I have been teaching Intro Psych for close to 30 years now. I have taught classes ranging from 25 to 400 and have also done research on Intro Psych textbooks, student engagement, and assessments. I am always looking for new ways to teach better, I experiment, I reflect on what I do. I pulled together some of what I have found to work below. Every context and person varies but I hope to inspire your own teaching adventures.
Start Before You Start
- Before every term, I email my students a short note that describes me as a person and talks about why I am excited to teach psychology. I also invite them to get in touch and learn more about me via my website or social media (see Legg & Wilson, 2009).
- I ensure my Canvas page for the class is published at least 3 days to a week before the class starts. I design it using best practices suggested by the Quality Matters Program and set it so students have to read each section of the syllabus before they get any course content.
- Scope out the joint. I like visiting the classroom I am going to teach in and testing all the technology, loading my slideshow, and getting a feel for the sight lines and space for my movement and students. Great having a sense of the room before I go in.
Day One
Try a SYLLABUS SNAPSHOT.Instead of handing out my 14 page syllabus on the first day of class, I use this Syllabus Snapshot. It has all the information on it that students care about (e.g., How many exams) but also sets the tone for the class. My goal is up front. That reading, attendance, and note taking is important is up front. The best ways to study are clear.
To make your own, here is a template created by Akira Miyake https://tinyurl.com/ym8mkamj.
You can get a copy of mine here. http://bit.ly/450y3Pg
Students have the full syllabus on my Canvas page.
Highlight Why Psychology Rocks.
Be Present. I make sure I come to class at least 10 minutes early (often there is a class before). After setting up my slideshow and starting some music playing (a song that relates to what I am going to teach) I walk around and talk to students present or welcome them as they come in. I also make myself available during a break in class and after class. I make sure I am not checking over notes or looking at my phone so students do not feel like they are intruding.
Teaching Suggestions/Student Activities
- Formative assessment. Instead of waiting till the student evaluations at the end of a semester, I suggest asking students how you are doing (and how they are doing) right after the first exam. This 2 x 2 method is easy to do and over the years has helped me fine tune my teaching tremendously.
- Intro Psych Ted talk. Try this activity for in class discussion or online classes. Have students view this 18 minute Tedx talk which overviews important aspects of psychology. Ask them to identify as many psych terms as they can. You can use the ready made quiz at the link below, see all the terms, and there references for the studies in here. Great for APA IPI integrative themes. (PsychLearn piece).
- A Day In the Life. This is a great activity for either the start of the semester to create a structure for the course, or at the end, to serve as a review.
– Have students think of an average day and then list every activity from waking up onwards (brush teeth, have breakfast, go to class, hang out with friends, etc.).
– For each activity, have them list which chapter of psych they think is most related.
– Now have them add concepts/theories from that chapter and others that relate to the activity (e.g., sleeping–consciousness chapter & health chapter–SCN, sleep cycles, …)
They soon see that psych concepts are related to every aspect of daily life and that behavior is complex, determined by many different sections of the course. Great for IPI integrative themes. - Include visual snapshots of key study suggestions and explanations of effective ways to study from here.
Student Metacognitive Aids
- A short (under 10 minute) video on planning.
- Self-Assessment: Have students measure their own behaviors. The self-assessments on the Pedagogical Influencer Project are already in Qualtrics. Each is designed to give students their scores and provide an explanation.
- Study Strategies: For an engaging way to have students learn about the best ways to study, share TikToks on retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and more.
Critical Guides
- Writing a teaching philosophy. This will evolve as you do as a teacher. Go back to it often and see if it needs to change. Ensure your course design and practices map onto your philosophy.
- Writing good multiple choice questions.
- Managing difficult student conversations. Practice these de-escalation skills.
- Oregon State University Teaching Handbook. Packed with great information.
