Anatomy of an Essay

by Lynn Huang, English
I realized that students did not understand the difference between evidence and analysis in their own writing….I introduced the idea that we can “dissect” and analytically color-code an essay in order to make its internal structure visible, and to determine what makes it an effective (or ineffective) paper.

Bringing Concepts to Life through Field Trips

by Allison Kidder, Environmental Science, Policy, & Management
I needed to find another way to help bring these concepts to life for my students. I recalled learning most intently when seeing examples of each concept out in the field in their unique spatial and temporal context. Using a little imagination and the wide variety of UC Berkeley’s campus resources available to us, I devised a series of field trips for my students on weeks they were learning new concepts. We traveled all over campus.

Language Pedagogy as a Group Effort

by Rahul Bjørn Parson, South and Southeast Asian Studies
I had learned while teaching South Asian language and literature courses that all my students come with different experiences and abilities and varying knowledge of the region and culture; and that often the best pedagogical method is to empower the students to teach each other.

Teaching Students How to Create a Picture Worth a Thousand Words

by Julie Ullman, Molecular and Cell Biology
Precision in language is an unspoken tenet of scientific disciplines, and it is fair to have strict requirements for that in exams. Yet the question arose: How could I help to level the achievement gap between students who worked in science and had extensive, confident scientific lexicons and those who didn’t, while at the same time challenging everyone?

The Theory Scare: Teaching Students How to Grasp Abstract Ideas

by Polina Dimova, Comparative Literature
I needed to teach my students to trace complicated theoretical arguments and pinpoint and articulate the concepts that underlay them. I had to empower my students through theory and not let them despair by succumbing to the theory scare, to their assumption that theory is just too tough and they just don’t get it.

Making the Connections: Dissecting Fatty Acid Biosynthesis

by Nicholas Stephanopoulos, Chemistry
As a GSI, I fell back on the question that has guided me through countless teaching experiences: when I was trying to learn this topic, what did I wish a GSI had told me to make it truly click in my mind? What allowed me to break past the memorization barrier to deeper understanding?

The Power of Observation ‘in situ’ (By Proxy)

by Justin Underhill, History of Art
After 20 minutes of excited measurement and discussion, the groups disbanded and I led a very successful discussion about San Francesco della Vigna. Students challenged one another and made observations that I had not noticed. I always know I have succeeded when my students teach me how to look anew.

Drawing to Learn: One Way to Teach to Multiple Learning Styles

by Laurel Westbrook, Sociology
In order to give every student the chance to learn, I always try to present important concepts in multiple ways. In my seven semesters of teaching, I have found that drawing concepts and theories has been the teaching technique that reaches the largest number of students.

Interaction and Integration: How to Teach Students with Varying Expertise

by Robert Held, Bioengineering
My goals were to gauge the students’ comprehension of the material, provide an assessment of the professor’s effectiveness for the class as a whole, and help everyone understand the concepts more thoroughly. I adopted a three-tier solution to the issue of uneven experience. Brief quizzes, multimedia presentations, and interactive study sessions were employed.

Finding Ways that Everyone can Contribute, Creatively: Using Visual Learning Techniques and Small Group Exercises to Promote Cooperative Learning

by Kenneth Haig, Political Science
The most difficult problem I faced was how to teach both the Japan-specific and broad theoretical aims of the course to students who were at best familiar with only one part or the other…The solution I settled on was to try to find applications for visual learning techniques and small group discussions wherever I could.