We wrapped up our series in December with two pieces. In “Some Assembly Still Required,” Beckie explains how changes in K-12 schooling, among other things, have limited the kind of skill development that professors would normally expect from incoming students. In “Why Generation Z Gives These Professors Hope,” I spoke to professors who have found inspiration and connection in their classrooms, even as they dealt with some of the same challenges as their colleagues.
So what did we learn from this series, as reporters? For one, these shifting patterns are pervasive. Faculty members at a variety of institutions are coming to terms with the fact that students are arriving with different skill sets and mindsets. Yes, professors at better-resourced colleges may have smaller class sizes and lighter teaching loads, but that doesn’t protect them from shifting norms and their implications for teaching.
Second, it is extremely challenging to be a teacher right now. I have spoken at length with many professors who have had to reevaluate how to teach their subjects. They can no longer assume that students will arrive at college with certain foundational knowledge, social skills, or study habits. As a result they are spending more time on skill building while scaling back the amount of reading and other work they give students. Add to that high levels of student anxiety, AI misuse, and their own feelings of exhaustion. It can seem like too much.
Third, professors still find satisfaction in teaching. Even the most frustrated faculty members I spoke to had empathy for their students. They know that young people didn’t create the educational system they came through and are wrestling with overwhelming issues, such as whether they will ever be able to afford a house and what climate change means for their future. When professors can help students gain some agency over their lives, and insights into how to think about their future, they tell me, that has proven to be deeply satisfying.
Fourth, students are looking for connection. I talked to many students during the course of my reporting and found them to be self-aware, frank, searching, and skeptical. They are looking for meaning in college but don’t always see the classroom as the place to make that happen. Yet almost everyone I spoke to had at least one professor who challenged, encouraged, and understood them. That mattered, a lot.
Finally, these are systemic challenges that are being treated as individual problems. Many faculty members feel like it’s entirely on them to figure out how best to navigate this new terrain. Collective action is in short supply.
So what will teaching in 2025 and beyond look like? We’re not sure. But we want to keep the conversation going. As always, please write to us with your ideas, questions, and insights. You can reach me at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com. Your willingness to share your stories is what makes our reporting possible.
Good advice
Every so often we like to remind readers that The Chronicle offers a series of free online advice guides, written by expert instructors.
One you might find particularly helpful at this time of year is by James M. Lang: “How to Teach a Good First Day of Class.” Lang focuses on what he calls four key principles: curiosity, community, learning, and expectations. He also presents several classroom scenarios to help map out what a first day might look like in different kinds of courses.
To look up more of these guides, check out our advice finder page.
Thanks for reading Teaching. If you have suggestions or ideas, please feel free to email us at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com or beckie.supiano@chronicle.com.
— Beth —
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