teaching and learning challenges

Some Observations about Students Who Struggle with Math

I’ve taught a course in statistics for psychological research for almost 40 years. No student becomes a psych major because they get to take statistics, but it is a commonly required course for the major because it is fundamental to understanding and conducting research. Taking

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Outspoken Pedagogy: A Technique for Our Times

On a recent walk across campus, I ran into a student who had taken my class last year. She is Latina and a first-generation student who I remembered being politically outspoken in class and a fierce advocate for immigrant rights. I asked how she was

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Seeing the Unseen: Recognizing Countertransference in Teaching

In teaching, unaddressed countertransference has profound implications for educators and students alike. Consider the story of my past student who experienced heart-wrenching life circumstances during the semester: He lost both parents and became the primary caregiver for his younger siblings. Naturally, his GPA fell significantly

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AI, Teaching, and Lighting Out after the Inspiration

Just ahead of the spring semester’s start, I received an email from a colleague who had been on a yearlong sabbatical, and the subject read, “Returning, somewhat trembling, to that brave new world.” The body of the email went on to acknowledge the growth of

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Convincing Students to Read the Syllabus

It seems like the most basic of course tasks: reading the syllabus. Yet, so often, student don’t do it. If you’re as tired as I am of responding to emails that could be easily answered by consulting the syllabus, you know we need some fresh

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When Words Fail: Learning in the Wake of Loss

During my third year of college, another student that many of my friends interacted with, who tutored some of us, died. While I wouldn’t call him a close friend, he was an acquaintance, and his loss was felt deeply. I remember wanting to cry, but

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Teaching Gender and Sexuality in a Divisive Climate

Lately, social media videos have been flooded with discourse and arguments as to what constitutes a man and a woman and whether biology dictates gender. Many are being recorded on college campuses and in community forums. It is unclear which came first, but in 2023,

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Teaching and Learning through Discomfort

For over a decade, I taught a course titled biomedical ethics, a subject teeming with complex moral dilemmas and deeply held convictions. The course provided an introduction to decision making within the realms of public health, medicine, and healthcare, focusing specifically on bioethical concerns. It

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