[As another Fall
semester kicks off, this week I’ve offered a series of preview posts, focusing
on new things I’ll be trying this semester. Leading up to this special weekend
post!]
This past May,
to pay forward a bit the incredible honor of receiving
FSU’s Vincent J. Mara Excellence in Teaching Award, I wrote a
post highlighting some of the many inspiring teachers I’ve known and
learned from in my fortunate life. For this special post, I wanted to
complement that one by highlighting a handful of resources from which I’ve
learned a ton about and for teaching:
1)
FSU’s Center
for Teaching and Learning: Founded by my colleague and friend Sean
Goodlett, and now co-directed by my colleagues and friends Kisha
Tracy and Kate
Jewell, the CTL has been a vital resource for my teaching throughout my
decade at FSU. Its list
of resources has just as much to offer educators far from Fitchburg and at
many different institutions and levels, I’d argue. Check it out!
2)
Rice’s Center for
Teaching Excellence: In this
post, part of my weeklong series of follow ups to the De Lange Conference, I
said most everything I’d want to say about the exemplary, amazing institution
that is the Rice CTE. So I’ll cut this entry short so you can explore the CTE’s
site and resources—you won’t be disappointed!
3)
Online Resources for Teaching American
Literature: That could be a very long list, of course, but here I’ll highlight
three, two of which I know well and one of which I look forward to exploring: the
online journal Teaching American Literature, in which I’ve
been fortunate enough to publish two articles and which is always worth
reading; my father Stephen
Railton’s many wonderful digital projects, including his latest, Digital
Yoknapatawpha; and the under construction Pegagogy & American Literary
Studies blog, which promises to add a great deal to the conversation.
4)
Individual Colleagues: I’d say I’ve learned
something from everyone alongside whom I’ve been fortunate enough to teach over
the years, starting with my Temple
officemate Jeff Renye; that’s certainly been true of my FSU English
colleagues as well. Here I’ll highlight three: Heather Urbanski, who is
always innovating in every sense; Steve
Edwards, who brings out his students’ voices and perspectives as well as
anyone I know; and the aforementioned Kisha Tracy, who makes her
classes as fun and engaging as they are rigorous and productive.
5)
This Space for You: I could go on, but I really
want to encourage you to share resources of your own! So consider this an even
stronger than usual invitation to contribute your own ideas, thoughts,
experiences, and perspectives—in comments or by email. Thanks!
Next series
starts Monday,
Ben
PS. So what do
you think? Resources you’d highlight? Fall plans you’d share? Bring ‘em on!
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