Choosing a research topic and question is the hardest and most important part of a student academic research project. Get it right, and everything else generally follows smoothly. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself struggling to find data,… Read More »Getting Started in Student Research: How to Choose a Topic?
For students new to navigating the challenges and opportunities of doing academic research, an often-overlooked but crucial factor in success is the student-mentor relationship. When students and mentors work together well, the result is well-crafted, interesting, and fulfilling student research… Read More »How to Work Successfully With Your Research Mentor: A Guide for Students
A diverse classroom in which instructors and students come from different backgrounds is a wonderful opportunity for building interpersonal relationships with different people, and for developing cross-cultural understanding. However, it also places responsibility on instructors to make extra effort to ensure… Read More »How to Create a Welcoming, Inclusive Classroom This New Semester
Learning Chinese has been one of the most important personal and professional developments in my life. While my Chinese is still far from perfect (I very much have a “foreigner accent”), and sometimes find myself in situations where I’m out… Read More »My Story of Learning Chinese
I was grateful to recently have the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences on handling sensitive classroom topics in a conflicted world on the blog of SEDA, the UK’s leading organization for professional development in higher education. Read the… Read More »Discovery Hub on the SEDA Blog: Handling Sensitive Classroom Topics in a Conflicted World
Do you struggle with procrastination? You’re not alone. The Pomodoro Technique is a great way for students and faculty alike to beat procrastination and study, write, and research efficiently. I use it almost every day (in fact, I am using it… Read More »Use the Pomodoro Technique for Study and Writing Productivity
Concept maps are awesome! As well as being something I use to organize my own thoughts and arguments, they’re one of my favorite classroom group activities, and my students agree. However, they’re not just fun, they’re also extremely effective as… Read More »Why Concept Maps are Such A Useful Educational Tool
What is a Concept Map? Concept maps are exactly as the name suggests – a map of concepts! Also known as mind maps, they’re a fantastic way to make connections between different ideas or readings, to think about a topic… Read More »How to Use Concept Mapping as a Classroom Activity
One of the wonderful things about teaching in international university classrooms in China is the mix of students from different backgrounds, many of whom are speakers of English as a second language (ESL). However, this also poses a challenge, as… Read More »Four Great Classroom Exercises to Get the Conversation Flowing
The first day of class in a new job or with a new set of students is always daunting. And while first-day nerves are natural, the pressure is magnified when teaching in a different country or cultural environment. When I… Read More »Adapt Your Teaching To Succeed in China With These 5 Simple Steps