Creating the Path to Success in the Classroom

<p>This is a book for all faculty who are concerned with promoting the persistence of all students whom they teach.Most recognize that faculty play a major role in student retention and success because they typically have more direct contact with students than others on campus. However, little attention has been paid to role of the faculty in this specific mission or to the corresponding characteristics of teaching, teacher-student interactions, and connection to student affairs activities that lead to students’ long-term engagement, to their academic success, and ultimately to graduation.At a time when the numbers of underrepresented students – working adults, minority, first-generation, low-income, and international students – is increasing, this book, a companion to her earlier Teaching Underprepared Students, addresses that lack of specific guidance by providing faculty with additional evidence-based instructional practices geared toward reaching all the students in their classrooms, including those from groups that traditionally have been the least successful, while maintaining high standards and expectations.Recognizing that there are no easy answers, Kathleen Gabriel offers faculty ideas that can be incorporated in, or modified to align with, faculty’s existing teaching methods. She covers topics such as creating a positive and inclusive course climate, fostering a community of learners, increasing engagement and students’ interactions, activating connections with culturally relevant material, reinforcing self-efficacy with growth mindset and mental toughness techniques, improving lectures by building in meaningful educational activities, designing reading and writing assignments for stimulating deep learning and critical thinking, and making grade and assessment choices that can promote learning.</p> <p>Foreword by Stephen Carroll 1. Retention, Persistence, and Success. Clarifying the Challenge 2. Class Climate. Widening the Circle for a Diverse Student Body 3. The First Month of the Semester. Engage, Connect, and Commit 4. Motivation and Attitudes. Impact of Mindsets and Mental Toughness Attributes 5. Interactive Lectures. Using Meaningful Educational Activities 6. Reading Assignments and Class Discussions. Stimulate Deeper Learning 7. Writing Assignments. Promote Critical Thinking and Writing 8. Resilience, Habits, and Persistence. Hold Fast and See It Through Epilogue Appendices References About the Author Index</p>