Faculty Insights

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Polling for disagreement

“I establish and acknowledge the diversity of perspectives through anonymous live polling. I present a controversial scenario and have students answer a question about it on PollEverywhere, and then I share the results. The first thing I always say is, “Look at the distribution of opinions — every option from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’ is populated in the room by your classmates, so be aware that you as a class disagree.” I think that helps diffuse the tension and makes for a more interesting discussion knowing that different points of view are represented.”
Headshot of Kate Casey
Katherine CaseyProfessor of Political Economy

Find more tips for discussing controversial topics and teaching during an election season.

Shared Summer 2024

Engaging students’ expertise

“I identify two or three students in advance to speak up in class based on their professional background. But I don’t want to put them on the spot. So one of the things I might say is, ‘There is enough expertise in this classroom to give some examples of these concepts. Is there anyone here who has worked at Microsoft?’ — even though I know who in the class has worked at Microsoft. If that person raises their hand, I’ll invite them to share with the class.”
Headshot of Baba Shiv
Baba ShivThe Sanwa Bank, Limited, Professor of Marketing

Find more tips for leading effective discussions.

Shared Summer 2024

Engaging students in discussion

“I've learned that you can ask a question and just wait for 10 seconds. You don't have to immediately call on somebody. You can let people think and percolate, because somebody may take a few seconds to formulate a response in their mind and raise their hand. That could be the reason a student isn't participating.”
Neil Malhotra
Neil MalhotraEdith M. Cornell Professor of Political Economy

Find more tips for leading effective discussions

Shared Spring 2024

Exciting first days

“Especially on the first day, I take time to remind myself of peak moments in the classroom and the things that I love about teaching. It gets me into a generous frame of mind. I become really excited to be in the classroom, and students can see that right away.”
Headshot of Deborah Gruenfeld
Deborah GruenfeldThe Joseph McDonald Professor and Professor of Organizational Behavior

Find more tips for getting started.

Shared Spring 2024

Welcoming students

“As students arrive, I greet them and talk to them, just to connect and make them feel welcome. I look for students who are quieter, or who I know might have struggled with an issue in the previous class. And if there are any connections to be made --- maybe there was a football game on campus and I know a few different students who went --- I'll try to facilitate interactions between students.”
Matt Abrahams
Matt AbrahamsLecturer in Organizational Behavior

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Shared Winter 2024

AI and writing

“I encourage the use of ChatGPT for ideas but warn that, like taking your hands off the wheel of a Tesla, taking your fingers off the keyboard can lead to bad things: cold, impersonal writing that won't be well received. The students experimented with ChatGPT and I even asked one student to teach a short session on how to use it last winter. Then, in the spring, we did a half-hour session on how to use ChatGPT to improve one's writing, which we expanded into a full session this fall.”
Glenn Kramon
Glenn KramonLecturer in Management

Find more tips for adapting your course in the AI era.

Shared Autumn 2023