The next time you are in an argument with someone, I want you to do me a favor. Ready? Make a mental tally of how many times the word “you” is thrown around by yourself or your communication partner. (I know what you’re thinking: “Um, Ellen, a little too busy fighting here to think about how I’m doing it!”) Okay. I’ll buy that. Let’s try again: Think about your last argument. How many times did you or the other person take ownership of your thoughts, feelings, ideas, anger, etc. by starting off with the word “I”? Do you remember more “you’s” being hurled? For people who toss around the word “you” … [Read more...]

As this blog post comes out, we are getting deeper into summer and your first days of college are still the furthest thing from your mind. So, I’ll save some student-prof talk for when we are closer to that time. For now, I’m going to ask you to start thinking about your future career—and I’m going to give you a job to do this summer: (Yes, I know you are covered in sunblock, sitting under an umbrella the size of a satellite dish, and enjoying a magazine that you haven’t been able to read for the past year, but stay with me). Do a little searching on Monster.com or other similar job sites. Look up some descriptions for a … [Read more...]

A little break from the student/professor dynamic and into a little communication strategy! This is a favorite lesson/discussion from my Interpersonal class. Useful for in college and out! I have a confession to make. I'm a worrier. At times, when I tell others about what is worrying me, depending on what I'm sharing, the well-intentioned response is: -"You shouldn't feel that way" or -"You shouldn't be concerned about that." The tone around the phrase is not condescending, but rather a supportive "There, there now..." Can you guess what happens when someone tells me how I should feel? White smoke bursts from the … [Read more...]

What if I told you that one required core class can help your grades in nearly every single other class you have to take in college? What if I told you that a high percentage of students delay this particular class until graduation nears? “Wha… what?” you might be thinking. “Why would someone do that? A class that can help all the other classes? Heck, yeah… hitting that first! Why wait?” That’s right… you shouldn’t wait. Even if the class does include public speaking! (You knew there had to be a catch.) In nearly every degree program and certificate programs, Public Speaking or Introduction to Communication, … [Read more...]

(Hello, CTB readers! A version of this post recently ran on my own blog, but I asked CTB to reprint it because the information within is timely and important. Although I have taught face-to-face for years, I largely teach hybrid (part online, part F2) or online now due to having two small kids and enjoying the schedule flexibility. I’ve been nationally recognized for my online work three times, so I’m pretty passionate about it. As a student, you are going to come across a fair number of opinions regarding online courses. You might even hear some data about how many students don’t succeed in online courses, how many students … [Read more...]

Let's talk about two different students: Student A and Student B. (I know, you are blown away by my creativity in characterization!) Student A came to my office all the time, frequently stayed after class to chat, shared career goals, family background, etc. We had a very good relationship; our conversations were always engaging and enjoyable. Student A started strong: Early submissions for me to review. Excellent grades. Later in the term? Student A's proactiveness fell off. Life apparently got in the way. Unfortunately, when Student A started to falter, it was with an assignment that had a lot of points attached - 200 points, to be … [Read more...]

Hello, Campus Talk Blog community! I am a seasoned professor of over 13 years and an award-winning educator and public speaker. And here I am starting my first blog post by piggybacking on another blog post. That’s right: One that’s been written by somebody else! Let me explain: When I received the opportunity to join Campus Talk Blog, I, of course, looked at the articles already written. When I came across Reconnect After Your Exam to Make Up for Lost Ground from Tawan Perry, I was absolutely thrilled: Here was someone from the higher ed community helping students self-advocate with professors! Even more importantly, Mr. perry … [Read more...]

Does your prof give points for participation? If so, do you know how that grade is calculated? I know when I'd see "participation" mentioned in my college syllabi. . . with no clear explanation of how those points happened, I always wondered if the prof made little checks next to my name every time I opened my mouth in class. Or, did my mere presence in class presume my participation? Or, was there an entirely different, more objective formula for calculating those points that I didn't know about? (Did my professor scream, "Muhahahahahaha" when figuring up those points? I wonder...) From your prof's perspective, participation points … [Read more...]

Do you sit in class and worry about whether you should or shouldn’t speak up? Do you try to get your words just right in your mind before you’ll raise your hand? Then, by the time you’re ready to speak, the class has moved on to something else and you’ve lost your confidence? It’s not a surprise that as a student, you are expected to add to classroom discussions, to assert your ideas/opinions/thoughts in a respectful way... to contribute to a shared, rich learning community. You are expected to talk in class! (Just to clarify: You are supposed to contribute to class discussion, not talk to those around you). My opinion? … [Read more...]