Very Kind Amazon Book Review: Innovative College Teaching

From a professor in Texas...

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick read, loaded with helpful tips!

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2024

This book has several sections, each with lovely and insightful ideas. The first section is from the author, and shares thoughts on class structure, first day activities, using AI and keeping students engaged. I found the tips useful and easy to apply without requiring a whole course redesign. The second part is a series of narratives from several master teachers, showing how they teach in their varied disciplines. It was great to read so many inspiring stories from excellent instructors. My brain immediately went to ways I could pull from their experiences into my own courses. Lastly, the appendix has actual samples that range from funny to instantly implementable. Great book that can help you grow your teaching practice without a huge time investment.

 

Innovative College Teaching Wins Honorable Mention Award in Readers' Favorite International Book Contest

 

Excited to receive this honor in the Non-Fiction - Education category

The highly competitive contest "featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities."

Prior winners include: New York Times bestsellers J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors Jim Carrey, Henry Winkler, and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America).

The Case for Humor in the College Classroom

From the Archives as we enter a new academic year...

I wrote this Op-Ed in 2009 for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Education section (subscription required), which was reprinted in The Huffington Post. (2010) It is told in story form in Innovative College Teaching. (2024)

The Case for Humor in the College Classroom

 c 2009-2024 Perry Binder

As college professors nationwide prepare for a new academic year, my message for them is simple: Lighten up! Your students just might engage and learn.

I never dreamed of being a college professor. Does anybody? When my third grade teacher asked us about our dream job, Molly said an astronaut; Evan, an actor. Perry: Obtain a terminal degree and lecture on legal morasses.

Whether the subject is law or nuclear physics, every student wants a good laugh. As teacher accountability objectives collide with shorter attention spans, laughter is the secret ingredient to keep everyone on task. Humor can even be found in the most stressful situations. For example, I tell students that I can't offer legal advice. But that didn't stop "Steve" from calling me after class in a panic: The judge gave me ten days for speeding; they're taking me away! So that night, I drove to the county jail, where the innkeeper ushered me into a tiny drab room facing glass. Steve appeared on the other side, looking weary and wearing an ugly orange jumpsuit. I never practiced criminal law, so I just put my hand up to the glass and spread my fingers apart because I saw that done on TV. Steve finally smiled and put his hand up to mine. He told me what happened, but all I could do was stare at our mitts and think: Hey, this TV hand thing really works!

While Steve's dilemma was no laughing matter, I use that story on the first day of class to set the tone for the semester: Understanding the law is serious business and applied unequally to funny, young college students without counsel. But we will laugh and learn a lot together.

To me, humor in the classroom mixes audience participation with storytelling about the quirky world around us. The professor and students form an improv troupe, working on the day's subject. Here are my rules of classroom engagement:

Exaggerate to Illustrate. Paint an implausible mental picture to reinforce a topic. When we study "self defense," a limping crazy man wields a lumberman's axe and approaches a student track star limbering up for a run. If the wild man is 200 feet away, does the student have a duty to retreat or can she pick up and use a submachine gun conveniently left on a park bench?

Expect the Unexpected. When a cell phone rings, the classroom rule is that I get to answer it. And when MY phone rang once, the students got to answer it. Another time, students were nervous for an exam, so I asked a student to stand up as I gave her my whiteboard marker. I then ran to the front of the classroom, back to the students, and instructed her to wing the marker at my head (missed me, wide right). One time I wore a pair of Sketchers to class but was skeptical on how they looked. I asked for student opinions by jumping on the computer console table and placing a sole on the document camera, which projected an Imax theater-size image. The original 360° Tour.

Now you might be thinking that your college won't let profs be jailhouse lawyers, encourage students to fling objects, or stand on expensive technology. That's not the point. The most important rule is to always be yourself in the classroom. You don't need to have a funny bone; the world around us is a gold mine of material. Consider this recent headline, Man pleads guilty to DUI in Motorized Recliner. If the law is funny, so is any subject and thus, an opportunity to humor up classrooms.

Postscript. I referred Steve to a criminal defense lawyer but my student still spent three days in jail for speeding. It would've been zero if he had an attorney at the outset, which shows that maybe nothing is funny about the law after all.

25 Years of Gratitude: Energized and Excited for a New Academic Year

 Epilogue - Innovative College Teaching: Tips & Insights from 14 Master Teachers

“I live by two words: tenacity and gratitude.” —Henry Winkler

From time to time, I reflect on my teaching career, looking to capture my sentiment in the moment in one word. Recently, I watched an interview with Henry Winkler as he discussed the ups and many downs of his acting career after the hit television show, Happy Days, ended in 1984. The word that stuck with me was that he was grateful for everything. Grateful. Work hard and be grateful. During the ups and the downs. Appreciate current and former students and colleagues, and all of the people you’ve met along the way.

I am grateful to the professors interviewed for this book. Unknown to them, they elevated my game as I edited their chapters. When students ask me about time management techniques, I tell them to be strategic and efficient with their time. To learn how and when to say no. But if I listened to my own advice, I likely would’ve passed on a great opportunity. As I was re-reading about the amazing work these Master Teachers are doing with their students, I was inspired to say yes.

This led me to take on the task of recruiting and coaching a team of three students to compete in a three-day international mediation competition hosted by a neighboring university. These students weren’t in my Consumer Law class, had zero exposure to mediation training, and went up against many students who were Conflict Resolution majors. They had five weeks to learn how to mediate a dispute and switch roles from mediator to advocate to client in mock mediation sessions. The same amount of training time that Rocky had to fight world champion, Apollo Creed. The students worked hard and performed admirably. They demonstrated skill, patience, empathy, and poise under pressure, and articulated reflective insights.

          Author Dan Millman once said: “The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination.” I am grateful to the students who sacrificed their time during this adventure to learn and experience something new. In turn, these types of interactions facilitate my growth as a professor and person. All of which motivates me to seek out my next quest.

 Click here for Innovative College Teaching

© 2024 Perry Binder

Perry Binder is a Clinical Associate Professor of Legal Studies, entering his 25th year at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business. He is the author of several books, including Innovative College Teaching (2024), Classroom LIGHTBULBS for College Professors (2023), and 99 Motivators for College Success (2012).

 

Goal for 2025 - Going Abroad

 

Before the pandemic,  I taught or presented abroad nine out of ten years since 2010. It's about time to find a new international adventure.

2010 - Taught in Paderno del Grappa, Italy for a month

2011 - Presented at a conference in Trento, Italy

2012 - Taught in Florence, Italy for a month https://perrybinder.blogspot.com 

2013 - Presented at a conference in Florence

2014 - Closing speaker at the same conference in Florence

2015 - Presented at a conference in Athens, Greece

2016 - Taught in Austria, Greece, and Hungary for two weeks

2017 - Presented at a conference in Toronto, Canada

2019 - Closing speaker at the conference in Florence

 

Winner, International Book Awards in Education/Academic category (June 2024)

Good news...

Winner, International Book Awards in Education/Academic category (June 2024)

Innovative College Teaching: Tips & Insights from 14 Master Teachers by Perry Binder

There were 7 finalists in the category and 1 winner.

About the Book:

- #1 Best Seller in Teacher & Student Mentoring

- #1 New Release in Teacher & Student Mentoring

- #2 New Release in Pedagogy

(Amazon, January/February/March 2024)

Ideal High School Graduation Gift Book - 99 Motivators for College Success

If you're looking for a gift idea for a recent graduate, this book has been a popular item over the years.

Amazon:  99 Motivators for College Success

Amazon now displays AI-generated text of customer reviews

For Innovative College Teaching:

Customers say

Customers find the book full of practical, accessible ideas and helpful interviews with teachers. They also describe the author as funny, engaging, and informative.

7 customers mention "Content" 7 positive 0 negative

Customers find the book full of practical and accessible ideas that can be put to work. They also appreciate the interviews with teachers and gems. Customers say the book makes teaching more fun and effective.

"...of keen experience offered here make teaching both more fun and more effective, for both the student and the instructor...." Read more

"...with “master teachers” are interesting and more engaging and useful than anticipated...." Read more

"...Though the book provides a salad of advice rather than a system, it has many gems. I plan to use some of the ideas in my class." Read more

"...The Appendix has useful anecdotes, pedagogy information, and sample classroom materials...." Read more

3 customers mention "Story" 3 positive 0 negative

Customers find the story engaging and informative.

"...The interviews with “master teachers” are interesting and more engaging and useful than anticipated...." Read more

"...than a teacher Perry may have more to offer as a writer who is funny, engaging, and informative. Or maybe the two are related. Who knows?" Read more

"A great way to reinject enthusiasm and fun into courses..." Read more