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Quick Reference: Implementation Tiers
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.
Quick Reference: Implementation Tiers
The table below groups all resources by how quickly they can be implemented, from same-day quick wins to investments that reward deeper reading and course redesign.
Quick Wins (Next Class)
- Name tents
- Housekeeping slide
- Muddiest point
- Bridge statement
- Think-Pair-Share
Early Semester (before term starts)
- Syllabus quiz
- Weekly announcements
- WIFM hooks
- Student Hours rename
- Course roadmap
Deeper Investments (Course Redesign)
- TILT framework
- Relevance maps
- Brightspace exit tickets
- Utility value writing
- Mentimeter polling
Recommended Reading
- Small Teaching (Lang)
- Why Don’t Students Like School? (Willingham)
- TILTHigherEd.com
- Vanderbilt CFT guides
References:
Hogan, K. A., & Sathy, V. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. West Virginia University Press.
Lang, J. M. (2021). Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Willingham, D. T. (2009). Why don't students like school? A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and why it matters for the classroom. Jossey-Bass.
