{"id":7831,"date":"2025-07-29T14:46:41","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T19:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/?p=7831"},"modified":"2025-08-26T11:08:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T16:08:12","slug":"teaching-tips-from-uwm-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Tips from UWM Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/resources\/student-success-resources\/thank-an-instructor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>Thank an Instructor<\/em><\/strong><\/a> program has received nearly 800 comments from students (784 to be exact) about how instructors make a difference. The program provides an opportunity for UWM students and alumni to submit a note expressing appreciation for an instructor who made a difference in their education.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on student notes in the <strong>Thank an Instructor<\/strong> program, here are ten teaching tips for faculty that reflect what students said mattered most to them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Show Genuine Care and Empathy. <\/strong>Students deeply valued instructors who were kind, patient, and understanding\u2014especially during personal or academic challenges.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Make space for empathy. Acknowledge students\u2019 struggles and offer flexibility when needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Believe in Your Students. <\/strong>Many students mentioned that their confidence grew because a professor believed in them when they didn\u2019t believe in themselves.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Express belief in your students\u2019 potential. A few encouraging words can have a lasting impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Make Complex Concepts Accessible. <\/strong>Students appreciated when instructors broke down difficult material into understandable parts and used real-world examples.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Use analogies, examples, and scaffolding to make learning more approachable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foster Open and Safe Communication. <\/strong>Students felt empowered when they could ask questions without fear of judgment.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Normalize questions and mistakes. Create a classroom culture where curiosity is welcomed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be Passionate and Enthusiastic. <\/strong>Passionate teaching was repeatedly cited as inspiring and motivating.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Let your enthusiasm for the subject show\u2014it\u2019s contagious and energizing for students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Design Engaging and Varied Learning Experiences. <\/strong>Students loved courses that included interactive elements, diverse assignments, and creative approaches.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Mix lectures with discussions, projects, and hands-on activities to keep learning dynamic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be Available and Responsive<\/strong>. Office hours, timely feedback, and responsiveness to emails made students feel supported.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Be accessible and responsive. Even short check-ins can make students feel seen and valued.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connect Learning to Real Life. <\/strong>Students appreciated when instructors tied course content to practical applications or career paths.\u00a0\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Highlight how course concepts apply beyond the classroom to increase relevance and motivation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Encourage Reflection and Growth. <\/strong>Students highlighted how a class helped them discover new interests or career paths.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Prompt students to reflect on their learning and how it connects to their goals and identity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build Community and Belonging. <\/strong>Students cherished feeling part of a learning community where they could be themselves.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Use group work, discussions, and inclusive practices to foster connection and belonging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Thank an Instructor program has received nearly 800 comments from students (784 to be exact) about how instructors make a difference. The program provides an opportunity for UWM students and alumni to submit a note expressing appreciation for an &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35315,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[138,148,119,124,85,118,94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjuncts","category-hips","category-instructors","category-online-teaching-and-learning","category-tl-resources","category-teaching-assistants","category-teaching-strategies"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Center for Advancing Student Learning<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Teaching Tips from UWM Students\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Thank an Instructor program has received nearly 800 comments from students (784 to be exact) about how instructors make a difference. The program provides an opportunity for UWM students and alumni to submit a note expressing appreciation for an &hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Center for Advancing Student Learning\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-29T19:46:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-26T16:08:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"afehring@uwm.edu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"afehring@uwm.edu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"afehring@uwm.edu\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/person\/098e4ce5af6261a7a3a1f6fec7491a58\"},\"headline\":\"Teaching Tips from UWM Students\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-29T19:46:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-26T16:08:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/\"},\"wordCount\":402,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Adjunct Instructors\",\"High Impact Practices (HIPs)\",\"Instructors\",\"Online Teaching and Learning\",\"Teaching &amp; Learning Resources\",\"Teaching Assistants (TAs)\",\"Teaching Strategies\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/\",\"name\":\"Teaching Tips from UWM Students - Center for Advancing Student Learning\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-29T19:46:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-26T16:08:12+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Teaching Tips from UWM Students\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/\",\"name\":\"Center for Advancing Student Learning\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#organization\",\"name\":\"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/0template-webid2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/541\/2020\/11\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/0template-webid2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/541\/2020\/11\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg\",\"width\":225,\"height\":224,\"caption\":\"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/person\/098e4ce5af6261a7a3a1f6fec7491a58\",\"name\":\"afehring@uwm.edu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cfd5fd7d822f68a330947f73d9aa5d0b4ae5cf06bfc0682d4cc9c0358562d1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cfd5fd7d822f68a330947f73d9aa5d0b4ae5cf06bfc0682d4cc9c0358562d1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cfd5fd7d822f68a330947f73d9aa5d0b4ae5cf06bfc0682d4cc9c0358562d1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"afehring@uwm.edu\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Center for Advancing Student Learning","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Teaching Tips from UWM Students","og_description":"The Thank an Instructor program has received nearly 800 comments from students (784 to be exact) about how instructors make a difference. The program provides an opportunity for UWM students and alumni to submit a note expressing appreciation for an &hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/","og_site_name":"Center for Advancing Student Learning","article_published_time":"2025-07-29T19:46:41+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-26T16:08:12+00:00","author":"afehring@uwm.edu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"afehring@uwm.edu","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/"},"author":{"name":"afehring@uwm.edu","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/person\/098e4ce5af6261a7a3a1f6fec7491a58"},"headline":"Teaching Tips from UWM Students","datePublished":"2025-07-29T19:46:41+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-26T16:08:12+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/"},"wordCount":402,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Adjunct Instructors","High Impact Practices (HIPs)","Instructors","Online Teaching and Learning","Teaching &amp; Learning Resources","Teaching Assistants (TAs)","Teaching Strategies"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/","name":"Teaching Tips from UWM Students - Center for Advancing Student Learning","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-07-29T19:46:41+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-26T16:08:12+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/teaching-tips-from-uwm-students\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Teaching Tips from UWM Students"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/","name":"Center for Advancing Student Learning","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#organization","name":"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/0template-webid2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/541\/2020\/11\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/0template-webid2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/541\/2020\/11\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg","width":225,"height":224,"caption":"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/#\/schema\/person\/098e4ce5af6261a7a3a1f6fec7491a58","name":"afehring@uwm.edu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cfd5fd7d822f68a330947f73d9aa5d0b4ae5cf06bfc0682d4cc9c0358562d1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cfd5fd7d822f68a330947f73d9aa5d0b4ae5cf06bfc0682d4cc9c0358562d1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cfd5fd7d822f68a330947f73d9aa5d0b4ae5cf06bfc0682d4cc9c0358562d1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"afehring@uwm.edu"}}]}},"acf":[],"meta_fields":{"_edit_lock":["1756224493:35315"],"_edit_last":["35315"],"_yoast_indexnow_last_ping":["1756224385"],"feat_img_video":[""],"feat_img_gallery":[""],"feat_img_caption":["feat-img-caption-on"],"breadcrumbs_display":["breadcrumbs-on"],"otp_nav_display":["otp-on-mobile"],"post_layout":["post-layout-theme"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["119"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["2"],"_uwm_wg_content_review_log":["a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:11:\"reviewer_id\";i:0;s:6:\"status\";s:5:\"reset\";s:10:\"entry_date\";s:19:\"2026-03-01 02:13:22\";s:16:\"priority_content\";s:0:\"\";s:4:\"note\";s:43:\"Content review reset at start of new cycle.\";}}"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35315"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7831"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7832,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7831\/revisions\/7832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}