Classroom Management and Engagement
Climate for Learning
An effective climate for learning provides the structure (in the form of expectations, processes, and feedback) to engage, take risks in learning, and grow intellectually and personally.
Addressing Racism in the Classroom—Teaching Plus Podcast
Dr. Cathryn van Kessel from Secondary Education and Jennifer Ward and Ellen Watson from the CTL discuss how instructors might promote community by addressing potentially harmful comments made by students (especially those related to the COVID 19 pandemic).
Creating A Rapport With Your Students—Teaching Plus Podcast
Dr. David Chorney from Secondary Education, joins Dr. Janice Miller-Young from Mechanical Engineering in a conversation about creating (and maintaining) a positive rapport with your students.
Gender Inclusive Classrooms—Teaching Plus Podcast
In this Teaching Plus podcast, CTL Assistant Director Cosette speaks with Katie (who uses the pronouns she and her) and Rachel (who uses the pronouns she and they) about best strategies for creating teaching and learning environments that are welcoming and supportive of all genders and members of the LGBTQ+ communities. Cosette specifically asks them to discuss the use of pronouns in teaching and learning interactions.
Teach with Care
Dr. Neil Haave from Augustana explores how teachers of any subject can encourage students to develop their intellect while enabling their personal development and empathy.
Teaching as a Complementary Science and Art
Jolanta Lapiak has taught American Sign Language (ASL) levels 100 and 200 at the University of Alberta for the past 8 years.
Empathy and Experience for Long-term Learning
Chemistry Professor Chuck Lucy explores the relationship between empathy and experience, and the impact on long-term learning for his students.
Teaching Joy
What does it mean to teach the whole person, to practice holistic education? In his discussion about teaching joy through physical movement, Dr. Doug Gleddie from the Faculty of Education invites us to consider the social-emotional as well as the physical in our teaching practices.
Indigenous Approaches to an Archeological Field School
Using Indigenous and experiential approaches to teaching and learning, Dr. Kisha Supernant from Anthropology engages students in a local field school and discovers that her own ancestral connection to the land becomes a powerful pedagogical tool.
Instructional Practices
This section will help you to facilitate discussions, improve student engagement, building a rapport with your students, getting off to a good start and to improvise effectively during your class.
Improv-ing Teaching—Teaching Plus Podcast
CTL Educational Developer Graeme Pate speaks with Microbiology professor, Dr. Lisa Stein, about the benefits (and the scary side) of using improv in her post-secondary classroom.
Preventing Boredom in the Classroom—Teaching Plus Podcast
Banishing boredom in classrooms might be seen as an elusive goal. We know that banishing boredom takes both instructors and students, but what are some ways to begin? In this episode, we discuss common sources of boredom and explore strategies for banishing with Cheryl Poth from the CTL and Lia Daniels, Director of the Alberta Consortium for Motivation and Emotion in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.
Teaching Students to Become Professionals: The Heart of the Matter
Instructors care deeply about their students as novice professionals—here's how to make practical and meaningful decisions to foster professionalism in students.
Competence, Trust, and Caring: Ensuring Credibility with Your Students
Being responsive to students (along with being fair, just, and a subject-matter expert) can greatly increase your credibility in their eyes.
Finding Your Classroom Management Sweet Spot
Managing challenging student behaviour is not a new problem, nor is it a challenge that is likely to go away.
Teaching Tips: How to Make a Lasting Impression During the First Class
The University of Alberta's 2018 Teaching Award Winners share tips for an engaging first day of class.
Facilitating Discussions with Dr. Catherine Kellogg
My Teaching Practice - Teaching students to read, write, and speak better.
Other Resources
UofA Resources for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Tanner, K.D. (2013). Structure Matters: Twenty-One Teaching Strategies to Promote Student Engagement and Cultivate Classroom Equity. CBE Life Sciences Education, 12(3), 322-331.