Hi Ziyad,
I agree with you that teachers are to be flexible with their teaching approach. Also, their teaching approach can be in form of the instructions, strategies and so on. However, some teaching approach are not as flexible as other due to the area of specialization on which they are being used. For instance, the teaching approach in the medical field might not be as flexible as social sciences courses.

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Nice one Leslie,
All that you have mentioned made me remember this article by Jones titled MUSIC model of academic motivation were students are engaged in learning. if you haven’t read it, i think is something you would eventually love when you read it
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Hey Jackson! Many thanks for stopping by. Yes, the authentic teaching self should be mutable, I just wonder whether the resultant self would still be the ‘authentic self’ or it would now become the ‘modified self’ lol!

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Fellow female instructor here and I definitely agree- I have noticed students seeming to expect me to have leniency for them- the article you linked pointed out the difference between being a friend and being friendly, and I think it’s definitely a delicate line to walk. I agree with you that being friendly and approachable is important, but also cultivating respect and having students understand that you’re not going to go easy on them!

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I definitely agree that equality is not the same as equity! Specifically, as an instructor we have such a responsibility to help our students succeed, but it can often feel like not enough. After an individual has a better understanding of a student’s unique situation and learning style, it’s definitely easier to adapt and give them the best opportunity to succeed!

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I definitely empathize with your thoughts about how sometimes older professors can seem less empathetic to the struggles of undergraduate students! I am a TA for a large lecture class, and I find myself wanting to respond to panicked emails with kindness. I also agree that department support is HUGE- before I ever taught my first solo class, I had a week-long training with my department and always felt supported. I’m glad you have a great support system, and I’m sure you’ll rock it!

I don’t know other fields. In computer science, a programming language is evolving during the time, e.g. Java 11 vs Java 1. More complex Data structure shown up; Cloud computing is much different in 2006. First machine learning research was 1950, and now machine learning is everywhere. There is always new knowledge in the computer science field.

I agree Dr. Nelson- perhaps being general is the best answer at times.

Dana- honestly, at times, yes. However, I think I use the flaws and the slip-ups as a chance to explain to them that 1. I am human just like them, but more importantly, 2. As I mention in the course, while delivery is important, it is oftentimes the content that matters most. So yes, while I do feel pressure to be cognizant of how many times I say “um” and “soooooo….”, I also use my own mistakes as teaching tools, which I think helps.

Yes, I will try to accommodate as many as possible of students in the class, but I won’t try to accommodate all students in the class.