Like most teachers, we've spent tons of time talking to each other about what we do in our classrooms. What we love and what challenges us most about teaching is how much of our creativity it demands, and we know so many colleagues here at the University of Michigan and beyond who feel the same way: spend a week at Sweetland, and you'll find great ideas about teaching everywhere, whether you're overhearing your colleagues tell each other about what happened in class that day while you're microwaving your burrito in the kitchen or glancing at the assignment prompt that someone left on the copier. Teaching wisdom is everywhere!
Plenty of our accomplished colleagues have published in academic journals or books about their teaching insights and strategies, but as any good teacher knows, there's just no substitute for the energy and fun of a genuine conversation. Our podcast, Behind the Scaffolding, brings conversations about teaching wisdom, from the innovations of those new to the field to tried-and-true strategies from teaching veterans, to an audience of teachers and students that's wider (hopefully!) than the Sweetland kitchen or the English Department Writing Program lounge. Since 2019, we've been talking to teachers we admire about the hows and whys of what they do in their classrooms, from perennial teaching challenges like first-day jitters and ideas for classroom ice-breakers and writing exciting prompts, to the incredibly of-the-moment issues that we know all of our teacher colleagues are trying to figure out together, like remote teaching and generative AI. Current episodes feature non-tenure track faculty, most from Sweetland and the English department, though also include some special guests from other departments and institutions. And though our guest selection is partly a function of professional and personal circles and connections that reflect our own non-tenure track affiliation, we also take pride in how these connections have helped us shape the podcast into a platform that honors the creativity and innovations of teaching faculty who don't always get the kind of credit they deserve.
You can listen to Behind the Scaffolding at our website, behindthescaffolding.com, on SoundCloud, and almost anywhere you listen to podcasts; give us a listen!
