competent and caring in the process.

This Is What Teaching Is All About...Making A Difference!

I spend a lot of time on this website discussing students' inappropriate behavior and how to handle this.  It was refreshing to get this email yesterday...

Dear Dr. Kirk:

Have you ever had a class move you so much that you actually choked up the last class period?  In 13 years of teaching, that’s never happened…until today.  My MBA class on Leadership this semester has been nothing short of spectacular.  We did our presentations (theme: how will you change because of this class) this weekend.  Thirty-eight of the highest quality presentations I’ve ever heard grad students give…these folks are going to change the world.  About a quarter of the class have quit their jobs or begun a career search because of the content of this course.  I had a student today (woman approaching 50, divorced, raised two sons by herself, been at the same company for 20 years, always just did what she needed to do to survive) who announced that she had applied for a job in New Mexico where she’s really wanted to live…because of this class.  She elicited the first standing ovation from her peers I’ve ever witnessed in 13 years of teaching.  In my closing comments, I actually got choked up and teared up a bit (nothing compared to what happened later when I was alone in my office).  I know I’ve had an impact on students before, but never on this large of a scale.

I’m still flying from the experience in class.  I’ve received many wonderful and heartfelt emails from students since class was dismissed yesterday.  Here's an example: 

"We’re all in debt to you for the atmosphere you created.  Leadership may be about leading others, but first you have to lead yourself in the right direction.  I have never been able to say that for myself until now.  THANK YOU, Professor, for such a phenomenal experience."

All I can say is WOW!  This is what teaching is all about...

Tips For Keeping Students in Early Morning And Late Afternoon Classes Involved And Learning

I'll be in Davenport, Iowa, on April 3-4, 2008, to facilitate a workshop for the faculty at St Ambrose University.  Dr. Paul Jacobson, Director of their Center for Teaching Excellence, regularly organizes teaching circles, book discussions, and speakers.  I found these tips on their website for "Beating those Bio-rhythm Blues: Keeping the 8:00 and 3:30 Scholars Involved and Learning" by Professor Rachel Serienz.  Her advice?
 

Be active.  Enter the classroom briskly and joyfully conveying to students the message, "I enjoy my discipline, I enjoy you, and I enjoy the act of teaching through which you and my discipline can meet."  Walk around as you speak.  Use facial expressions to convey your own reaction to a concept being addressed whether that reaction be acceptance, amusement, or disgust.  Use gestures, keeping hands apart and reaching out to students as though inviting them into your own enthusiastic sphere.  Nothing is less motivating to students during those "blues times" than a static, solemn, arms-folded dispenser of facts. 

Engage in community building. Get to know your students as the persons they are outside your classroom.  Learn who is in band, choir, athletics, and who is currently involved in a theatre production.  Keep current on who is achieving what...Acknowledge these achievements with a brief mention. Even elicit a brief round of applause.  This can be done just prior to the time when the "start bell" sounds, so that no teaching time is sacrificed. 

Open your lesson in a way likely to engage student attention.  Mention a current event that relates to upcoming concepts.  Ask a challenging question to which students can discover the answer by paying attention.  Read an appropriate poem or a brief literary passage or show a picture that captures the essence of your day’s topic.  Share a personal experience and invite others to do the same. All these serve as "advance organizers" giving students "hooks" on which they can hang in an orderly fashion new concepts they will be gaining that day.   

Acknowledge and honor learning diversity. Two students make be equally intelligent, yet learn best in quite different ways.  Realize that your class will contain auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners and make sure that each lesson makes students listen, look, and write or do.  Nearly half of college-age students are quite concrete-operational meaning that they learn best when actions and objects are used in teaching, or when teaching is related to their own concrete experiences.  Make presentations object- and experience-centered whenever possible.  Use pictures, simulations, and not just words to convey concepts. 
 
Create a Wave.   To prevent student drift, alternate periods of high-intensity concept presentation and note-taking with lower-intensity periods of group discussion, audiovisual presentation, simulations, etc.  You can easily sense by monitoring students’ facial expressions, body language, and response level when it is time for a change of pace and mode of instruction. 

Link lessons.  If possible, make the end of one lesson be the start of the next.  Present a question to which students are expected to bring an answer to the next session.  Have students open a session by reiterating what was learned during the previous session and then show them how what is to follow will be an extension of what they have already learned.  But still use a novel "Launch" at times.  The best way to fight the bio-rhythm blues is through diversity. 

Great advice for teaching classes at any time of the day!

If Students Are Disrespecting You, Think About Why

Recently I was in a teaching colloquium discussing how to deal with students that engage in inappropriate behaviors.  One of the participants spent 20 minutes complaining about the disrespect she receives from students.  This included students calling her by her first name rather than Professor and treating her like a peer rather than a professional.  She attributed this to the fact that she was young (in her mid-30s) and attractive.

However, this professor showed up at a faculty development workshop wearing short shorts, a top showing her midriff, and flip-flops.  Granted she wasn't teaching that day but she was on campus and likely to run into current, past, or future students.  In addition, it was my first time meeting her...what impression did she give me and the others attending the colloquium?