Sustaining teaching innovation: Cultivating a growth mindset even when things go off the rails
Session Type
Presentation
Room
Physics and Astronomy, room 148
Start Date
18-7-2025 11:30 AM
End Date
18-7-2025 12:00 PM
Keywords
pedagogy, humane pedagogy, humane education, pedagogy of kindness, teaching strategies, growth mindset
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Sustainable learning is a focus in efforts to transform our instructional design to support an inclusive, accessible, engaging, and inviting student experience. Ideally, the tracks for how the course will unfold are laid out clearly before the semester starts. However, as much as we try to prepare, a great deal of this work needs to happen as we progress through the term, while the train is already moving along the track. As authors coming from different perspectives—one is lead Teaching Assistant involved in course aid and development and the other is an experienced instructor and former Associate Dean—we present examples from our individual experience and collaborative reflection: a practice for communicating clear guidelines for assignments and resources to turn to for support when the students dispute that clarity. Inspired by Cate Denial’s (2024) reminder that a pedagogy of kindness begins with kindness to the instructor, we offer our insights on cultivating a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006) in both instructional design and course interactions as a successful approach to preventing, reducing, and addressing unanticipated conflicts. This approach to designing course curricula and activities is a manageable step toward sustainable learning for our students, our teaching assistants, and ourselves.
Denial, C. J. (2024). A pedagogy of kindness. University of Oklahoma Press.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random house.
Elements of Engagement
We plan to offer several elements of engagement:
1. Discussion and example of supporting students in assignments beforehand by using an “activity wrapper.”
2. Discussion about supporting students when assignments go sideways: Being prepared with resources and understanding appeals procedures beforehand, and knowing where to turn to for resources, support or guidance.
3. Interactive activity and discussion: Invitation to share questions and responses via Microsoft Whiteboard and in person in the room.
Creative Commons License
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Sustaining teaching innovation: Cultivating a growth mindset even when things go off the rails
Physics and Astronomy, room 148
Sustainable learning is a focus in efforts to transform our instructional design to support an inclusive, accessible, engaging, and inviting student experience. Ideally, the tracks for how the course will unfold are laid out clearly before the semester starts. However, as much as we try to prepare, a great deal of this work needs to happen as we progress through the term, while the train is already moving along the track. As authors coming from different perspectives—one is lead Teaching Assistant involved in course aid and development and the other is an experienced instructor and former Associate Dean—we present examples from our individual experience and collaborative reflection: a practice for communicating clear guidelines for assignments and resources to turn to for support when the students dispute that clarity. Inspired by Cate Denial’s (2024) reminder that a pedagogy of kindness begins with kindness to the instructor, we offer our insights on cultivating a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006) in both instructional design and course interactions as a successful approach to preventing, reducing, and addressing unanticipated conflicts. This approach to designing course curricula and activities is a manageable step toward sustainable learning for our students, our teaching assistants, and ourselves.
Denial, C. J. (2024). A pedagogy of kindness. University of Oklahoma Press.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random house.