Author
The Mindful PhD: Paying Attention
Sep. 10, 2013—by Nancy Chick, CFT Assistant Director I hope my first two posts whetted your appetite, and now you’re wondering how to start. Call it “stealth mindfulness”: you’ve already started. “A Beginning” turned your attention to your breath, and “The Easy Way & The Easier Way” challenged you to sit for two minutes each day—two simple...
Conversations on Teaching Writing Under Way
Sep. 5, 2013—“Teaching. Writing. Learning.,” the new series of conversations on teaching writing across the campus, began last Wednesday. Emily King (English), Richard Lloyd (Sociology), and Jonathan Gilligan (Earth & Environmental Sciences) were the invited guests for kick-off event entitled “Starting the Conversation: A Panel on Inspiring Your Students to Write.” Emily emphasized the need to define...
The Mindful PhD: The Easy Way & The Easier Way
Sep. 4, 2013—by Nancy Chick, CFT Assistant Director I came to mindfulness only in recent years—first through a regular yoga practice and a handful of retreats, then through guided meditation, then through a mindfulness-based stress-reduction (MBSR) course and a few multi-day workshops, and now through a weekly mindfulness-teacher training group. It’s only slight hyperbole to say that...
The Mindful PhD: A Beginning
Aug. 29, 2013—by Nancy Chick, CFT Assistant Director I’ve never been much of a blogger—I don’t even follow many blogs—but here I start a blog series. Why? Based on my constellation of experiences and what I’ve been learning more recently, I have something to say to my fellow PhDs and PhDs-in-training.* But more about my story next...
Three Tips for the First Day of Class
Aug. 2, 2013—It’s that time of year again: the first day of classes is upon us! At the CFT we often hear the same questions around this time of year: “What should I do on the first day of class?” “Do I delve into course content or just review the syllabus?” “How do I break the ice...
Ask Professor Pedagogy: Leading Review Sessions
Jul. 26, 2013—Ask Professor Pedagogy is a twice monthly advice column written by Center for Teaching staff. One aspect of our mission is to cultivate dialogue about teaching and learning, so we welcome questions and concerns that arise in the classroom; particularly those from Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. If you have a question that you’d like...
Episode 41 – From a Student’s View: AXLE Writing Requirements Part II
Jul. 12, 2013—In this second installment of a two-part podcast, our CFT student reporter, Erin Baldwin, hears thoughts from two Vanderbilt juniors about the Achieving Excellence in Liberal Education core curriculum (more commonly referred to as the AXLE requirements) that all students in the College of Arts and Science must fulfill. http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/cftpodcast/ep41_axle2.mp3 [MP3, 9 min 17 sec]...
Ask Professor Pedagogy: Disruptive Students
Jul. 12, 2013—Ask Professor Pedagogy is a twice monthly advice column written by Center for Teaching staff. One aspect of our mission is to cultivate dialogue about teaching and learning, so we welcome questions and concerns that arise in the classroom; particularly those from Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. If you have a question that you’d like...
Ask Professor Pedagogy: Twitter as a Learning Network
Jun. 28, 2013—Ask Professor Pedagogy is a twice monthly advice column written by Center for Teaching staff. One aspect of our mission is to cultivate dialogue about teaching and learning, so we welcome questions and concerns that arise in the classroom; particularly those from Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. If you have a question that you’d like...
New Teaching Guide on Metacognition
Jun. 24, 2013—Metacognition is, put simply, thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance. Metacognition includes a critical awareness of a) one’s thinking and learning and b) oneself as a thinker and learner. This new teaching guide, written by CFT Assistant Director Nancy Chick, defines...