My students ask for my opinion on things, especially when I’m covering film and television in class. Sometimes it’s a litmus test to get to know me. Sometimes they want to hear if I’ve got an opinion so they feel free to share theirs. And… Read More
All posts tagged “teaching”
You’d listen to yourself if you were somebody else
Early on in the semester for my Introductory writing class, I like to bring in motivational and inspirational quotes from other disciplines. I’m looking for examples of strong writing that also offer an opportunity to segue into discussing the work of writing. For example, when… Read More
When the best words aren’t the right words
Dena and I have been having a lot of conversations with our daughter about Thankfulness because of the napkins on our kitchen table. Every napkin has a discussion prompt for people at the table, and this one is Sprout’s favorite: It’s her favorite because of… Read More
On not passing on your fears and failures
My daughter loves getting in the pool, except for one thing: Getting water in her face. I know this problem well. When I was a kid, I hated being in the water. Hated it with a passion. Needed to be bribed, heavily, in order to… Read More
Why I grade writing students on respect and empathy
A story about a difficult office hours meeting, and how it lead me to change the way I grade student writing.
Battling Impostor Syndrome
A student came up to me after class and asked about impostor syndrome. I had mentioned in class that one of the main causes of things like plagiarism or bloated writing is insecurity: People are afraid that their writing will be found lacking, and that… Read More
Your vote matters. You matter.
Election Day 2016, my wife and I took our daughter to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, which is easily in Sprout’s top five all-time favorite places on Earth. On our way back, while our daughter napped in her car seat, we hopped off the freeway… Read More
