‘From the Director’
From the Executive Director, Derek Bruff
Jun. 9, 2021—My wife and I started birdwatching earlier this year. Working from home helped us appreciate the feathered residents of our backyard, and now we keep an eye out for colorful birds when we walk at places like Radnor Lake. And, as of this morning, we have an empty nest—literally. The family of house finches that...
From the Director
Sep. 7, 2020—This summer I marked 15 years on staff at the Center for Teaching. Looking back at those 15 years, I can’t remember any season as busy or as fulfilling as this summer. With hundreds of Vanderbilt instructors looking ahead to an uncertain fall, the Center for Teaching launched new programs to help our community prepare...
From the Director
Feb. 3, 2020—It’s February, which means it’s time for the CFT’s annual Celebration of Learning! This is one of my favorite events of the year, an exhibition of student projects from around campus. The CFT staff and I often help faculty take a “Students as Producers” approach to their course and assignment design, and it’s exciting to see the fruits of...
From The Director: Two new offerings from the CFT!
Nov. 12, 2019—By Derek Bruff, CFT Director I’m excited to announce two new offerings from the Center for Teaching! The CFT is the new home for the University Courses program, launched in 2016 by the Provost’s Office to encourage and support “cross-college” teaching as part of the Academic Strategic Plan. I’ve been impressed with the vibrant partnerships...
From the CFT Director
Aug. 12, 2019—August is here! I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure where the summer went. It was a busy one at the Center for Teaching, as we wrapped up the academic year, started collaborating with Vice Provost Tracey George on faculty development initiatives, and prepared for our fall events and programs. Our big orientations...
From the Director
Jan. 9, 2019—Happy New Year! We have a busy semester planned at the Center for Teaching, with lots of opportunities for the Vanderbilt teaching community to reflect on their teaching, to connect with colleagues, and to be inspired. Here are just a few highlights… On February 4th, the CFT will hold a Celebration of Learning, an exhibition...
From the Director
Aug. 9, 2017—My daughters and I spent a few days in Washington, DC, this summer. One highlight of the trip was watching my nine-year-old explore the National Building Museum. She likes to build dollhouses out of cereal boxes and craft sticks and hot glue, so a museum devoted to the built environment was her happy place. It...
From the Director
Sep. 11, 2015—Think, Pair, Share. It’s a simple approach to engaging students in class discussions. Instead of asking a question of your class and waiting for a few students to respond, ask students to think about the question silently for thirty seconds, then pair up and discuss their responses for a minute or two. When you ask...
From the Director: Teaching, Difference, and Power
Aug. 14, 2014—by Derek Bruff, CFT Director Several years ago, I read about a line of research in mathematics education that immediately captured my attention. The research indicated that reminding female students of their gender before they took a math exam tended to decrease their exam performance in a statistically significant way. The reminder could be very...