Small Teaching Tweaks, Big Impact

The start of a new term is like the new year – it's a chance to refresh and reimagine! Think of your teaching as a room in your home. To refresh it, you don’t need to knock down walls or buy all new furniture. Sometimes, simply rearranging the space or letting go of what doesn’t serve you can reveal a whole new perspective.

This idea is inspired by James M. Lang’s Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning, which shows how small, strategic changes can transform your teaching. Pair this with the spirit of decluttering and intentionality. Think of it as “Marie Kondo-ing" your course.

Here are several ways to make small, impactful tweaks this term:

Clear the clutter.
- Review your course materials and identify one assignment, reading, or activity that feels outdated or overly complex.
- Simplify jargon where possible by using plain language or providing analogies that connect to real-life examples.
Rearrange the flow.
- Break up the lecture with a think-pair-share activity.
- Help students reflect on their learning by adding quick “muddiest point” checks or short reflective prompts.
- Use the opening and closing minutes of class to create a narrative: recap where students have been, outline where they are headed, and emphasize the purpose behind their work.
- Assign and rotate group roles throughout the semester so students engage with different perspectives and responsibilities.
Add something that “sparks joy” (Definitely check out The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion by Sarah Rose Cavanagh.)
- Begin class with an engaging question, striking image, or current event to pique curiosity and elicit emotions. (Small Teaching calls this “opening with wonder.”)
- Incorporate humor or moments of play into your teaching.
- Explore new ideas and meet colleagues by attending faculty development events.

Pick one thing to tweak, and see how it transforms the way you and your students experience the term. As Lang reminds us, small changes can lead to big impacts.

What will you try this term? We would love to hear about it from you!

Warmly,
The Center for Teaching & Learning
www.uvm.edu/ctl
ctl@uvm.edu