A Safe Space for Self-Reflection Posted on December 1, 2014 by Jane S. WebsterWho am I and where am I going? And why am I in this classroom?! It took me about a week into my first course to realize that most of my students were not as passionately interested about religion and biblical studies as I was. I learned that most of them were in the room because they needed a required general education course and my course was the only one with space that fit their schedule. I tried to make the most of it by focusing on the skills they would need to develop—critical thinking and written communication, for example. It sounded good in theory but I was missing an amazing opportunity: engaging students in self-reflection….
Teaching with Meta-Questions Posted on November 8, 2013 by Jane S. WebsterWhat’s the point? Do you ever get those blank why-are-we-talking-about-this stare? Is your answer too often, “Just because?” Today’s challenge is to consider your larger course agenda and how it maps onto student curiosity. More specifically, it is time to identify the metaquestion you hope your course will answer. . . .