Member Spotlight!

Rebecca McDonald, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Liberal Arts College

Years Teaching: 23

Number of years as a member: Don’t remember

How did you hear about STP?

Colleagues

What do you most appreciate about STP?

Sharing of ideas among people who value the importance of teaching in psychology.

Favorite STP resource?

Facebook Group

Biggest Conference Takeaway?

I really appreciate that participants are able to register and view some content online. In a world where time and travel money are tight in higher education,this is a really valuable option for me.

Don't forget to renew your membership!

https://teachpsych.org/join [included QR code to join]

And check us out on Facebook or Twitter @teachpsych

Hello STP!  This is Barbara Oswald, Chair of your STP Membership Committee, inviting you to submit a Member Spotlight. To be a future STP Member Spotlight, fill out this friendly form!  We randomly select members to highlight each month as they share their STP experiences.  We hope to see you in a future column.

So, welcome to Fall semester, 2023!  For those who have started already, we hope you’ve had a good beginning.  For those getting ready to start, good luck!  We hope everyone has a fantastic Fall semester.

One way to be successful this Fall is to foster a sense of belonging in our classrooms and on our campuses. We have long known that feelings of belonging increase persistence and academic achievement (e.g., Silverman (2021); Strayhorn, 2012; 2018), and this is especially important for first-generation and non-traditional college students (Nunn, 2021). A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education highlights the importance of fostering belonging in all students (Lu, 2023).

But what can you as a professor do to foster a sense of belonging in your students this Fall?  Here are some quick tips:

·         Send a welcome letter before class starts (Pontónde Dutton, 2022). I also like to send personalized emails after the first exam and periodically throughout the semester. I break this up into thirds, so that the top third performing students get one type of letter, the middle third get a second type of letter, and the bottom third get a third type of letter.  All are personalized and encouraging, and all include invitations to meet with me.

·         Learn students names–for real (Pontónde Dutton, 2022, pronounce their name correctly (Walker, 2021), AND, use their preferred pronouns (Alvarez, 2022). This is almost a “duh” moment….but is it?? I still struggle with this every semester, especially in larger classes. I acknowledge this to my students, make sure they know that I am sincerely trying my best, and ask them to help me in any way they can. I think this goes a long way to making students feel like you are concerned about them as a person, and not just a number in your class. Your LMS might have prompts for students to add phonetic spelling for their names but you can also use a tool like https://www.pronouncenames.com to help.

·         Build community (Pontónde Dutton, 2022), by encouraging small- and large-group class discussion.  Make sure all students get a voice and feel valued in the conversation (Duong, 2023).

·         Use authentic assessments. These are assignments that ask students to apply what they are learning to their own lives. As Duong (2023) notes, these kinds of assignments can make students feel like you care about them personally, and can also decrease use of ChatGPT and other AI to generate answers, an added bonus! 

·         Ask students how their day is going (Pontónde Dutton, 2022).  Listen to their answers, and respond appropriately.

·         Always leave time for questions at the beginning and end of class, and invite students early and often to attend office hours (Pontónde Dutton, 2022). You might consider creating a scavenger hunt for prizes, offering extra credit, or providing snacks or other incentives for students who find your office.

We hope you find these tips helpful as you embark on your Fall semester!

Thank you for supporting STP and don’t forget to renew your membership.

Member Spotlight!

Timothy Klitz, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Washington & Jefferson College

Years Teaching: 28

Number of years as a member: 25

How did you hear about STP?

I have been a member since 1998, whenI was teaching as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. I learned about STP when I was taking a graduate class on teaching.

What do you most appreciate about STP?

It is the variety of opportunities that are available: conferences, webinars, syllabi,social media. Each year, I find myself in need of a different resource to improve my teaching and something is always there.

Favorite STP resource and why?

I still like the access to syllabi online. I don't teach "new" classes that much anymore, but I do revise my classes yearly, and sometimes looking at another person's syllabus gives me some ideas on how to do something different and interesting in my classes.

Don't forget to renew your membership!

https://teachpsych.org/join [included QR code to join]

To be a future STP Member Spotlight, fill out this friendly form!  We randomly select members to highlight each month as they share their STP experiences.  We hope to see you in a future column!

Hi STP!  This is your STP Membership Committee, with your latest Member Spotlight (in a separate blog post), and sharing some of our tips and tricks for what to do this summer to get ready for Fall.  To be a future STP Member Spotlight, fill out this friendly form!  We randomly select members to highlight each month as they share their STP experiences.  We hope to see you in a future column!

So, hopefully you are wrapping up (or even already done!) with another semester of classes. Congratulations either way! We hope it was a good one. Before you completely settle into Summer mode, we want to remind everyone of things they can do now to prepare for classes in the Fall.

Here are a few things you can do to get ready:

1. Review your syllabus and course materials. Take some time to go over your syllabus and course materials from the previous year, and make any necessary updates or changes. Need some inspiration?  Check out STP’s Project Syllabus.
2. Brush up on your content knowledge. Spend some time reviewing the key concepts or theories in psychology that you will be teaching. This can be either delving deeper into something you haven’t had a chance to revisit in a while, or picking one key concept to prepare for a new course you are looking forward to teaching.  Need some inspiration?  Check out some content resources from the APA Divisions.
3. Plan engaging activities and assignments. Consider incorporating one new and creative activity or assignment into your course to keep your students engaged and interested in the material. Try adding one of the activities from the STP Resources page!
4. Connect with other psychology educators. Attend conferences or join online groups like the STP Facebook or Twitter @teachpsych to connect. This can provide valuable networking opportunities and help you stay informed about the latest trends and best practices in psychology education. Find us at APA in Washington DC this August, and visit this site for a list of more STP conferences!

Thank you for supporting STP and don’t forget to renew your membership.