Sparking and Sustaining Engagement
The theme of our 2024 UW Teaching and Learning Conference focused on Sparking and Sustaining Engagement. As educators, we strive to ignite a passion for learning in our students and cultivate their curiosity. But what can we do to spark and sustain engagement for ourselves as instructors? Leading up to the conference, we heard from instructors who have found ways to re-ignite and/or enhance their own passion for teaching allowing them to continue investing energy in designing stimulating learning activities and environments for their students. The common thread amongst the speakers included a focus on collaboration, fostering community with colleagues and students, and bringing our authentic selves to the classroom to foster a trusting and supportive learning environment.
By continuously exploring new methods, infusing personal passions, and fostering a dynamic learning environment, instructors can rekindle and sustain their passion for teaching while inspiring students to engage, inquire, and thrive in their educational journey.
The sessions created a community where we shared how we might spark and sustain engagement in our own learning and teaching journey.
Infusing personal passion: human-nature connection
In this session, Steffanie Scott shared how she re-ignited her passion for teaching by integrating her interest in human-nature reconnection into her courses in Environment.
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Cultivating a Supportive Community: collaborating, co-designing, co-teaching
In this session, we looked at the positive impact that co-designing, co-teaching, and collaborating on a course had for 2 instructors and 2 staff members. In Fall 2023, School of Public Health instructors Diane Williams and Jennifer Yessis co-taught a course they’d co-designed together in collaboration with Tania del Matto and Erin Hogan (United College, Green House). The collaboration made for an exciting and engaging experience not only for the students but also for the instructors and their collaborators.
Learn more about the Hlth 480 course
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Examples of student portfolios from the Hlth 480 class ( shared with students’ permission).
Connecting with Students and Instructors
In this session, Matt Borland (Systems Design Engineering) shared some of the work he’d done with students that has helped him spark curiosity and sustain engagement in his own teaching and learning journey. Examples include his LITE Grant funded work “Emergent Encounters Action Project” (with Craig Fortier, Social Development Studies), and connecting with students in the Sky Garden and through craft and music sessions.
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