Campus is Alive

If you're an online adjunct, you might sometimes feel distant from the campus. I was there for a meeting this past week, and it was neat to see so many excited freshmen (and their nervous parents) moving onto campus. I have cousin from California who will be a sophomore and several friends whose kids will be freshmen. One of the things I enjoy about online teaching is that I've had a few community college students in past classes who have transferred to GCU and just moved onto campus.

If you're feeling "distant," I would encourage you to follow the GCU social media sites. GCU has Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. This is a great way to "follow" what is going on there. This past week many of my former students posted pictures of move-in and also of the Switchfoot concert on campus. In addition, several local news channels, such as Channel 3 and 10, did stories on move-in.

If you live locally, try to visit the campus sometime. Meet up with another teacher or someone from your department. Attend a chapel service. These are great ways to connect and also to experience the culture of GCU. 

Why We Teach

One of the highlights for me this summer was when several former students of mine emailed me to tell me they landed their first "career" job. Many of them are now first-year teachers and one is an editorial intern. Several were accepted to graduate schools. It was heart-warming to see them excited about their new journeys and to hear "thank you for being my instructor."

I know we sometimes get overwhelmed and discouraged in teaching. A former mentor of mine once encouraged me to keep a document of all kind "thank you" notes from students, then to pull them out and read them when I'm feeling down. I suggest the same to all of you. It's a good way to remember why we do this.

Ideas for the Classroom

You should have received an email stating that the new JIR edition is out with articles on CATs (Classroom Assessment Techniques). I would encourage you to read some or all of these articles in order to grow in your teaching methods. The link is: https://cirt.gcu.edu/jir/volumes/current_volume

Since this is a new school year (at least on-campus), I would love to hear your unique or innovative teaching strategies. These could be online or on-campus. They could be CAT techniques or general methods you use to teach and/or engage students.

Happy teaching!
Sandi