Teaching Gradually: Practical Pedagogy and Classroom Strategies for Graduate Students, by Graduate Students

Teaching Gradually is a guide for anyone new to teaching and learning in higher education. Written for graduate student instructors, by graduate students with substantive teaching experience, this resource is among the first of its kind to speak to graduate students as comrades-in-arms with voices from alongside them in the trenches, rather than from far behind the lines. Each author featured in this book was a graduate student at the time they wrote their contribution. Consequently, the following chapters give scope to a newer, diverse generation of educators who are closer in experience and professional age to the book’s intended audience. The tools, methods, and ideas discussed here are ones that the authors have found most useful in teaching today’s students. Each chapter offers a variety of strategies for successful classroom practices that are often not explicitly covered in graduate training.

Overall, this book consists of 42 chapters written by 51 authors who speak from a vast array of backgrounds and viewpoints, and who represent a broad spectrum of experience spanning small, large, public, and private institutions of higher education. Each chapter offers targeted advice that speaks to the learning curve inherent to early-career teaching, while presenting tangible strategies that readers can leverage to address the dynamic professional landscape they inhabit. The contributors’ stories and reflections provide the context to build the reader’s confidence in trying new approaches in their his or her teaching.

This book covers a wide range of topics designed to appeal to graduate student instructors across disciplines, from those teaching discussion sections, to those managing studio classes and lab sessions, to those serving as the instructor of record for their own course. Despite the medley of content, two common threads run throughout this volume: a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, and an acknowledgment of the increasing shift to online teaching.

As a result of engaging with Teaching Gradually, readers will be able to:

1. Identify best teaching practices to enhance student learning
2. Develop a plan to implement these strategies in their teaching
3. Expand their conception of contexts in which teaching and learning can take place
4. Evaluate and refine their approaches to fostering inclusion in and out of the classroom
5. Assess student learning and the efficacy of their own teaching practices
6. Practice professional self-reflection

Kacie L. Armstrong is a visiting assistant professor of psychology at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. She holds a BA in media and communication studies and a BS in psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, an MA with distinction in film and visual studies from Queen’s University Belfast, and an MA and PhD in psychology from Cornell University. As a researcher, her work focuses on face perception and the emotion of nostalgia. As an educator, her teaching practices are grounded in civic engagement as she guides students in using the power of prose and dialogue to drive social change. Her dedication to innovative and inclusive teaching has been recognized through a dean’s prize for distinguished teaching at Cornell University and the Buttrick-Crippen fellowship, which supported her in developing a new 1st-year writing seminar titled “Promoting Progress Through Psychology.” Outside of academia, she enjoys hiking, writing, and hygge.

Lauren A. Genova is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware. She holds an honors BS degree with distinction in chemistry from the University of Delaware and MS and PhD degrees in chemistry and chemical biology from Cornell University. In addition to conducting research in single-molecule biophysics, she is trained in STEM education research. Over the years, she has facilitated learning in numerous capacities, ranging from instructing undergraduates to leading pedagogy workshops for graduate students, postdoctoral students, and faculty. Her deep commitment to improving the educational experience of undergraduate students has motivated her to serve on chemistry curriculum and diversity committees at both her undergraduate and graduate institutions. She is passionate about using evidence-based teaching strategies to cultivate a welcoming and empowering learning environment for students from all backgrounds.

John Wyatt Greenlee holds a BA in history from Hamilton College; master’s degrees in public affairs (Park University), history (East Tennessee State University), and medieval studies (Cornell University); and a PhD in medieval studies (Cornell University). He studies cartographic and spatial history, and his current research examines the role of eels in medieval and early modern English cultural history. A varied employment history includes a stint with the Pete Seeger–founded quarterly publication Sing Out! Magazine, several summers as a white-water rafting guide, and a decade coaching collegiate volleyball. While at Cornell he was a fellow with the Center for Teaching Innovation for 3 years, and he is particularly interested in kinetic learning techniques and pedagogical innovation as a way to improve students’ interaction with historical materials.

Derina S. Samuel is the associate director for graduate student development at the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI), Cornell University. In this capacity, she provides leadership for a variety of graduate programs, including the CTI Graduate Teaching Fellows program and the Teaching Portfolio program. Her teaching experience spans various institutions and courses. Most recently, she led the development and successful launch of a university-wide online orientation for new teaching assistants, as well as a teaching guide designed as a resource for all Cornell University instructors. She holds a PhD in biochemistry, an MA in public administration from Syracuse University, and a BSc and an MSc in chemistry from the University of Zambia. Her research and teaching interests focus on supporting the professional development of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.