Author Archives: Julie Dodd
Heimlich maneuver: Dr. Henry Heimlich’s special gift to us
Now is the time of year when many of us have been looking for those last special gifts for family and friends. This blog post is a reminder that we all have the potential to receive a special gift from Dr. Henry Heimlich — the ability to save someone’s life or to have our own life saved. The Heimlich […]
5 tips to avoid fake news
The class I was observing started with eight students sharing news stories they’d found that focused on legal issues related to the topics of the course. Each student briefly explained the legal issue — who was involved in the case and what the charges were. But only one said what the source of the news story […]
Wildfires sweep through GSMNP & Gatlinburg – loss of lives, property and wildlife
2016 is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. National Parks across the country have been celebrating and having record-setting attendance. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the distinction of being the most visited of the 59 national parks, with more than 10 million visitors annually. The second most visited park is the […]
Applying to graduate school tips
Now is the time when many people are preparing applications for graduate school. Undergraduates are planning to move right from completing undergraduate degrees to starting a graduate program. Others are employed or under-employed and have decided that a graduate degree would help advance your current career or help you make a career change. Let me […]
5 strategies for improving classroom observations
As a faculty member, adjunct or teaching assistant, your teaching is observed by dozens and even hundreds of students in every class you teach. Observations by other teachers does not happen very often. When you are observed by other teachers, those observations are very important. Here are some reasons you would be observed: You’re nominated for a […]
Teaching Strategies workshop for UF’s K-College CTSI Program
Creating an effective syllabus, incorporating active learning into teaching, and using informal teaching evaluations were topics of the workshop I led with faculty, post-docs and doctoral students attending the CTSI KL2 session on “Strategies for Improving College Teaching” in the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute at the University of Florida. A theme throughout the workshop was […]
Use Informal Early Feedback (IEF) to improve your teaching and your final course evaluations
Student evaluations play a significant role in the assessment of teaching in higher education. Evaluations are collected at the end of the term, and the scores become part of the instructor’s assessment. These evaluations can be a major part in determining if a teaching assistant or adjunct is reemployed. These evaluations become part of the package […]
Achieving GSMNP Hike 100 Challenge
I’ve accomplished the Hike 100 Challenge! I reached the 100th mile during a hike to Andrews Bald, near Clingman’s Dome, the highest peak in the Tennessee portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Reds and yellows of trees and bushes provided color along the trail, and the bald was surrounded by mountains showing fall […]
10 strategies for active learning in college classrooms
“I want to get my students more engaged and less passive in class, but I’m not sure how to do that in a way that is productive.” That’s a teaching issue I hear from faculty and teaching assistants who want to incorporate more active learning in their class sessions but aren’t sure about best practices […]
7 Factors to consider as you prepare your teaching presentation for a campus visit
A doctoral student contacted me asking for my advice as she prepared for her first campus visit for a faculty position. Here’s the situation: They haven’t told me which class I’ll be teaching, but I wonder if I will create my own lesson or if the search committee will tell me to present on a certain […]
Julie Dodd 