Eight faculty share their failure stories on this special #100th episode of Teaching in Higher Ed.

CV of Failures

Johannes Haushofer’s CV of Failures
HBR article about Johannes Haushofer

Quotes

At the time, I felt like I had to know everything in order to be a good teacher, so instead of admitting that I didn’t know the answer to the student’s question, I dismissed it.
—Cameron Hunt-McNabb

I think I understand way better now what kinds of issues my students think are important.
—Doug McKee

I strongly identified with that strain of perfectionism that insists that unless every student in every class feels like every moment was a rich and profound learning experience, then I have failed.
—Jeff Hittenberger

Guest Stories

1) Katie Linder

Didn’t allow discomfort in the classroom and rushed too quickly through it.
Check out the Research in Action Podcast

2) Jeff Hittenberger

Felt like he had failed at the end of each semester.

3.) Angela Jenks

Didn’t know how much the class textbooks cost.

4.) Josh Eyler

Gave quizzes just to test that students read.
Read the conversation in Storify for Twitter

5.) Michelle Miller

Didn’t take care of a problem before it escalated.

6.) James Lang

Was not clear enough in assignment criteria.

7.) Cameron Hunt-McNabb

Thought she had to know everything to be good teacher.

7.) Maha Bali

Laughed at student’s suffering … almost.

8.) Doug McKee

Didn’t understand what issues his students thought were important.
TIHE episode 045: Calibrating our teaching (Aaron Daniel Annas)

Recommendations

Books:

Janine Utell: Dear Committee Members* by Julie Schumacher

José Bowen: Teaching Naked* by José Bowen

Sean Micael Morris: Savvy* by Ingrid Law

Cameron Hunt McNabb: Tina Fey’s advice to “Say yes” in her memoir, Bossy Pants*

Amy Collier: Quotes Anne Lamott: “These are the words I want on my gravestone: that I was a helper, and that I danced,” from her book Grace (Eventually)*

Tools:

Doug McKee: Piazza*

Aaron Daniel Annas: Amazon Echo*

Teaching inspiration:

Rebecca Campbell: Be kind to students. Don’t make assumptions.

Linda Nielsen: Cultivate your courage by trying out things you’re afraid of.

Lee Skallerup Bessette: Be hopeful. Be optimistic. And give your students the benefit of the doubt right from the start.

Doug McKee: Try poster sessions with students.

Peter Newbury: Get yourself into a learning community. Get on Twitter.

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The Failure Episode

Teaching in Higher Ed