Master Teacher Benita's Moore's Key Takeaway: Innovative College Teaching

Dr. Benita Moore, Clayton State University (retired): “If you are offered a new responsibility that is not ‘pure teaching,’ be open to it. The new opportunity may or may not take you from the classroom but may open doors that are different than you could have imagined. Don’t be afraid to accept these opportunities. My 40+ years in education was enhanced because I said “yes” to opportunities that were presented to me, even if the new challenge was outside of my comfort zone.”

 

Master Teacher Greg Henley's Key Takeaway: Innovative College Teaching

Dr. Greg Henley: “It's very important that I reach the students on their level. If I can get their attention, then I can teach them. Improving my teaching requires that I get constructive feedback to ensure that what I'm doing is working.”

My Podcast Topic: Writing and Publishing a Non-Fiction Book

Last year, I had a great time speaking with Deborah Butler on her "People Know Stuff" Podcast. 

You can listen to it on Spotify (23 min.)

5-Star Readers' Favorite Book Review: Innovative College Teaching

January 10, 2024

Adaptability, enthusiasm, and a desire to constantly improve one's methods are the hallmarks of an effective teacher. With years of experience teaching law and ethics in business school, Perry Binder brings a comprehensive teaching guide to assist those in the teaching profession in finding creative ways to nurture and refine young minds and help them reach their fullest potential. In Innovative College Teaching, Binder shows readers how to make the first day of a class memorable, engage with students and make a lasting impression, improve one's teaching techniques and skills, prepare students for multiple choice and essay exams, and much more. Binder also emphasizes the importance of adopting new-age technology in classes, such as using AI to create interactive modules and write prompts, and integrating social media and other internet platforms into the curriculum to make the learning process dynamic.

It doesn't matter whether you're taking the first steps in your teaching career or are already an experienced veteran. Innovative College Teaching is a must-read for anyone who loves to teach regardless of their chosen subject/department. While the first part of the book focuses on Perry Binder's own teaching process that he has developed over the years in this profession, the second part contains interviews with different professors from the fields of law, science, arts, business, and technology, as they answer and offer their expert advice on five specific topics related to teaching and education. They talk about their inspiration to teach, their teaching methods, and how they continue to improve on their teaching techniques. This is an educational book for teachers to hone their skills further. I found it very informative, relevant, and motivational, and I highly recommend it. 

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Click to Purchase on Amazon

 

No Attorney, Student Prisoners, Happy Ending: A Day 1 Class Story

Excerpt, Innovative College Teaching

What Happened to Steve?

My classroom syllabus says: No legal advice questions! But I still get calls from students, sometimes when it’s too late – after they have a court date.

You know how you get one phone call before you get hauled off to prison? Well, I was in the office and got this call from “Steve:”

“Help me Perry they’re taking me awaaaaaaaaaaaaay!”

I’m like:

“Where the heck are youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?”

“The DeKalb Detention Center.”

Yeah. So I had a night class. After my night class at 10 o’clock at night, I’m on the highway getting off at Memorial Drive and there’s a McDonald’s, a Dunkin’, and a huge building with people banging on the window screaming:

“Get me outta here!”

And I walk in there with my squeaky voice:

“Uh, I’m here to see my student.”

And they’re like:

“You’re just a lowly prof; get outta here.”

So I fumble around in my wallet looking for an attorney Bar card, and I find a CVS card, a Costco card, a ticket to the Vatican, and finally I find the right one.

They put me in this bright white room with a huge window overlooking the jail. And by the way, it’s a very clean facility if you’re looking to visit or even stay for a bit. So anyway they bring out my student, on the other side of the glass, in his orange jumpsuit and handcuffed and he is sitting there and he is really, really looking distraught.

Now remember I told you my experience is as a commercial litigator. I never did criminal law so my knowledge of that is from TV. So I drew off that experience, and I put my hand up on the glass with my fingers spread apart.

And Steve’s looking at it. And looking at it. And I don’t move an inch.

And then he put his hand on mine and smiled!

The TV hand thing works!

Why do I tell students this story on the first day of class?

Here’s what my student did. He was driving excessively, over 100 miles an hour. He got a ticket for reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor. Here was his real crime: Being young, goofy, and showing up to court without an attorney. The judge threw him in jail for ten days. If he had an attorney, what likely would’ve happened was some kind of plea deal with no prison time.

So now here he is sitting in jail and I had to get him a criminal attorney that he’d have to pay a whole lot more than if he had one in the first place. That attorney somehow got him out in three days.

In this class, we discuss when you need an attorney and when you do not need an attorney. Before a problem gets really big, that’s when you need an attorney. And we will talk about a lot of those scenarios. We’ll talk about you as a businessperson, but we’ll also talk about your rights as an individual, and how to apply the law to each situation.

And be careful, since the judge has a lot of power. Always remember: It’s good to be the judge.

What Happened to Betty?

Another time, my student, “Betty,” was arrested after attending a Tone Lōc concert. She unknowingly wound up as a passenger in an allegedly stolen vehicle. The next morning, I received a phone call from Betty’s grandmother asking me to bail out her granddaughter.

After getting the cash from grandma, I went to the county jail where the guard took me to a dim and dank holding cell. I was looking all lawyerly with my blue pinstripe suit and sharp leather shoes and briefcase. Another guard escorted Betty into the cell. Her hair was disheveled, a stiletto was missing from one shoe, and she looked frazzled. I said:

“Betty, we have two options, I could get you out of here now, or” – as I reached into my briefcase – “right now, you can take the Midterm Exam that you missed last week.”

Betty’s reaction?

“Get me the frick out of here!”

Ninety minutes after the exam commenced, Betty was set free. I’ll let you judge for yourself how true the prior sentence is.

Always remember: It’s good to be the prof.

Takeaway

In the above anecdotes, I am not suggesting that college professors show up to jail at 10:00 p.m. or at a grandma’s home in the wee hours of the morning. Rather, my point is to let students know that they can contact you in an emergency to guide them to appropriate help and resources.

Listen to this Story

The Steve story can be viewed on my YouTube channel @Perry_Binder. (3-minute clip)

Excerpt, Innovative College Teaching (Chapter 1 Appendix)

Importance of the First Day of Class (Innovative College Teaching)

Chapter 1 Excerpt

On the first day of class, I arrive at the classroom before students get there. As you can see in the pic, I place index cards at each seat. (Most of my classrooms are not this fancy:)

Icebreaker to Start Class

On the doc cam, I display the first page of the syllabus, which asks students to fill out the Index Cards with:

- Name

- Favorite movie or TV show dealing with LAW

- Law topic of interest

This is my icebreaker. I do this in class sizes ranging from 35-120 students. It gets students talking before the content. After I collect the cards, I start with:

“Welcome everyone to [fill in the class]. My name is Perry Binder and I’ll give you my background after I meet each of you.”

            Then, one by one, I’ll read the name and movie or TV show and topic of interest, with a chance for the student to elaborate. There is more than enough time in a 75-minute class to personally address each index card, up to 60 students. I’m unable to do that in classes of 120 students, but I’ll still read aloud the movie or TV show from every index card. When I find interesting ones or ones I’ve never heard of, I’ll look for those students and ask them questions.

In a class of 45 students, the icebreaker takes about 20 minutes.

Once I’m done with the index cards, I’ll re-mention my name and give them my background, where I grew up, went to college and law school, where I practiced law, how I got into teaching, when I got to this institution, the classes I teach, and the interactions I have in the professional community. Next, I ask the following questions:

“Is this anyone’s first semester at this college?”

“Is anyone here a graduating senior?”

“Is there anyone here who doesn’t know one person in this room?”

To the first question, I offer a sincere welcome; for the second, I lead the class in a round of applause for those people; and for the third, I tell students that we are taking a five-minute break for you to speak with the individuals next to you, and maybe exchange contact information for notes missed in the future. The once-silent classroom becomes loud and joyous.

* * *

Other than developing a rapport with students, I have an ulterior motive for the index card exercise, which unfolds all semester long: Hollywood portrays law cases that are neatly wrapped up in an hour or two, while the reality is much different. I attempt to demystify the legal process by showing how it is slow and easily manipulated, with mixed results for parties to a lawsuit.

Click Here for Innovative College Teaching on Amazon