Teaching Vocational Exploration in the Biology Classroom
Prince Agbedanu (March 27, 2024)
“The title of this post may make you pause, first to consider what it means to teach vocational exploration in biology, and then to consider how it could be done in your courses. In the undergraduate biology classroom, you may have to explain the expansive meaning of vocation as well as give students a reason to explore vocation ‘at this time and in this place.’ Most students in biology seem either to be undecided about what to do next or to have pre-determined ideas, such as attending medical school. For this reason, we might be tempted not to consider other vocational opportunities that could resonate with the students’ natural talents.”
Vocation in the World Language Classroom
Kiki Kosnick (March 14, 2024)
“The language classroom provides ample occasion to cultivate vocational reflection. As a lifelong learner and educator with over 15 years of experience teaching French, I can attest to the ways in which language acquisition is inextricable from learning about ourselves, crafting our stories, connecting with others, and discerning how to live an intentional life. Take the example of a beginning language program, in which courses are commonly structured around topics of everyday relevance such as friends and family, education and professions, pastimes, and holidays and traditions. Self-reflection and self-authorship are embedded in the program because learning a language is, in effect, learning to live, communicate, and move in the world in and through this language.”
Assessing Character Strengths: Resources from Positive Psychology
Samantha Brown (March 11, 2024)
“Before starting my first semester as a professor, my department held a retreat that included discussion of our results from the VIA Inventory of Strengths (also called the VIA Survey). To my relief, my top strengths included love of learning, curiosity, and teamwork—all excellent characteristics of a new academic. They also included love and humor, however, and even though those felt accurate, I cringed with dismay. As someone who falls prey to imposter syndrome (see my previous blog post), these characteristics seemed unprofessional and “fluffy.” I didn’t want to be seen as a joker or not rigorous. Since that retreat six years ago, I have learned that these two strengths are invaluable to my work. My compassion is evident to my students, and my humor can appropriately bring levity to even challenging situations… Part of our work as educators is to help students recognize and appreciate their natural strengths so that they can share them with others.”