Dear STP ECP Committee,

I missed the Annual Conference on Teaching this year but I would love to hear more about it and know if it’s possible to access any of the posters or presentations that I missed? 

Please inform,

Missed Out

Dear Missed Out,

Have no fear! Although the conference is over, a lot of programming is still available to you online! And, if you are in the middle of midterms and grading, the good news is you can continue to view all of the content until October of 2023 so feel free to put this on your winter break or even summer to-do list! If you didn’t register for the conference you’ll need to do that to access the online content so register here. Online registration is only $25 for STP members (or $50 for non-members but includes STP membership). For ECPs that attended the conference in person, note that you get free access to the online program as part of your registration (so check your email for the conference link!). 

Those who register can browse all of the programming on the conference website. In particular, you can find 

• On-site recordings of some of the in-person conference presentations

• Resource folders for many of the presentations and posters (both online and in-person)

• On-demand virtual posters

• On-demand virtual presentations

Your ECP Committee was busy providing a variety of programming and networking opportunities for ECPs at the conference! At the in-person conference we hosted an ECP dinner, social, and a speed mentoring event (which allowed ECPs to get advice from 6 of our 13 mentors representing diverse perspectives and career stages). We also ran a workshop titled, “Learn It, Share It, Plan It, Bring It: Building an Innovative Teaching Toolkit for ECPs.” If you missed this workshop, fear not! You can find a copy of our presentation, a list of resources, and a worksheet for thinking through these strategies on the conference webpage!

JOIN US!

If learning more about the conference or viewing the materials has you feeling inspired to join us next year, mark your calendars now for our next ACT conference which will be held in Portland, Oregon October 5th-7th, 2023. If you are an ECP looking to get more involved in STP, consider applying to join the ECP committee! This is a great opportunity to really get to know people within the STP organization and serve your colleagues by providing resources and programming geared towards ECPs. Applications are due November 16th! See additional details below.

We can’t wait to connect with you all at next year’s ACT in Portland! Until then, we will be busy digesting all of these great resources online!

Sincerely,

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Amanda Woodward, Ph.D.

Dear ECP Committee,

I will be attending the STP Conference in-person for the first time this year. I’ve been to ACT virtually, but I don’t know what to expect from the face-to-face format. Do you have any advice on how an ECP should spend her time?

-Conference Rookie

Dear Conference Rookie,

What a timely question! The ACT program this year is fantastic, so make sure you explore the full schedule. However, here are a few activities that we would recommend for a first time ECP attendee (or any ECP!).

Thursday

Socialize at the Opening Night ACT Welcome Reception

·        Thursday from 5:00-6:30 pm in the Omni William Penn Hotel (Three Rivers Room on the William Penn level)

·        This is a great opportunity to network with colleagues and other conference attendees. All are welcome! And if you don’t know anyone, come find us and introduce yourself!

Friday

Visit the ECP table

·        Chat with your ECP committee members, sign-up to have dinner with fellow ECPs, and get some ECP swag!

·        We are looking for two new ECP committee members! If you want to join the committee, feel free to stop by and ask questions!

Interact with colleagues at the Poster Session

·        Friday 4:30-6:00 pm in the Sternwheeler and Riverboat rooms (William Penn Level)

·        Many of your fellow ECPs will present their research at this time - a great way to meet colleagues and see some of the latest SoTL research!

·        There will be prizes for exceptional ECP posters: First Prize $250, Second Prize $150, Third Prize $100 (this includes the virtual poster session, as well)

Sign-up for dinner with members of the ECP committee

·        Friday from 6:30-8:30 pm at The Yard

·        Learn about opportunities with the ECP committee and connect with other ECPs in a casual setting

·        Appetizers for each table are on us! Space is limited (20 people), so make sure to sign up at the registration table starting Friday morning.

Saturday

Attend the professional development workshop presented by your ECP committee:

·        Learn It, Share It, Plan It, Bring It: Building an Innovative Teaching Toolkit for ECPs from 8:30-10:30 am in the Carnegie III room (Conference Floor)

Participate in the ECP Speed Mentoring Event

·        This is completely FREE and takes place 5:30 - 7:30 pm in the Frick Room (Conference Level). Connect with mentors in the field!

·        You will have the option to continue the conversation over appetizers and drinks at the ECP Social Hour afterward.

·        Interested? We are still accepting registration for mentees! Register here

Join us for the ECP Social Hour

·        Meet up with us for one last ECP get together at Forbe’s Tavern from 8-10pm. The ECP committee will provide appetizers, drinks, and excellent company.

Whatever ACT events you choose, we are confident you will have many opportunities for professional development and networking. We look forward to seeing you at these activities and other scheduled events. Feel free to come say hi to any of us at any time during the conference. We’d love to meet you!

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D.

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Amanda Woodward, Ph.D.

ECP Member Spotlight: Ciara Kidder, Ph.D.

What is an ECP?

An ECP is a faculty member who is within ten years of starting their career. I am starting my 6th year of full-time teaching, and I believe regardless of the length of time someones been teaching, there are always new things to learn and ways to evolve as an instructor.

How did you get involved in STP?

I joined STP when I was a graduate teaching assistant. I loved teaching and quickly realized that I wanted it to be my focus after graduation. I had a friend who had been to the National Institute of Teaching in Psychology, so I began looking for other teaching focused opportunities at conferences and online. 

What is a challenge you faced as an ECP?

A challenge I faced as an ECP was learning how to say no to something. I enjoy being a part of different groups on campus and teaching a lot of classes, but these can’t be done at the same time. Every committee takes time away from teaching so striking a balance between serving the university in some way and focusing on teaching is so important to be able to do. I also think that as an ECP it's intimidating to say no to something on the chance that it might be something that helps your tenure application (if you are tenure track). I don’t think I necessarily have this figured out yet.

What does being an ECP in STP mean to you?

Being an ECP in STP means that I have opportunities to connect with other ECPs. This opens so many doors to talk with others who are going through similar situations or asking similar questions. 

What advice would you give to newer ECPs?

It’s okay to change your mind. Whether it’s about a job you thought you wanted, a committee you joined, a class you designed, or a writing group you joined. If you assess your goals and your capacity and something no longer serves you, you don’t owe people your time and energy. Should you be respectful and courteous to others if changing your mind impacts them, yes; and there’s a lot of different ways to do this depending on what it is. Be willing to adapt and evolve as you go through life and career! 

What is an interesting fact about you?

I have spent two summers coaching in our local soccer kids program. After playing youth soccer as a kid, I wanted to provide the experience to others. Even though I have worked with 6/7 year olds, I apply some of the things I’ve learned as a teacher to help manage a team and teach skills! 

What is next after being an ECP?

I hope to continue to be involved in STP as part of different committees and perhaps in different leadership roles. There are so many opportunities to serve and the Get Involved page on the website is updated regularly. 

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Amanda Woodward, Ph.D.

ECP Member Spotlight: Albee Mendoza

What is an ECP?

An ECP is a faculty member who is within ten years of starting their career. I am in my 7th year of full-time teaching, and I believe I still have so much to learn about being an effective teacher of psychology.

How did you get involved in STP?

I joined STP when I was a graduate teaching assistant. I did not know where to start in terms of course preparation. When I discovered the Project Syllabus page on STP website, I voraciously looked through different syllabi to get ideas on readings, assignments, and activities.

What is a challenge you faced as an ECP?

As an ethnic minority woman, I was looking for ways to incorporate issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity in my courses. In my institution, I had senior colleagues who dissuaded me from following through on ideas (e.g., partnering with local agencies to include service learning activities, having community/student leaders be guest speakers, publishing works with undergraduate authors). I had to find avenues and find advocates to support me, which took trust and time.

What does being an ECP in STP mean to you?

In terms of my own involvement in STP, I believe junior faculty need to have a voice when it comes to issues of professional development, work/life balance, and teaching effectiveness. In my time in STP overall, I volunteered on several committees including the Partnerships Small Grants Committee, Teaching Awards Committee, and am currently on the ECP Committee. As part of the STP ECP Committee, I have met amazing colleagues from all over the world, written newsletters for our column, and presented workshops at ACT. I also contribute to the ECP Corner Blog and the ECP page on the STP website. My greatest achievement so far in this committee is being in an APA panel with ECPs from Division 16 and Division 33. That opportunity paved the way for collaborative presentations in future APA conventions!

What advice would you give to newer ECPs?

It certainly gets overwhelming being new to an institution, learning the culture, knowing who to trust all while preparing courses that are engaging, especially in light of the pandemic and rising gas prices. In terms of teaching, my main pieces of advice would be to segment lectures into increments and end those increments with review questions or an activity. Another would be to incorporate visualization tools as much as possible to support learning of material (e.g., timelines, flow charts, Venn diagrams). In terms of navigating the cultural landscape, I would advise newer ECPs to find a support network within your institution of like-minded individuals and work collaboratively to implement goals (e.g., participating in new employee orientation events, attending Happy Hour held by the Center for Teaching and Learning in your institution, being involved in learning management system workshops). I would also recommend participating in mentoring programs in your institution and/or at STP to engage in deep conversations about imposter syndrome, professional identity, and self-care. The Mentoring Services page on the STP website was a wonderful resource for me.

What is an interesting fact about you?

I play the Island Princess as part of Pursuit for Peace, a nonprofit organization made up of volunteers who dress up as fairytale characters to spread joy and magic to medically vulnerable children. Notably, I include my involvement in this organization in my annual evaluation as part of service.

What is next after being an ECP?

I hope to continue to be involved in STP as part of different committees and perhaps in different leadership roles. There are so many opportunities to serve and the Get Involved page on the website is updated regularly.

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D.

Hello STP ECP Committee!

As an ECP, I am often asked to teach summer classes. I agree to teach these classes due to the motivation of boosting my teaching skills as well as enhancing my portfolio. With less traffic on campus and with the onset of warmer temperatures, what are some ideas to make summer classes more interesting and engaging?

Looking for Sum-mer (some more, get it?!) Activities

Thank you so much for your question! Being an ECP, I (Albee) taught summer classes for some of the reasons that you outlined as well as my own ambition of doing something different in my teaching practices (since the classes are longer in duration, are on an accelerated schedule, and there are often less students enrolled). Taking advantage of the weather that summer brings, I incorporated nature-based activities in my in-person as well as online classes.

Benefits of nature

Research consistently demonstrates that there are cognitive, physiological, and emotional benefits to being in green spaces and blue spaces (Clay, 2001). For those of us who wear masks indoors during class time, going outside may be a way to see our students’ faces as well as breathe in fresh air. Nature therapy or ecotherapy is a growing field within clinical and mental health counseling, emphasizing the need for physical movement and exposure to multisensory experiences (Fisher, 2021). The effects on mood, attention, and self-reflection apply even with just images of nature (Weir, 2020). Thus, as teachers of psychology (TOPs), we can incorporate nature-based activities in our in-person classes as well as our online classes.

Impact on instructors

For TOPs, on our end, it may take a little more time and planning since we will not be able to have our slides or a chalkboard accessible (unless you are fortunate enough to utilize an outdoor classroom!). However, these outdoor activities, if done early enough in the semester, sets up the course for active learning in which students (vs. instructors) find and then evaluate information (Butler et al., 2001). Active learning can include a range of activities, such as small group learning simulations, and skills on learning how to learn. For example, in my Introduction to Psychology course, students completed readings and videos on the lobes of the brain in preparation for a certain class. We meet outside in the nearby parking lot, which is surrounded by grass, trees, and shrubs, and I ask them to get with their Psych Pals groups to discuss the concepts they read about. Then, I ask each group to draw their own cerebral cortex (large enough to stand in) with the four lobes on the ground with chalk. We then review concepts based on their preparation (e.g., “Stand on the lobe of the brain that directs speech production). We complete this activity with chalk in classes centering on a variety of concepts (e.g., the parts of the neuron, the process of synaptic transmission, the inner structures of the brain, operant conditioning principles, etc.).

Impact on personal and professional experiences (from actual students)

·        I incorporated more nature-focused activities to my daily life by doing my homework or studying outside more and going to the park for walks more often.

·        I started a daily journal and while I write, I sit next to a plant and breathe in the natural scent.

·        I started planting herbs and helping my parents with their garden. One major thing that we are doing as a family is planting trees at our local park.

·        I am walking more, meaning walk to all my classes now instead of driving.

·        For Spring Break, I did more outdoor activities: going for hikes, going in the backyard, and laying a blanket, taking walks around the neighborhood, and riding bikes near wooded/forest areas.

Ideas for nature-based activities

·        Reserving your institution’s outdoor classroom to hold a full or a part of a class session

·        Having class outdoors (the frequency can vary depending on class needs) and if virtual, instruct students to be outside and show their screens and/or utilize outdoor backgrounds (e.g., beach, forest)

·        Taking a class picture of everyone being outdoors

·        Walking around campus or their local neighborhood (if online) and finding sit spots in green or blue spaces to talk with classmates, do schoolwork, or read articles

·        Completing a class field trip to get out of the classroom and engage with nature (e.g., visiting an organization specializing in equine therapy)

·        Doing a scavenger hunt or Bingo based on class concepts around campus or their neighborhood (e.g., take a picture of an item used by an individual in the early childhood developmental period)

·        Conduct a brief research study by having students take a pre-test on stress or concentration or memory, hold class outdoors in nature, and then take a post-test and discuss the results

·        Incorporate walk-talk sessions at the beginning or end of class. For example, in a 15-minute walk as a class, partners could be assigned, and discussion questions prepared so the students are engaged when walking

·        Having a game day and asking students to demonstrate actions (e.g., fine motor skills vs. gross motor skills) and relate them to concepts learned in class

·        Drawing hopscotch squares with A, B, C, or D choices and having students step on the square that corresponds to their answer

·        Drawing a line and writing True on one side and False on the other side and having students step quickly to the side that corresponds to their answer

The above list of nature-based activities may need more thought and consideration depending on how hot or cold temperatures can get in the summer months where you teach, how many students are enrolled in your classes, whether you and/or your students need physical accommodations, etc. What do you think about these ideas? How might you incorporate these activities in your future classes? We would love to hear any nature-based teaching activities that have worked well for you and your students!

Resources

Butler, A., Phillmann, K. B., & Smart, L. (2001). Active learning within a lecture: Assessing the impact of short, in-class writing exercises. Teaching of Psychology, 28, 257–259. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328023TOP2804_04

Clay, R. (April 2001). Green in good for you. American Psychological Association, Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/apr01/greengood

Fisher, C. (Winter 2021). Nature therapy: Movement and mental health for kids. Eye on Psi Chi, Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye26.2.28

Weir, K. (April 2020). Nurtured by nature. American Psychological Association, Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

Planning for the Summer Months

Dear ECPs,

Although our university just had Spring Break last month, many of us (educators) are already starting to talk about our plans for the summer. With a 9-month position, how do you plan your summer to balance prep work and personal time?

Sincerely,

Summer Planner

Dear Summer Planner,

What a fantastic question! We don’t blame you for already thinking ahead to your summer plans. Given that much of our academic work is compressed into a 9-month timeline, we agree that thinking a “semester ahead” can help us plan for productive and restorative summers. The following ideas might help you organize your plans for the summer.

Relax and Restore (Self-Care)

You’ve been teaching during an on-going pandemic where student mental health issues are substantial, you might be juggling increased family/personal demands, and you’ve been asked to take on more responsibilities as an ECP. We wanted to start this column with an essential recommendation for the summer – Take Care of Yourself.

• ·        Some research suggests that early career faculty might be at a higher risk for burnout when compared with middle and late career faculty (Blix et al., 1994; Gonzalez & Bernard, 2006). Consequently, it seems imperative that we (ECPs) check-in on our own well-being and the well-being of our ECP colleagues. There are a number of articles and books containing self-care tips. However, here are some of our favorite (and often forgotten) suggestions:

·        Schedule and guard your self-care time during the summer. This is your opportunity to decompress and reconnect with your interests or hobbies. If you are asked to serve on a student thesis or service committee over the summer, ask yourself: Does this opportunity align with my professional goals? Does this opportunity impede on my self-care time?

·        Reconnect with your family and friends. Does anyone else feel like they’ve lost touch with family or friends during the pandemic? Reschedule those monthly “lunch dates'' with a friend or send a quick social media message to a family member.

·        Take care of your physical needs. You should catch-up on sleep, engage in nutritious meal planning, and/or start a new exercise routine in the warm weather. Summer schedules often allow for more flexibility in starting or stopping our healthy/unhealthy habits.

Teaching Prep

Like many of us, you likely have an overflowing desktop folder with innovative teaching activities and course ideas that you have not yet been able to implement. If you don’t already have one of these folders, consider checking out some of the recent resources from STP:

·        Teaching Tips: A Compendium of Conference Presentations on Teaching (2020-2021)

·        Teaching Psychology Online

·        Psychological Myths, Mistruths, and Misconceptions

·        E-xcellence in Teaching essays

·        APA’s Introductory Psychology Initiative

The summer gives us ample time to revise and revamp our regular courses. For example, I (Christina) am really excited to be overhauling my Introductory Psychology course based on some of the new Introductory Psychology Initiative recommendations. If you have one of these folders, schedule some of your summertime to re-introduce yourself to the fun course ideas that you’ve gathered.

Catch up on Research

Do you also have a folder of research that you’ve been intending to read through? You might allocate some of your summertime for a review of recent research publications. If you have a stack of unread Teaching of Psychology or Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology publications, take a few days to indulge in contemporary research that can inform your teaching.

Are you hoping to contribute to the research in our field? Or perhaps you have a new teaching idea that hasn’t yet been represented in the current research? Some of your summer schedule might include preparation of a new SoTL study for implementation in the Fall. I (Christina) often find that the summer gives me enough time to dig into some of the prior literature on a topic, brainstorm a new SoTL study, and then prepare my IRB materials for a Fall submission. This allows me to conduct my research in the early Fall or prepare for a Spring semester data collection period.

Plan for Academic Year Service

Some of the best advice that I (Christina) ever received about service was: Choose service commitments that you are excited about. To effectively use this advice, I often need to take inventory of my current commitments to assess whether these activities still align with my professional goals. I also make a list of potential service positions for the upcoming academic year, ensuring that I don’t “miss out” on an upcoming call for a rare editorial position, APA committee, or STP committee position. Your summer schedule may give you time to start thinking ahead for these service roles.

Many of us look forward to our summer off-season as a time to self-reflect, catch-up, and take a much needed breath after a busy semester. We strongly encourage you to take care of yourself (first) before you consider tackling some of your neglected academic to-do lists. Once you’re feeling refreshed, you can start preparing for the next academic year.

Ask an ECP! Submit a question for a future column.

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D.

Christina Shane-Simpson, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Dear ECPs,

I have been hearing more and more about the use of OER textbooks and resources –but what does that really mean and why might I want to look into these?

Sincerely,

OER Investigator

Dear OER Investigator, 

OER stands for “Open Educational Resource” and refers to freely available educational materials that typically do not carry traditional copyright constraints so they can be shared, modified, and used freely. OER resources are growing in popularity as a way to ensure education is open and available to all. 

Benefits of Using OER Resources: 

There are several benefits of using OER resources. For one, they are free to students! Beyond saving your students some money, they can also ensure every student in your class has access to course materials. Students often avoid buying textbooks as a way to save money or just because they simply can’t afford them. By utilizing OER resources, that potential barrier is removed. Because OER resources are free and easy to adapt, they can also provide instructors with a lot of flexibility to mix and match different readings or materials. Our students would likely revolt if we asked them to pay for 3 or 4 textbooks just so they could get the “best” coverage from each of them. But, if materials are free, it’s easy to pick and choose the best source for coverage of a particular topic. In addition, instructors can write in their own material or edit materials to fit their course goals, providing customization that we often don’t see with traditional textbooks.

Resources for Getting Started: 

If you are interested in looking into OER, where do you start? Note that there are a wide variety of resources out there and some have been more heavily reviewed and used than others. These resources can help you get started:

*OER Commons: This website lets you search for OER content in a variety of areas and includes both lower-level and upper-level psychology course content. You can also read reviews of the various OER materials (or leave a review of your own!) and get basic information about the material (including any copyright restraints). In addition, their tool “Open Author” provides a mechanism by which you could begin creating your own OER materials.

*NOBA: NOBA offers Psychology-specific OER textbooks (including ones focused on Introductory Psychology and Social Psychology). In addition, they have a variety of modules that could be mixed together to customize your course or support other course topics in Psychology. They also offer some instructor resources (powerpoint slides, test banks, etc.)  to help support your teaching.

*OpenStax: Openstax was developed by Rice University and they offer textbooks in a variety of fields (including Psychology). Their current Psychology offering is Psychology 2e which is primarily designed as an Introduction to Psychology textbook. OpenStax also offers instructor resources and gives students the option to purchase a low-cost print textbook if they prefer holding a book over the online format.

*Rajiv Jhangiani’s Psychology OER Resource Links: Although OER is increasing in popularity, it has been around longer than you might think! In fact, Rajiv Jhangiani presented on OER at the 2014 STP Annual Conference on Teaching and provided a list of links to help Psychology instructors get started with OER. This list of resources includes not only links to popular OER textbook resources but also a variety of OER resources and tools (including videos, demonstrations, interactive online material, etc.). In addition, he has shared a video overview of OER resources in Psychology that he posted in 2018 which provides specific suggestions for content based on the areas of Psychology that you teach.

To Go OER or Not?: 

Picking course materials can always be a challenge when designing a new course (or when re-vamping an existing course). OER resources offer an accessible option that can be investigated and compared alongside traditional textbooks as you make the decision about what is best for your course and for your students. Keep in mind your course goals and examine if you can find high-quality OER materials that speak to those course goals and cover the content that you need. With OER, even if there isn’t a “perfect” resource, you might be able to mix and match a few resources to provide your students with the coverage they need. Also, keep in mind that if you don’t see an OER option that fits your class now, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t design your own OER resource in the future and share it with your fellow STP members!

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D.

Christina Shane-Simpson, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Dear ECPs,

We spend so much time and care crafting our syllabi...how can I make sure students actually read it?

Sincerely,

Syllabus Reader

Dear Syllabus Reader,

Getting students to read the syllabus is a difficulty many instructors face. And, while we as instructors know about all the important things a syllabus can hold, it can be daunting for students to face reading a 5-page (or even longer) document full of formal language and policies…especially if they aren’t even sure what a syllabus is for. Here are some ideas on helping get students informed, interested, and engaged in reading the course syllabus:

Make it interesting:

Provide students with a visually appealing syllabus! Just adding visual interest to an otherwise rather boring document means that students are more likely to check it out. You can start out simple by using a variety of document templates (like newsletters in Word or Publisher). Or take it to the next level by creating an infographic version using Canva or Piktochart. I (Ciara) love creating a “visual” version of my syllabus that allows me to be creative in displaying information to students using graphs and clip art to get the major points across. I then include links to more detailed policies and/or a plain-text syllabus, introductory videos, useful resources, etc.

Make it engaging:

If design isn’t your strong suit, you can also get students to read the syllabus by incorporating engagement with the syllabus in your class. You can lead activities in class to get students to learn what’s in the syllabus. For example, syllabus speed-dating is an activity that gets students talking with one another and diving into the syllabus to answer questions about the class. A syllabus scavenger hunt activity similarly asks students to find specific information within the syllabus in order to complete it.

If you don’t have class time to devote to getting students engaged in reading the syllabus, I have found that creating assignments related to the syllabus is useful. A syllabus quiz is an effective way to make sure students are at least aware of the most important information contained within it. In many Learning Management Systems (e.g., Moodle, Canvas) a teacher can restrict access to other course materials until a student earns a specific score on a syllabus quiz, demonstrating their understanding of important policies and what information is within the syllabus. If that’s not your style, the syllabus can also be used as an introductory or practice assignment, particularly in a class that uses new tech or repetitive weekly assignments. For example, in a class where students are asked to annotate readings each week, the first week’s assignment could be to annotate the syllabus. This serves as both a way for the student to become familiar with the task they will be doing throughout the term as well as a way to ensure that the syllabus is carefully read. Similarly, if the students write weekly journals or reflections, the first week’s assignment could focus on the syllabus.

Make it informative:

One thing I have noticed over time is that syllabi, and syllabi-language, are passed down from instructor to instructor within an institution. This is a great time-saver, but it also means that sometimes the language and structure of syllabi is formal and does not serve today’s students. We have to remember that most of our students are first-generation and from more diverse backgrounds than the students of the faculty who came before us. By changing up the language used in syllabus, it may make the information contained in it easier to read and understand, thus making students more likely to read it!

One idea to help you make your syllabus more informative is to use guided questions as headings for information. For example, instead of the formal terms related to attendance or late policies you can use questions like “Do I have to go to class?” or “Can I turn things in late” to make it very clear where students should find the answers to those questions. Similarly, you can translate the formal academic language in describing policies, assignments, etc. by adopting a “conversational tone” that not only demonstrates the care and warmth of you, the instructor, but also makes it easier to understand the information within it. Some policies are carefully written by others for inclusion into syllabi across campus, definitely include them as written, but it may also be appropriate to provide your own explanation of what is meant by that policy or provide examples. Have a plagiarism policy? Accompany that policy with a list of what plagiarism looks like in your class so it's clear what you as the instructor see as plagiarism so students can see how it applies to your assignments (this is particularly important in cases of group work, or students working together on non-group work assignments which can vary a lot from instructor to instructor).

Another idea to help make your syllabus informative, is to provide the “formal” longer syllabus but to also give a short 1-page syllabus synopsis/cheat-sheet that highlights the most important/relevant information. This is particularly great if you want to give students something tangible in class that first day, without printing off your super long syllabus. Even better, include page numbers of where more information can be found. This synopsis could include information like your email/office hours, major due dates, study suggestions, course materials, attendance/late policies (in plain language with reference to the page of the complete policy), and whatever else you think is super vital for students to know. You could even come up with a “blank” version for students to complete as part of the earlier mentioned “syllabus scavenger hunt” activity for students to complete during class and have as a cheat sheet throughout the semester!

There are a lot of ways to encourage students to read the syllabus and part of that rests in making sure students understand the purpose of the syllabus in your class and the information that it holds. Syllabi serve a different purpose to different instructors and if we want our students to know what it is for us, we have to tell them.

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D.

Christina Shane-Simpson, M.S.W., Ph.D.

The ECP has some exciting changes happening and we’re going to use this month’s ECP Corner to tell you all about them. These changes include welcoming TWO new members, Janet Peters taking on the role of ECP committee chair, and saying goodbye to three of our cherished members. We’ll also take a moment to briefly describe what we hope to accomplish in the coming year, so look out for some exciting things happening in the coming months!

New Members

Let’s take a moment to highlight the ECP Committee’s newest members: Ciara Kidder & Christina Shane-Simpson. We got great applications and it was a hard decision, but we are so excited to have two new wonderful colleagues join us. Here is a little bit about each new member!

Ciara Kidder will soon be starting a new position as an instructor in the school of Psychological Science at Oregon State University and has been actively involved with the teaching of psychology from the beginning of her career, including presenting at ACT and the National Institute for the Teaching of Psychology, and attending the STP programming at the Midwestern Psychological Association’s annual conference, the “E”ffordability Summit (focusing on open education), PsychONE, and the first Neuroscience Teaching Conference. She also founded and runs the teaching blog “The Novice Professor.”

Christina Shane-Simpson is a 4th year faculty member at the University of Wisconsin – Stout. She has served on the STP Membership Committee, the Graduate Student Teaching Association in a leadership role, as a member for the 2020 STP Diversity Task Force, and served on the leadership committee for Psi Chi Committee for International Collaborative Exchange (NICE).

We are excited to see what these two new members will bring to the ECP! Welcome Ciara and Christina! And although we were only able to accept two new members this year, we want to note that the ECP Committee will be recruiting another new member in November 2022! If you are interested in joining this wonderful team and helping your fellow ECPs, please consider applying (or re-applying) next year!

Welcome to Incoming Chair

We are excited to announce that Janet Peters will be the 2022 ECP Committee chair! Janet has been on the ECP committee for three years. Throughout her time, Janet’s main role on the committee has focused on planning and developing the ECP Committee presentations for STP’s Annual Conference on Teaching. She’s excited to be spending her last year on the committee getting to know the new members and supporting the committee’s mission to serve ECPs.

Saying Goodbye

In addition to welcoming our newest members and chair, we must also say goodbye to our outgoing members: Molly Metz, Karenna Malavanti, and Daniel Storage. As they move on to new horizons, we thought you might want to hear some of their reflections on being part of the ECP committee over the years.

Molly: The ECP committee has been an integral part of my experiences with STP since day 1 - the ECP Happy Hour at the SPSP Teaching Preconference was so welcoming and was a big part of what made me keep coming back. I decided early I wanted to be a part of it, and now I’m finishing up my third year of one of the most meaningful service opportunities of my career! One of my favourite things about this committee is having the opportunity to meet and support people at a stressful and overwhelming time, and a time when our regular networks (e.g., grad school friends) have been upturned, and a time when formal mentorships seem few and far between. It has been an absolute joy to go through this time together, with my fellow committee members and with the ECP community.

Karenna: It was such an honor to be part of this committee for the last three years. I came to this committee having just moved to a new position and with that move, so did my career trajectory. I have loved having conversations with other ECPs about my experiences on and off the tenure track in teaching-focused positions. I enjoyed meeting with other ECPs in person at teaching conferences (including ACT) pre-spring 2020 and virtually since the pandemic started. While this committee has supported me so well, I hope to continue to pay it forward to STP and other ECPs and serve in other capacities. It’s not so much a “good-bye” as much as this is a “see you later!” I can’t wait to see all of you amazing folks again when it is safe for us to gather again in-person. Don’t hesitate to say hi if you see me around!

Daniel: I have loved my time on the ECP committee, and I highly recommend anyone in the earlier stages of their career to make every effort to join in future years! Perhaps what I’ve loved most is the community—being surrounded by and forming friendships with like-minded professionals who care deeply about teaching and supporting teachers worldwide. I will miss my time on this committee, but I’m also excited for what comes next! There are always opportunities to get involved in STP, which is one of the wonderful things about it! I very much look forward to thinking through what gets me excited at this stage in my career and figuring out how I can use that motivation in the context of this community. In the meantime, I am excited to follow what the ECP committee does in my absence! See you at next year’s ACT!

What’s in store for 2022

From mentoring to (hopefully) an in-person ACT, we are planning several opportunities for ECPs to engage in networking and development. As we say goodbye to existing members and welcome new members, we invite you to be part of the process! What would you like to see from your ECP committee in 2022? What workshops, trainings, programs, or resources can we provide to help facilitate your personal and professional success? If you have an idea, email us at: stp-ecp@teachpsych.org

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Karenna Malavanti, Ph.D.

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Molly Metz, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Daniel Storage, Ph.D.

Dear STP ECP Committee,

I was teaching during much of this year’s virtual Annual Conference on Teaching (ACT) and wasn’t able to participate in as much of the (great-looking!) programming as I was hoping. I’m particularly interested in knowing about things to check out for ECPs! Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! 

Please inform,

Catching Up

Dear Catching Up,

We’re so glad to hear that you’re still interested in checking out the programming for this year’s virtual Annual Conference on Teaching (ACT)! Like last year, this year’s ACT was exciting and engaging, in spite of—and perhaps sometimes because of—the virtual modality. Because registration costs were so low (e.g., $25 for members), the conference was widely accessible and attendance was massive. (In fact, it was our biggest ACT ever, with well over 400 attendees!) There were dozens of posters, on-demand videos, and synchronous talks, workshops, and keynotes that are now being hosted on the conference website. These materials will remain available until October 1, 2022; register here.

Those who register can browse all the programming on the conference website:

·        recordings of the synchronous presentations, 

·        recordings of the on-demand presentations, which are conveniently divided into 

·        Best Practices presentations, 

·        Professional Development presentations, 

·        Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) presentations, 

·        Equity, Inclusion, & Liberation presentations, and

·        STP presentations (e.g., awards, task forces), and 

·        on-demand posters, divided into 

·        Best Practices and Professional Development posters, 

·        Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) posters, and 

·        Equity, Inclusion, & Liberation posters. 

There are a wealth of amazing resources for teachers of all stages, including ECPs. It’s challenging to narrow them down to a reasonable number to highlight here, but we’ll do our best! 

One excellent piece of programming that will be useful to teachers of all experience levels is the synchronous presentation by Kristina Howanksy, India Johnson, Melanie Maimon, and Eva Pietri, titled, “Inclusify Your Syllabi: A Practical Guide to Incorporating Identity Safety Cues into Your Course Syllabi.” We would also recommend checking out another synchronous presentation, titled, “Half Data, Half Heart: Reflections on the Teaching Life,” by Jordan D. Troisi. While the former is more of a practical, hands-on, data-driven discussion of inclusive syllabi, the latter is marked by reflective musings about teaching (still with important practical implications). 

In terms of on-demand presentations, in this day and age we would highly recommend checking out Carey Bernini Dowling and Rebekah Smith’s “Designing Asynchronous Online Courses for All Class Sizes.” Similarly practical is Julie C. Hill’s “My Students ACTUALLY Read: Techniques Beyond the Reading Quiz for Increasing Reading and Preparation Before Class.” (This is certainly a struggle for many of us, and these recommendations are awesome!) Finally, Marie S. Hammond, Peggy Brady-Amoon, and Ruth L. Greene’s “Best Practices: Engaging Diverse Students in Career Development in Psychology” presentation is a must watch for anyone wanting to be career champions for their students. 

Finally, we would be remiss if we failed to mention our own workshop specifically designed for ECPs, titled, “The Holistic ECP: Centering values, boundaries, and equity as cornerstones of career decisions.” In this workshop, we completed a variety of activities together, including a value sort to help us determine what our values and priorities are, an activity to develop goals that are Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, and Timely (i.e., “SMART”), and an activity that required us to think through how we might turn those SMART goals into “SMARTIE” goals (i.e., goals that address or consider Inclusion and Equity). If you missed this workshop, fear not! You can find our worksheet—containing these activities and more—by clicking HERE. 

We hope you find these materials enriching, and that you feel motivated to continue exploring the many excellent resources that were not mentioned in this brief post!

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Karenna Malavanti, Ph.D.

Albee Mendoza, Ph.D.

Molly Metz, Ph.D.

Janet Peters, Ph.D.

Daniel Storage, Ph.D.