News Roundup: Excitement for Teaching

One professor describes how Google’s research on teamwork can be applied to higher education, and another explains how instructors can rediscover their excitement for teaching.

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How the Provost Can Help Students Succeed
Mark Canada has led two major student success initiatives. Here, he describes ways provosts can help students achieve, such as encouraging faculty to experiment with their teaching and creating “space” to share ideas and encourage initiatives focused on student success. (The Chronicle of Higher Education — Paywall)

Why I Don’t Take Attendance
While taking roll may make sense in some cases, Kelli Marshall finds many benefits to avoiding it. She suggests that not taking attendance cultivates responsibility in students, curbs disruptions, and encourages instructors to assess their teaching when class attendance is sparse. (Vitae)

Disabled in Graduate School: When You Tell Me a Disability Story
A graduate student explains why instructors should refrain from passing judgement on students who need accommodations, sharing examples of times professors made unfair assumptions about students with disabilities. (GradHacker)

What Google’s Team Research Can Teach Higher Ed
Google’s research on teamwork can be applied to faculty in higher education, Michael Harris writes. For instance, rather than focusing on building a “dream team” of individual superstars, groups function better when the emphasis is placed on team dynamics and team members believe their work matters. (Higher Ed Professor)

The Lesson-Plan Challenge
Anne Curzan requires herself to be excited about a lesson plan before she can call it finished. She advises faculty to rediscover their curiosity and passion for their content and find ways to get their students energized to learn the material. (Lingua Franca)