Claim OwnershipPsychSessions: Conversations about Teaching N' Stuff
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© Copyright 2017-2024 Garth Neufeld and Eric Landrum
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The PsychSessions podcast is co-hosted by Garth Neufeld from Cascadia College and Eric Landrum from Boise State University. We leverage our connections with psychology teachers from all levels (high school, community college, college, university) and individuals from other occupations to have meaningful conversations about what it means to be an educator. Of course, we veer away from the teaching conversation from time to time to hear about origin stories and the personal perspectives of our guests, touching on current events and topics of interest.
Our ASKPsychSessions feature is hosted by Marianne Lloyd from Seton Hall University. For ASKPsychSessions, listeners can submit questions about teaching and learning, and Marianne interviews experts and posts short features with the question and answer together. These features are often thematically grouped, such as information about using learning science to improve psychology instruction or various aspects of improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in your course.
Our ASKPsychSessions feature is hosted by Marianne Lloyd from Seton Hall University. For ASKPsychSessions, listeners can submit questions about teaching and learning, and Marianne interviews experts and posts short features with the question and answer together. These features are often thematically grouped, such as information about using learning science to improve psychology instruction or various aspects of improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in your course.
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In this episode Eric interviews Jon Westfall from Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. This conversation delves into Jon's transformation from a tech enthusiast to a psychology professor at Delta State University, highlighting the vital role of education in addressing societal challenges. The discussion explores the intersections between psychology and technology, teaching methodologies, and the significance of adapting to students' needs in higher education. Note. Portions of the episode title and show notes were generated by Descript AI.
In this episode Garth interviews Kody Manke-Miller from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. This conversation delves into the transformative power of mentorship in academia through two personal accounts. It highlights the pivotal role mentors play in setting high standards while providing warm support, aiding individuals like Kody in transitioning from first-generation college students to successful academics. The dialogue also explores the challenges, triumphs, and ongoing efforts in research and teaching, underscoring the importance of mentorship in nurturing academic success. Note: Descript AI generated the title and portions of the show notes.
In this episode Eric interviews Jane Halonen from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL. We specifically sat down for this interview to discuss Jane's specialized leadership skills, especially when leading national efforts with many moving parts. We discuss her leadership skills and opportunities, and Bill McKeachie's memory is infused in much of our conversation. There are always challenges with these types of opportunities, whether national news events, a worldwide pandemic, the small-p politics of the task at hand, and more. Jane leverages her clinical skills and her story-telling ability to help with problem-solving amongst talented academics to complete the major tasks (such as being the lead on the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major, Versions 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0). He chat about Jane's high school leadership experiences as well.
In this episode Eric and special guest host Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Kenn Barron from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Our thanks to STP for the opportunity to record this interview at the Annual Conference for Teaching in Portland (October 2023). Kenn shares his background growing up in Delaware and the educational influences of his mother and father. He is deeply reflective, whether he is mapping out his career goals and trajectory or considering the three worlds of science (and validity, too). Jane was the chair at JMU when Kenn was hired a quarter-century ago, and Jane proved to be an important mentor in his life. There is a brief conversation about the introductory psychology chapter Eric never teaches, a chat about motivational theory, and much more.
In this episode Eric interviewed six individuals from the American Psychological Association's Guidelines 3.0 Task Force, including Jane Halonen (Chair), University of West Florida, Dave Kreiner, University of Central Missouri, Karen Naufel, Georgia Southern University, Garth Neufeld, Cascadia College, Susan Nolan, Seton Hall University, and Aaron Richmond, Metropolitan State University-Denver. A host of topics are addressed during this group discussion, including (a) how the group worked together, sometimes with challenging topics, (b) how the rollout of Guidelines 3.0 was planned, (c) the development of U.S.-based standards but also welcoming of international participation and input, (d) a look-ahead conversation about Guidelines 4.0, and (e) a conversation about how Guidelines 3.0 might be used, directly or indirectly, in our courses.
In this episode Eric interviews Raechel Soicher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA. In 2022, Raechel became the Assistant Director for Research and Evaluation in the Teaching + Learning Lab. Raechel earned her doctorate during the pandemic and started in an instructor position while also contributing to the Center for Teaching and Learning at Oregon State, her alma mater. Those experiences led to a job search, where Raechel eventually landed at the MIT Teaching + Learning Lab. We discuss job markets in general, costs of living, and making decisions about quality of life issues, and she also reflects on her teaching experiences at Oregon State.
In this Part 2 episode Eric interviews Kristin Whitlock, Director of Assessment for Advanced Placement Psychology at The College Board. Thanks to the Annual Conference on Teaching, this interview was recorded at the ACT 2023 meeting. Kristin shares her "retirement" details from high school teaching after 33 years of service and moves on to new challenges as the Director of Assessment for AP Psychology. Listeners are reminded that teaching DNA is in Kristin's blood; most of her family members are teachers (or retired teachers), and she called her Mom, who taught preschool for 37 years, the "greatest teacher I have ever seen." We discuss so many topics, including her Utah State loyalty, how the pandemic changed her attitude toward teaching, it is revealed that Kristin has a twin sister, and there is even a brief mention of the "pillars."
In this episode Eric and Garth host an invited panel at STP's Annual Conference on Teaching (ACT) 2023 featuring Loretta McGregor (Arkansas State University), Skyler Mendes (Arizona State University), Janet Peters (Washington State University), and Jordan Wagge (Avila University). This session was organized to explore the diversity of careers and career stages within psychology, which includes a discussion of both career challenges and career successes. Worries about the future of our profession are expressed, as well as the importance of cultivating the next generation of psychology educators. Each participant shared important mentoring experiences in their careers. This was followed by question and answer with the audience, where topics such as the complexity of intersectionality, Psychsessions contributions, and a hypothetical "do-over" in one's career were among the topics addressed.
In this episode Garth interviews Todd Joseph from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, FL. Todd's national leadership stature becomes clear as they discuss the many leadership roles, including Regional Vice President, President, and now the new Executive Director of Psi Beta, his leadership as part of the Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education (CABE), his contributions to the Southeastern Psychological Association, and his local leadership as the Division Chair of Public, Social, and Behavioral Sciences. Todd attended a community college as part of his education, and his passion continues in the teaching and research projects that he engages in with his current community college students. He also shares personal stories, including his graduate school education, where the systems in place supported him sometimes and hindered him at other times.
In this episode Garth and Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Christina Maslach from the University of California, Berkeley. This was the West Coast swing of the last leg of the 2023 PsychSessions East Coast Tour. When you have one of the world's leading experts on burnout sit down for a podcast interview, what do you talk about? Burnout! This conversation travels across so many relevant issues for both individual employees and workplace environments, from the matching of values and the importance of fit to solutions being more work-environment-focused rather than individually-focused. The burnout mantra is discussed (doing more with less), and how most of us are not good at subtracting tasks from our work-life. Performance reviews are discussed as well as key research questions in the burnout literature, and more! You may be interested in Christina's new book called The Burnout Challenge: Managing People's Relationships with Their Jobs.
In this episode Garth and guest host Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interviewed Todd Rose, CEO of Populace and former professor from Harvard University (in Cambridge, MA), as part of the 2023 PsychSessions East Coast Tour. Todd is incredibly generous in sharing his past experiences, from his struggles fitting in as a student in high school to his challenges with Weber State University as an undergraduate, and he also shares his journey to Harvard University as a graduate student, then faculty member, then leaving. Todd's father is an influential figure in Todd's success at many points during Todd's long and winding careers. Todd is a storyteller in his books and this podcast. They end the interview discussing Populace and the exciting work the company is doing to understand better current trends and beliefs (think political opinions, thoughts about the American dream, etc.).
In this episode Garth and guest host Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Dan Schacter from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Dan's undergraduate education occurred at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his passion for golf continued and he studied psychology. (Later stops in his career would include the University of Toronto, the University of Arizona, and Harvard University.) The adventures in his life are numerous, including working with Alan Alda on the Scientific American Frontiers series, writing a successful book about memory while a graduate student, working in William James Hall at Harvard, and living in the same home that William James lived in for a time; serving as department chair at Harvard for 10 years, and so, so much more.
In this episode Garth and Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Virginia Andreoli Mathie from James Madison University as part of the 2023 PsychSessions East Coast Tour. This is a wonderful retrospective interview with Virginia as she reflects on her career, starting as a teacher to her four younger sisters in the family's barn. Born in Toronto, she went to the University of Waterloo to study math and computer science and also earned an undergraduate psychology degree. Her leadership is legendary, spanning from serving as Department Chair at JMU to national leadership, such as President of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, Executive Director of Psi Chi, and the chief organizer of the 1999 Psychology Partnerships Project (P3). Virginia and Jane even get a chance to reminisce about DTOP, the Dancing Teachers of Psychology.
In this episode Garth and guest host Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Michael Stoloff from James Madison University in Harrisonsburg, VA. Michael currently serves as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School at JMU, but leadership is a thread throughout his career (including associate dean of the college, department chair, director of the undergraduate psychology program, master's degree program, and more). A first-generation college student, he found his stride eventually with psychology and a love for experimentation with animals and humans. His research lab experiences as a graduate student were the models he attempted to replicate with his undergraduate research methods students -- with success. Garth, Jane, and Michael end on discussing their joint service on the APA Guidelines 3.0 revision, its implications for departments and curriculum restructuring, and the nature of service at the national level -- a topic they are all familiar with.
In this episode Garth and Jane Halonen from the University of West Florida interview Monica Reis-Bergen from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Jane returns to the institution where she hired Monica, completing the circle. Monica is pleased to serve as the utility infielder of the department, teaching many different courses over the years. She is optimistic about nearly everything, including post-pandemic developments and her research projects with her students. She is innovative in and out of the classroom, striving to create community and help students overcome their insecurities. She rejects the teaching metaphors of 'sage on the stage' or 'guide on the side' and prefers that the student be the musician singing with me or even singing alone. Her YouTube channel 'Coffee With Monica' was a hit during the pandemic, and these three enjoy a delightful conversation.
In this episode Garth and Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Dan Willingham from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA as part of the 2023 East Coast Tour. They begin with a discussion of Dan's new book, Outsmarting Your Brain. When they trace back his interest in the topic, it may have emerged from high school student studies about self-regulation regarding emotion and study skills. Interestingly, Dan 'publishes' this book in reverse order -- he writes the book first, then writes the prospectus, then goes looking for the publisher. He completes his undergraduate education at Duke and his graduate education at Harvard but does a brief stint in between in a congressional office in Washington, D.C. This trio covers so much ground during this conversation, including myth-busting a certain topic, the courses Dan teaches at UVA, what his parents studied in graduate school, thoughts on teaching evaluation, the hidden curriculum, and more.
In this episode Garth and Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Roy Hopkins (Professor Emeritus) from the St. Mary's College of Maryland in St. Mary's City, MD. This interview was part of the East Coast Tour 2023, in which Garth and Jane interviewed Roy in his hometown of Charlottesville, VA. Roy can look back now and celebrate a career of twists and turns or use the phrase he prefers -- duality. He succeeds often in his career but simultaneously has "fish out of water" feelings. He was a first-generation college student who successfully applied for scholarships, yet his mother felt that attending college increased their distance. He goes to Harvard for graduate school yet experiences the imposter phenomenon of being from Virginia. After not achieving tenure at Vassar (his first job post-PhD), he lands at St. Mary's College of Maryland -- a good fit for his teaching career, but not a good match for a gay man (the duality). Roy became a successful textbook author, publishing in adolescent psychology and introductory psychology.
In this episode Garth interviews Ellen Langer from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Early in September, look for the release of Ellen's new book, The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health. Garth and Ellen share a lovely and far-reaching conversation; she has been studying mindfulness for 45 years, with mindfulness being the process of noticing new things. However, she laments that virtually all of us are mindless almost all of the time! They discuss her research about how thoughts can lead to living longer and better, sometimes like a placebo effect. Ellen makes the sharp differentiation between mindfulness and meditation, saying that meditation is not mindful but that the practices are not mutually exclusive. Garth and Ellen delve into many topics in this interview, so much more than what is mentioned here.
In this interview Garth and Jane Halonen (University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL) kick off their PsychSessions 2023 East Coast Tour with Ludy (Ben) Benjamin, professor emeritus, from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. This interview takes place in Ludy's home in Charlottesville, VA. His early aspirations were to become a physician and play as much golf as possible, but both aspirations changed. He earned his PhD in perception and began his career at Nebraska Wesleyan University, with a series of one-year contracts making just above qualifying for food stamps. He leaves NWU for a 2-year stint at the American Psychological Association, working in Educational Affairs, and it is there where Ben begins to launch projects and make an impact nationally. He then worked at Texas A&M University for the next 32 years, retiring in 2012. He taught Introduction to Psychology courses with 300 students for years, but his passion and expertise is the history of psychology. Ben is a storyteller at heart, so he is well-suited for historical studies, and psychology is clearly the beneficiary.
It is with profound sadness that teachers of psychology everywhere lost an ardent advocate, as Dr. Lee Gurel passed away on July 24, 2023. His support of high school teachers of psychology through the American Psychological Foundation is legendary, and his gifts to support teachers then in turn help to improve the learning outcomes of untold numbers of high school students nationwide. To learn more about his vast contributions, you can read more in his 2018 APA Presidential Citation. We re-release our Episode 059 interview with Dr. Gurel, originally broadcast May 14, 2019, as a tribute to honor his legacy.
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