Tag: classroom climate

SIP 11.6 The Unwritten Rules of College: Facing Social and Emotional Challenges

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Last week, the SIPsquad talked about “the unwritten academic rules of college” and how we can support students as they learn to navigate the complicated systems of higher education. This week, we would like to focus on the social and emotional challenges that students face during their college years. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/11-6-the-unwritten-rules-of-college-facing-social-and-emotional-challenges/

SIP 10.4 Making the Most of Class Arrival Time

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? The SIPsquad is excited to bring you this Throwback Thursday selection! Take a look at this gem from Year Three: Making the Most of Class Arrival Time As most faculty have experienced, many Metropolitan State University of Denver students arrive at class over the span of 15-20 minutes – …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-10-4-making-the-most-of-class-arrival-time/

SIP 7.5 Normalizing Asking for Help

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Have you ever sat alone in your office during office hours only to have your students tell you in class that they didn’t understand the reading or an assignment? Or perhaps you’ve urged a student to go to the Writing Center for help organizing a draft, only to watch that student …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-7-5-normalizing-asking-for-help/

SIP 7.3 Leading Difficult Discussions in Class and Online

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Difficult discussions are on the rise in the academy. As the political landscape in the United States becomes more intense and polarized and as the MSU Denver community feels the impact of legislation such as rescinding of the DACA program and the removal of workplace protections for transgender people, the focus of classroom discussions has gone beyond course content and into the need to discuss personal lived experience as it …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-7-3-leading-difficult-discussions-in-class-and-online/

SIP 7.1 Creating Productive Physical Space in the Classroom

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? For students and instructors, a classroom’s physical environment impacts the success of a good class period. All your prep, all your innovation and careful planning can be ruined in a too cramped, too warm or too cold, institutionalized physical space. When physical bodies struggle to be comfortable, then minds …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-7-1-creating-productive-physical-space-in-the-classroom/

SIP 5.11 Minimizing Anxiety for Better Learning

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? At this time in the semester but really, at any time in the semester), students are faced with the challenges of attending school, engaging in classes, and completing work while also struggling with anxiety. In a 2013 survey by the National College Health Assessment, roughly half of college students …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-5-11-minimizing-anxiety-for-better-learning/

SIP 5.7 Using Games to Reinforce Content

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? You have prepared the “perfect” presentation for your class; your PowerPoint includes stunning pictures, provocative video clips, music and challenging concepts. After ten minutes, your students start to move on their seats; to hide behind the student in front so they can slip unnoticed into the realm of texting; …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-5-7-using-games-to-reinforce-content/

SIP 4.13 Creating a Culture of Academic Integrity

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Students know that cheating is wrong, but that doesn’t always translate into carefully documented sources in a research paper or turning down a friend’s help on a take-home exam. Surveys indicate that a majority of students have cheated during their time in college. What can faculty do to improve …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-4-13-creating-a-culture-of-academic-integrity/

SIP 4.7 Making the Most of Class Arrival Time

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? As most faculty have experienced, many MSU Denver students arrive at class over the span of 15-20 minutes–some early, others late. This is particularly true in bad weather, and for what can be called “rush hour classes” (those that start at 8:00 am and 5:00 pm in particular). This …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-4-7-making-the-most-of-class-arrival-time/

SIP 4.3 Managing Narcissistic Students

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Do you ever find class becomes dominated by a few student voices? Have you struggled to figure out how to maintain those few students’ enthusiastic interest in the class while making space for others to speak up as well? Or there is the other version of student voice – …

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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/sip-4-3-managing-narcissistic-students/