Teaching Best Practices

A Resource Guide for New Faculty

This guide is designed for faculty who are content experts developing their teaching practice. Resources are organized around three high-impact areas: building community and belonging, helping students understand why content matters, and closing class effectively. Each resource has been selected for its practicality and research grounding.

How to use this guide

• Quick wins (name tents, housekeeping slide, muddiest point, bridge statement) can be implemented in the next class session.
• Early semester moves (syllabus quiz, Brightspace announcements, WIFM hooks) are best set up before or at the start of a term.
• Deeper investments (recommended books, TILT framework, relevance maps) reward a weekend of reading and modest course redesign.
• Two books worth reading first: Small Teaching by James Lang and Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel Willingham. Both are accessible and evidence-based.