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Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
 
Your first day of class is almost here! Are you excited? Anxious? Whether it’s your very first time teaching ever, you’re teaching a new course, or you’re just starting a new semester, beginning a class for the first time can be nerve wracking. To get us all ready for that first day, we asked educators to share practical tips about how they handle a new semester. Here is a compilation from their years of teaching experience.
1) Be prepared!
In teaching, confidence is key. While it can be nerve wrecking, displaying confidence will show students you are up to the task and ready for the new semester. Check out the room in advance and familiarize yourself with its resources. Test out any technology you want to use beforehand. There’s nothing worse than finding out something doesn’t work on that first day. Knowing those details are set can help free you up to relax, focus on your teaching, and exude the confidence that students respond to.
2) Practice, practice, practice
Practice makes perfect. If you are nervous about teaching a new class for the first time, make sure you practice your lesson in front of a mirror, with a partner, or with a peer a few times. It will help build your confidence in the material and sequence of your lesson, anticipate any areas of potential challenges that might come up, and adjust in ways that will set you and students up for success.
3) Dress for success
Although different schools and institutions will have varying dress codes, and individuals have different stylistic choices, make sure that you know your instructor of record and/or supervisor’s expectations before school starts.
4) Rehearse your power pose
Body language can be important in teaching. Some research has even shown that power-posing reduces anxiety and boosts confidence. One suggestion is to stand tall with your chest out and your hands on your hips.
5) Show your enthusiasm
Students pick up on your excitement (or lack thereof) about teaching their class. If you’re thrilled about the material, there’s a better chance they will be too. Communicate your enthusiasm by sharing personal stories, anecdotes or artifacts about the topic at hand.
6) Always bring water
It’s easy to forget about some of our practical needs when we teach. Having a bottle of water can sometimes be a lifesaver, especially after teaching for a long time or when feeling nervous.
7) Connect with students
Make sure to engage with your students, learn their names, let them introduce themselves to you and to one another, and create opportunities for them to share about what matters to them outside the classroom and connected to the disciplinary questions your class will support them in addressing. These steps will help you connect with students and build community.
8) Expect the Unexpected
Sometimes, even though we’re ready and have planned our lesson plan by the minute, things can go wrong. A projector doesn’t turn on, you have more students than syllabi, students are late, etc… Be ready for anything and everything. Stay positive and confident. That’s the beauty of teaching!
9) Don’t feel discouraged
After your first day of class, you may feel discouraged if things didn’t go as planned, or if you felt like you didn’t get the reaction you expected from your students. Just remember that they are also starting the semester and may have a lot to manage at the same time. Think about both the positive aspects of the day and reflect about the things you could improve.
10) And remember, students enjoy a little change!
If and when you feel it is appropriate to change things up in your class, engage with elements of popular culture, and mix up the materials you use to support learning, try anecdotes, gifs (animated images) or memes (images with words) to also communicate ideas. A little (suitable) popular connection, new content, and humor can help students engage differently. 
*note: distancing and other precautions required during the COVID19 pandemic may influence how some of these tips look in your face-to-face/hybrid classes, but remember even if you're teaching 100% online- these tips still ring true!

Writing Centers and Access: A Disability Justice Speaker Series" brings together the fields of composition, writing center studies, and disability studies to ask (and begin the process of answering) the question: How do writing centers engage the process of disability justice? Featuring world-renown disability studies scholars, the series seeks to generate conversation and provide community to teachers of writing, to writers, to writing center professionals, and to communities both on our campuses and beyond about the ways in which disability affects writers, writing, and higher education. The series is hosted by The Writing Center at MSU through the hard work of their Accessibility Committee, under the supervision of Dr. Karen Moroski-Rigney.
Jay Dolmage

Bio: I am committed to disability rights in my scholarship, service, and teaching. My work brings together rhetoric, writing, disability studies, and critical pedagogy. My first book, entitled Disability Rhetoric, was published with Syracuse University Press in 2014. Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education was published with Michigan University Press in 2017 and is available in an open-access version online. Disabled Upon Arrival: Eugenics, Immigration, and the Construction of Race and Disability was published in 2018 with Ohio State University Press. I am the Founding Editor of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies. 
 
Title: Ableism, Access, and Inclusion: Disability in Higher Education Before, During and After Covid-19*
While the recording for Jay's presentation is unavailable, the Writing Center at Michigan State University has shared the recording of their staff meeting, where Jay was a guest.

To learn more about The Writing Center at MSU, to learn more about featuring accessible composing in your assignments or courses, or to connect with Writing Center resources or services, contact Associate Director Dr. Karen Morosk-Rigney at moroskik@msu.edu.

MSU's public commitments include a commitment to providing accessible, usable, and aesthetically pleasing websites. “The MSU Web Accessibility Policy defines the accessibility requirements for university web pages and web content. The current Technical Guidelines require that pages meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 at Conformance Level AA.”
For all things digital accessibility at Michigan State, webaccess.msu.edu is the place to go! On the Course Accessibility page, educators can find a series of tutorials for “ensuring your content is usable to the greatest extent possible by all users” including this Basic Accessibility Checklist. If you’re looking for a place to start this is it. You can also learn how to create accessible Microsoft Word Documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs. The webaccess.msu.edu Course Accessibility page, can walk you through key components of audio and video accessibility (namely captioning) and point you to “how to’s” on creating stable links to Library Resources (more accessible than scanned PDFs), setting special access in D2L, creating accessible equations, and more! Check out the Course Accessibility page!
Do you use D2L/Brightspace as the learning management system in your course? (If you need a reason to start using D2L, this is a good one!) Spartan Ally is a D2L/Brightspace integration that automatically scans course content for common accessibility issues and provides feedback to help faculty gauge the overall accessibility of their course, along with step-by-step guidance for fixing issues that may affect student access to content. The Spartan Ally page will lead you through all the things you need to know to optimize your use of this integrated service to promote accessibility and student success by improving course content. “Ally helps make your course experiences more accessible by providing:

On-demand alternative formats of common file types for all learners.
Instructor-specific reporting and feedback to help improve content accessibility and usability.
Institution-wide reporting to help gauge ADA-compliance and to provide metrics for identifying training and support opportunities.

If you can’t find what you need on webaccess.msu.edu, another place for digital accessibility support is the MSU IT team themselves. While webaccess.msu.edu is maintained through IT, they can also provide Information about getting connected to your local Web Accessibility Policy Liaison within your college or department. They offer consultations on Spartan Ally, can review crouse materials for accessibility with an instructional designer, and have published a new Digital Accessibility Support Cookbook! If you can’t find what you need at the MSU IT Accessibility page, you can always email them at webaccess@msu.edu. 
A final note… Accessibility isn’t only about digital accessibility. Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for full participation in programs, services, and activities. The MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) has compiled resources that promote and advance accessibility across campus including items related to mobility aids & equipment, assistive listening devices, all gender and accessible restrooms, MSU transportation and parking, and snow removal. RCPD also maintains an online suggestion box for architectural accessibility suggestions and universal design improvements.Photo by Elizabeth Woolner on Unsplash

Dr. Jennifer Wagner

Title
Instructional TechnologistD2L and Data CoordinatorInstructional Technology & Development TeamMSU IT - Educational Technology
Education

Certificate in Data Analytics, Google
Certificate in E-Learning Instructional Design, University of California, Irvine
Certificate in Geographic Information Systems, Michigan State University
Associate in Computer Information Systems, Mott Community College
Bachelor’s in French & Linguistics, University of Michigan-Flint
Master’s in Linguistics & Teaching English as a Second Language, Oakland University
PhD in Applied Linguistics, University of South Australia

Work Experience
I have worked in higher education in three countries for the past 15 years. I started as a Writing Center tutor and then taught English, French and linguistics to undergraduate students in the US, France, and Australia. I had always enjoyed using technology to teach my courses, and so I decided to transition to helping both instructors and students navigate the many educational technology tools available today. I was an E-Learning Developer as well as a Helpdesk Support Technician before joining Michigan State University as an Instructional Technologist in 2020.
Professional Interests
I am interested in improving course design by integrating technology and accessibility, while offering technical support and training for instructors and learners. I also enjoy updating the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in our D2L content templates to add more consistency and interactivity to online courses. Additionally, I create ETL dataflows in Domo Analytics to query the D2L data sets and generate reports for instructors.
Links
LinkedIn ProfileGitHub Profile
MSU Tools & Technologies Course (MSU NetID required)
 

 
Outlined Learning Objectives.
Up until this point, this guide has mostly focused on the instructor listing topics as opposed to objectives. While listing topics has a form of value, the topics may not communicate exactly what you hope students can achieve at the end of the course. For this reason, as much as possible an instructor should consider changing course topics to learning outcomes: concise statements describing the skills or abilities a student should have at the end of a course/unit.
 
Tips for writing learning objectives:

Begin each objective with the phrase, “After participating in this session, students should be able to…”

This is not how it may be phrased in your syllabus but will hopefully provide an effective brainstorming session on how to transform topics into objectives.


Choose verbs that are indicative of specific, measurable and observable behaviors which match desired level of knowledge or skill:

“Recall…”
“Describe…”
“Evaluate…”
“Create…”
Etc.


Write them as an outcome, not as a task.

Your objective should describe what students should be able to do/know as a result of the course/unit.
For example:

“Write a reflection on ______ .” is a task, not an outcome.      





 
Teaching Methods.
Each instructor has their own approach to teaching. The general version of this approach has most likely already been listed in your syllabus. However, now you should consider how well your approach fits with the methods described in the syllabus itself and your goals as an educator. Here are some examples of teaching methods and why you may choose to use them. Reflect on what your own teaching method is and how it is incorporated throughout your syllabus.
 

Lecture-based learning:

Common for large groups, introducing a new topic, or delivering a complex lesson. This type of learning can be efficient for covering large amounts of information; however, it may decrease student engagement and encourage passive learning if done frequently.


Discussion-Based Learning:

Common for encouraging critical thinking, covering literature, philosophy or subjects that would benefit from multiple and diverse viewpoints. This type of learning can help promote active participation and deeper levels of understanding but can be time-consuming and run the risk of being dominated by a few participants if not moderated properly.


Inquiry-Based Learning:

Common in science and project-based learning, or areas where exploration is prioritized. This type of learning hopefully fosters curiosity and independent learning, however, relies heavily on student motivation so it requires heavy facilitation and planning.


Problem-Based Learning:

Common in applied fields such as medicine or engineering which rely on problem solving capabilities. This type of learning strongly develops analytical skills and problem solving but can be extremely challenging for students not used to open-ended tasks and is often affiliated with burnout.


 Flipped Classroom:

Commonly used to engage students in higher-order thinking during class-time as opposed to presenting information. Ideally this will increase active learning and engagement during class but requires access to technology and relies on student motivation outside of class.


Differentiated Instruction:

Common in mixed-ability classrooms, this teaching method is tailored to different student learning styles, needs, and abilities. It is inclusive and student-centered, which may increase student/teacher relationships, but demands heavy planning and flexibility on the part of the instructor.


Montessori Method:

While more common in early development, this teaching technique encourages students to select activities from a range of options, which can encourage independence and self-motivation; however, it requires access to a lot of material and an extensive amount of planning from instructors.



 
Assessment Strategies.
Following the guide through each step means you already have some type of description of your assessments provided. Take this time to explain your strategy and reasoning behind those assessments.
 
Support
Be reflective of how you manage and support students in your class:

What implicit biases are built into your class and syllabus?

What is your stance on ableism?
Are their social/political motivations embedded in the syllabus?


Does your syllabus benefit one student over another?

If students are struggling financially, would that impact their ability to access resources for your class?
If students had a form of neurodivergence, how would that affect their performance in your class?
Do you favor one type of student over another?


What accommodation are you providing for students?

Here are some to consider:

Notes? Recorded Lectures? Audio recordings? Online attendance options?
Physical copies of materials? Electronic ones?
Extended test time? Alternate Test Locations?
Links to additional resources?
Assistive technology? Preferential seating?





 
Here is the time to demonstrate how you teach, set that clear expectation for students, and flesh out what it means for them to be in the class. 

Resources for Moving Forward after Tragedy and Trauma 
Adapted from materials curated with love and solidarity by Kaitlin Popielarz, PhD  Dr. Popielarz is an MSU alum and you can contact her at: kaitlin.popielarz@utsa.edu
How to Respond in the Classroom

Teaching on the Day After a Crisis 
Navigating Discussions Following a School Shooting 

When Bad Things are Happening
Showing up strong for yourself—and your students—in the aftermath of violence 
A love letter to teachers after yet another school shooting

On Days Like These, Write. Just Write. 
Resources for Talking and Teaching About the School Shooting in Florida
PERSPECTIVE: Teaching Through Trauma
Support Students Who Experience Trauma 

Online Learning

Trauma Informed Distance Learning: A Conversation with Alex Shevrin Venet 

Self-Care for Educators and Students

College Students: Coping After the Recent Shooting
Slowing Down For Ourselves and Our Students 
Helping Teachers Manage the Weight of Trauma: Understanding and mitigating the effects of secondary traumatic stress for educators
Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting 
Coping after Mass Violence
Tips for Survivors: Coping With Grief After Community Violence
Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress

Resources for Parents and/or Focusing on Children

Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting 
Resiliency After Violence: After Uvalde 
Responding to Tragedy: Resources for Educators and Parents 
Managing Fear After Mass Violence 
When Bad Things Happen: Help kids navigate our sometimes-violent world 
Childhood Traumatic Grief: Youth Information 

Further Reading: Trauma-Informed Resources

#EnoughisEnough Syllabus: Responding to School Violence in the Classroom 
Teaching on Days After: Educating for Equity in the Wake of Injustice

[book/ebook available at MSU Libraries; preview on Google Books]

Restorative Justice Resources for Schools
Restorative Justice: What it is and What it is Not 
Transformative Justice, Explained 
Transformative Justice: A Brief Description 

[External] Mental Health Resources

American Psychological Association
American School Counselor Association 
African American Therapist Database 
School Crisis Recovery and Renewal 
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network 

The NCTSN has prepared resources in response to the MSU incident here


GLSEN

Links for Taking Action (Particularly Related to Days After Gun Violence) 

March For Our Lives 
Everytown 
Sandy Hook Promise 
Moms Demand Action 
Mothers of the Movement 

What are EASE Reports?
EASE (Enhancing Academic Success Early) Reports are a great way to provide students- and their advisors- feedback on how they are doing in your class. Instructors post students' current grades, attendance and engagement, and comments. The instructor chooses if the information is sent just to the advisors or to both students and advisors. I complete the reports during the third week, fourth week (prior to the last day to drop with a refund), halfway through the semester (before the last day to drop without a grade reported), and toward the end of the semester. 
How are EASE Reports Completed?
EASE reports are completed on the Registrar's website. There are two options for posting them: entering grades and comments individually for each student in an online form or uploading a file. Uploading a file is the most efficient way to provide feedback for large classes because information can be quickly copied and pasted for multiple students. This way, you can provide feedback to every student. The tutorial below describes 1) how to download a student list EASE report template from the Registrar's website, 2) how to export grades from D2L, 3) how to combine the student list file and the D2L file, 4) tips and tricks to consider while working on the file, and 5) how to edit and upload the final file for an EASE Report upload to the registrar's website.

Notes to Consider
Make sure to upload it as a CSV.D2L calculates the final grade. Just note that if you have any drops already set up in your gradebook, that it will adjust the grade for those drops. Because of this, when I complete reports at the beginning of the semester, I manually calculate the grade so that drops are not set up. This way, they have a more accurate reflection of how they are doing in the course. Then I add a comment to anyone with a grade below 4.0 that their grade on D2L may be higher than what is reported here because the lowest grade for select assignments is dropped. In the video, I mentioned an equation that I use to check that the D2L and the EASE student list files match. Make sure to delete the demo students from the D2L list and put them both in order by NetID/email. Here is the equation: =if(G2=O2,1) You may need to change "G" and "O" depending on your columns. In my example, the MSU Net ID is in the G column of the file and the Email from D2L is in the O column of the file.I briefly went over the different columns in the EASE report file. Here is a description of each one (do not change the heading of any of the columns):

The first several columns contain information that you do not change:

Term_Code: semester roster
Subj_Code: the subject of your course
Crse_Code: the course code
Sctn_Code: the section number
Student_ID: students' PIDs
Student_Name: last name, first name of each student
MSUNet_ID: The student's Net_ID; the first part of their email address
Require: Does the student require an EASE report? There will be a "yes" for each student that requires an EASE report and nothing entered for those that do not. Try to complete a report for more than just those that require one.


You enter information for the next several columns:

Grade: Enter a grade for each student (0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4). One easy way to calculate this is to add a percentage grade column from D2L and then put it in order of percentage (make sure to delete this extra column before uploading the file).
Attendance: enter "yes," "intermittent," or "no." If needed, add any clarifications to the comments column.
Engagement: enter "yes," "intermittent," or "no." If needed, add any clarifications to the comments column.
MeasuresDoNotApply: enter "yes" if the measures "grade," "attendance," and "engagement" do not apply to your course or for that student.
Comments: This is where you type useful feedback to the student's advisor and the student, if applicable. Try to be as specific as possible. Consider having a separate document of feedback that you can copy and paste from each semester.
ShareComments: Enter "yes" if you want students to also see the comments that you provided.



Additional information is provided on the EASE report file upload page on the registrar's website.

MSU seeks new ideas aimed at improving the digital learning experience. Incorporating digital strategies to support pedagogy can enhance students’ learning experiences and offer efficiencies in assessment and analysis. Many digital learning innovations impacting institutional initiatives at scale often start small. Innovations may spring from novel pedagogical approaches in individual courses, as collaborative experiments across disciplines, or the result of student feedback and needs analysis. We recognize the value of providing support and resources to change the student experience for the better. MSU's Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation is committed to facilitating new ideas and announces the following call for proposals for the Catalyst Innovation Program.
Catalyst Innovation Program
The Catalyst Innovation Program seeks to fund creative and innovative uses of tools, technology, and pedagogical approaches up to $10,000 for the purposes of allowing experimentation in spaces with the potential to enhance student learning experiences.
Please note that these funds are intended to fund software, technology, and/or services but are not able to support salary lines, including faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students. We are especially interested in proposals that include one or more of the following criteria:
Learning

Demonstrate learning, conceptual understanding, or increased content knowledge

Inclusivity and Accessibility

Increase access, as defined as “providing the means for all qualified, motivated students to complete courses, degrees, or programs in their disciplines of choice (Online Learning Consortium, n.d.; MSU Learning Design Strategy.)” For example, reduced or zero cost to students beyond tuition, universally designed experiences, and the like
Contribute to more equitable and inclusive digital learning experiences and environments
Experiences that are universally designed and accessible

Feedback and Adaptivity

Increase formative feedback (assessment for learning)
Provide learning analytics to educators to enable adaptive or personalized pedagogy
Provide mechanisms for student input and collaboration
Increase student engagement as defined by your discipline. For example as increased participation, collaboration, peer learning, and so on

Proposals
Proposals should include a description of the innovation and idea, implementation approach, evaluation and assessment plan, and budget. Click the following link to apply (Application closed)
Timeline

The Call for Proposals opens: December 16, 2021
Proposals are due: 5:00 pm EST, January 21, 2022
Awards will be announced: February 7, 2022
Once awarded, funding is available through June 30, 2022.  

Selection Criteria

Completeness of the idea proposal

Clearly explained potential impact on student engagement, mastery, or success
Challenge or shift current teaching and learning practices

Readiness to implement

Plan to implement during the funding period in an existing course or program

Opportunity for scale/re-use
Assessment and evaluation plan for your project
Proposed budget
Alignment with MSU Learning Design Strategy

Quality
Inclusivity
Connectivity


References
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/quality-framework-five-pillars/
http://lds.msu.edu