Student Guide Corner

I have long asserted that the most important days of any semester are the 2-4 days immediately after the first test.  So many good things and so many bad things can happen in this short period of time. They can make the semester more wonderful or they can ruin the semester.  It is the point where the group is of no importance but the individuals are of maximum importance. Because of the importance of this period, I have started (as of this semester) doing two things.   I sent my students the following email immediately after their first test with the subject line �Please Read.�   I want to get their attention.   Then, a couple of days later when I get ready to return the graded exams, I take the first 5-10 minutes of class time to talk with them about my view of the learning process.   I will describe that talk in my next blog posting in a few days. Email to my students: I have not looked at the test yet but I will try to get an answer s...

As I have said occasionally on this blog, one important step in having a great class is selling the class to the students.   If they are not convinced that the sacrifice is worth the reward, even the best teacher will have trouble getting the strong effort from them that is needed.   Most college students have had plenty of classes over the years that seemed like a total waste of time.   They often start each new semester with that cynical expectation.   As early as possible, I want to begin selling them on the vital importance of what we are going to be doing.   I want to create that positive mindset.  I want them to anticipate something special. Thus, although my classes do not begin until January 11, I have already sent out an email or two just to introduce myself and start building momentum for the semester.   This morning, I sent out the following email message to my future Intermediate Accounting II students.   I want the students to underst...

Quick note:    This teaching blog went over 95,600 page views yesterday.    Thanks a million (and a half) to everyone who has mentioned these random writings to someone else who teaches.    I�m convinced that people throughout the world of education really do want to have conversations about better teaching just so they can bat some ideas around.     Sometimes, though, it is hard to get those conversations started.    Perhaps something that is written here can serve as a conversation starter.    College education gets beaten up a lot these days in the news.    I�m convinced that more conversations among teachers would be a good way to start solving some of those problems. And, in case you wondered, a total of 95,600 page views is roughly the equivalent of one page view every 21 minutes, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for the past 3.6 years.    Hopefully, that translates into a whole lot of better teaching...

As I have mentioned before, on August 7, 2013, I will be giving a 75 minute presentation about this blog at the Annual Convention of the American Accounting Association in Anaheim, California.   If you are going to be at the convention, I hope you�ll stop by and chat.    I�d love to meet each and every one of the people who read these essays.   I�ll be there for several days so let�s get together over coffee and talk about teaching.    In preparing for this talk, I have gone back and looked at some of the 170 posts that I have written over the years.    To me, it is interesting how many of these posts push teachers (including me) to think about the last day of class and what the teachers want their students to have accomplished.    Until you visualize what you want your students to do by the end of the semester, it is hard to know how to guide them.    Over and over, you see that theme in my thoughts on teaching.    Y...

Happy holidays to all the teachers out there.    This blog just went over 67,800 page views.    I have been thrilled throughout the year to have the chance to interact with so many wonderful educators.    ** When I give teaching presentations around the country, I am often asked how my teaching has changed during the past 42 years.    Because I stress working for 5 percent improvement each year, that particular question is certainly a legitimate one.    Invariably someone will jump up and ask:    Okay, how are you managing to improve over time? I actually have a couple of different answers for that question.    But, there is one response that I always give:    During the past decade, I have come to spend a lot more time writing my test questions.    I used to throw tests together hurridly with one goal:    to be fair.    Now, though, I view testing as a much more important ...