National surveys of college faculty reveal that their number-one instructional goal is to promote critical thinking (Milton, 1982; Stark et al., 1990), and national reports on the status of American higher education have consistently called for greater emphasis on the development of college students’ critical thinking skills (Association of American Colleges, 1985; National Institute of […]
Creative Students and Working Memory
The educational system can sometimes be tough on us teachers. We’ve got certain concepts to plant in our students in a set amount of time-we can only hope that what we plant will flourish. Students themselves, of course, come in all shapes and sizes, both physically and intellectually. Some are quicker, some slower to grasp […]
Greatest Life Lesson
During my first semester in college, I was enrolled in a first-year English class. In high school I was usually able to pull off an A on my honors English papers without much work, and I thought I was a pretty good writer. So when I turned in my first college essay, I was expecting […]
Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher
Are you a culturally responsive teacher? Are you selecting instructional activities to celebrate and appreciate diversity in the classroom? These are bold conversations that we must have with ourselves to assure that diversity elements are infused in the curriculum. One of the greatest challenges is the tendency to teach the way we were taught. I […]
From Homeless to High Honors
In 2002, I hit rock bottom when I moved into a homeless shelter. For the next four years, I cycled in and out of one shelter after another. There, I saw how people can become passive and numb, with no life or hope left in their eyes. They smell bad, walk with their heads down, […]
