Teaching Initiative Award
Luke T. Russell, Ph.D.
- Assistant Professor, Illinois State University’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
- Ph.D. in Human Environmental Sciences with a focus area in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Missouri.
My motivation to become a college professor comes from …
Seeking to answer a question and share that knowledge with others. I have found academia gave me the opportunity to chase interesting questions about problems that exist in our society, find answers to address or provide insight into those real-world problems, and then play a role in disseminating and implementing solutions to those problems. It's a pretty cool job.
The three most valuable or important methods/approaches/attitudes/etc. that I bring to my teaching practice are …
- Leveraging the power of instructor-student and student-to-student relationships
- Building connections to concrete "lived" experiences
- Ensuring students develop awareness, respect, understanding, and effectiveness in working with the diverse individuals and families that make up the tapestry of contemporary families in the U.S. and globally.
I want to continue to improve my teaching in the following ways …
Mostly, I want to continue to find ways to leverage my coursework and class designs so that students can be further empowered to make meaningful and positive changes in their own families and communities TODAY (and not some nebulous time in the future after they graduate, or "when they have the time").
The one teaching technique or strategy that I would recommend to my colleagues to enhance student learning the most is …
Start class with a simple, 2-minute check-in. I personally provide an opportunity for students to share "good news" at the beginning of each class and have found it goes a long way in setting the tone for a classroom. Plus, positive psychologists have shown that information is more likely to be retained when individuals are in a happy and optimistic mood, and so beginning classes with such a brief exercise helps ensure students are in a mindset to maximize their learning.
“All knowledge and learning are grounded in our relationships with others.”