Teaching Tools is dedicated to the intersections between pedagogy, ethnography, and anthropology. The section is a growing resource for instructors, teaching assistants, and students, with everything from discussion guides and in-class activities to critically minded reflections on the practice, politics, and poetics of teaching anthropology, whether inside the academy or in alternative settings.
Preparing Your Teaching Demonstration
A teaching demonstration is one of the most important parts of a job interview at a teaching-focused university, small liberal arts college, or community colleg... More
Why Don't Students Read?
I once dismissed a class because no one had done the reading. I was teaching a lower-division course called “Peoples and Cultures of Africa,” and for two weeks ... More
Crafting a Statement of Teaching Philosophy
A statement of teaching philosophy is the cornerstone of any teaching portfolio and is required for most academic job applications. But it is often a challengin... More
It’s In the Syllabus
“What did we cover in class last week? What’s your late homework policy? When are your office hours? How will my grade be computed?” Jorge Chan’s PhD Comics str... More
On the Same Side: Crafting Humane Course Policies
It’s that time of the year again, at least on the University of California’s quarter system. As spring courses draw to a close and graduation ceremonies approac... More
Lessons for Learning-Centered Course Design
A favorite joke in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) community is based on one of Bud Blake’s comic strips. Tiger, the titular character, is talki... More
Teaching the Anthropology of Dance
Cultural Anthropology has published a number of research articles about dance, including Sally A. Ness’ “Originality in the Postcolony: Choreographing the Neoet... More
First Day Activity: Ten Things You Believe to be True
The first day of class is often a challenge for new instructors. After addressing the inevitable logistical issues (e.g., enrollment, the syllabus, access to co... More
Teaching Resources Round-Up
At the most recent annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in Denver, I presented on and attended several panels focused on teaching-re... More
Teaching and Learning in Anthropology
Hello! I’m excited to be serving as the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence for the Teaching Tools section of the Cultural Anthropology website. I have been teaching... More