Teaching Academy returns to share what works

The College of Business Teaching Academy made its return this semester for the first time since the pandemic, bringing faculty together to share ideas and reignite a culture of learning from one another. The event featured a panel of Distinguished Teacher award recipients whose candid reflections offered practical takeaways for both new and seasoned instructors. 

The Teaching Academy began as an effort to encourage faculty to try new approaches in the classroom and share best practices. Dean Michael Busing created an “Impact on Teaching” committee to explore that goal, and Professor of Accounting Bob Richardson and former Computer Information Systems (CIS) Professor Scott Stevens helped shape the program. Interest and attendance grew quickly, evolving from informal conversations into sessions on topics like storytelling and classroom video production, eventually including guest speakers who challenged faculty to rethink how they engage students.

That momentum halted though when COVID “put the brakes on,” Richardson said. Since then, demand for the program has returned as faculty work to rebuild the sense of community that faded during the years of remote and hybrid learning.

At this spring semester’s event, four award-winning faculty members shared the insights they wished they had known when they first started as instructors. Professor of Marketing Dr. Gizem Atav described the moment she knew she had to change her approach in the classroom. “When I first started, I really saw teaching more as a performance and I was really focused on being liked by students,” she said. The shift came when she began centering every class on “their learning, their motivation,” a mindset that made her more flexible and willing to adjust when students weren’t connecting the dots. 

For CIS and Business Analytics Professor Dr. Bobby Vaziri, growth came from self-reflection. “The more I focused on…being the most authentic, real version of myself in front of the students, the more impact I had,” he shared. Listening to students talk about their hands-on experiences and hearing what skills employers desire helped Vaziri connect analytics concepts to internships and job interviews, a move that “made students feel like ‘now I know why I’m doing this.’”

Dr. Luis Novoa, a CIS and Business Analytics professor, emphasized the value of taking risks when it comes to teaching. “Mistakes are the best teachers,” he said, noting that preparing a 16-week course takes trial and error, feedback from others and a willingness to pivot when something is not working. He encouraged faculty to foster a classroom environment that encourages students to attempt challenging work without fear of repercussions because “if you don’t take risks, you will never attempt something.”

Accounting Professor Dr. Jim Irving shared practical techniques like dramatic pauses, built-in timeouts or breaks per class and intentional openings and closings. “The first two minutes of class determine how the next 73 go,” he said, stressing the importance of transitions that keep students engaged and focused.

Richardson closed the event by returning to the Teaching Academy’s core purpose: giving every faculty member at least one idea they can take back to the classroom, and encouraging conversations about teaching practices that continue long after the session ends.