Write and send

Christopher from Seattle. I guess my tip would be to listen to students and incorporate the experience they bring into the classroom. Based on my experiences teaching nonmajors you really have to open yourself up to their expertise. Unlike a situation where you simply know more about the topic than the class does, nonmajors are in a position where they likely know more about something else than you do. If that knowledge is connected to the course it can add value for everyone in the room, including the teacher. I learned a ton from my art students over the three years I spend at U of Alabama in Huntsville and I really think they helped make the classes I taught better, plus they gave me knowledge I can apply to my future courses. Christopher Paul, Assistant Professor of Communications, Seattle University

Ron from Cincinnati. One of the most vexing questions facing all college professors is how to get our students to have their reading done on time to discuss it in class. In philosophy this problem is magnified by the fact that a.) most students aren't interested in philosophy and b.) reading philosophy is difficult and time consuming.
    I utilize small groups (of four students) when discussing book chapters. In one class I often cover two chapters. On that day two discussion leaders provide the rest of the group with one-page outlines of the chapter. The other members of the group grade the leaders on the quality of their outlines and discussion leadership. I go around to quietly listen and look at the outlines.
    When I encounter something worth further discussion I write a few words on the board. After 15 minutes I ask the group leaders to summarize for the class what transpired. Then I probe a bit with other questions and provide further insight. If we haven't covered what I wrote on the board I do that last.
  I never criticize the groups for getting off the topic, but rather help them relate what they talked about to the topic at hand.
    The beauty is that you are pretty much guaranteed that half the class read the material fairly closely. Sometimes I get the class to read as many as five books during the semester. Of course, you have to be careful what books you choose to read. Students love my classes, even though they think they hate philosophy.
    They may not realize it, but they are doing philosophy and enjoying it. They also get good grades because 25% of their final grade is based on what their group members write on the grading sheets, which they turn in to me. - Ron White, Professor of Philosphy, College of Mount St. Joseph

Randy from Chicago. In my Freshman English 1 course, all of my paper assignments are built around “cases” like a lot of other fields (law, business, medicine). For example, a student has to write a background report (with research and MLA documentation) on one of the topics provided, such as child care, MRSA, genetically modified foods. The topics are selected based upon student interest, which I have discovered over the first 6-8 weeks of the semester and from watching what is “hot” in the news. Key to this case approach is that they role play who they are and who their audience is. In this case, they work for a senator who has asked them to write about this because the senator has been getting a lot of mail on the issue from the voters. This helps eliminate the student-writes-to-the-teacher voice in the paper. -Randy Southard, Professor, Moraine Valley Community College

LS from NEVADA.. I teach required philosophy courses and this involves a lot of Plato dialogues. So for one of the assignments I have students write a play. All the students from business students to communications students find this challenging, I think. Anyway, this helps nonmajors stir up their creative and get excited about the course.