Notes To Myself, by Ed Allen, was written as a teaching “omiyage” (gift) to 50 participants at the Society of Building Science Educator’s (SBSE) Retreat at Redfish Lake, Idaho. They were individually bound with hand-tied with string! Students in ARCH 661 are asked to write a reading response to this booklet and post comments below.
Download: Notes to Myself
March 22, 2023 at 11:01 am
Ed Allen’s Notes to Myself really reminds me of a Chinese saying about the teaching profession. The saying is that “a good teacher is like a candle, which burned itself to illuminate others.” Although I think teachers should be more self-sustainable than candles, the profession does require tremendous courage, passion, and effort. Especially to be the kind of teacher that Ed Allen suggested, one needs to be constantly alert, always passionate, compassionate, and flexible. Moreover, teaching “design” makes it even more difficult because it requires effective interaction and communication all the time between teachers and students. For other subjects, whether students grasp the lessons is easier to evaluate and quantify, for example, through tests, paper, even just asking and answering in person, etc. However, it is impossible to quantify how much students understand or be able to apply “design.” The process requires more delicate interaction and communication that even varies from student to student.
March 22, 2023 at 10:06 am
I found this reading insightful for a number of reasons. First, it is important to note that we are teaching design, first and foremost, and that the technical aspects are merely one part of the overarching whole. It is easy to get too hyper focused on building science—connecting these concepts to the overall design of a building gives the math and science context and might make it easier to grasp the subject and keep the technical parts interesting and ultimately keep students more engaged. Second, it is important to involve your students in lecture. Unless you are a brilliant orator, keeping people engaged for an hour + is difficult no matter the subject. I find that I myself learn better through hands-on activities and retain the information much more easily. Breaking up the lecture into small sections is also helpful in this regard. Third, I really appreciated the note that quizzing is ineffective. Ultimately, our students are going to go out into the world and will need to apply this knowledge to design—no one will be quizzing them! And they won’t magically know how to apply these concepts to building design. I think it is highly important to get them used to doing this while at University and it’s something I don’t think we do enough of. Lastly, if you’re going to teach, you should love what you teach and love teaching in general. My favorite teachers all taught different subjects but the one thing they had in common was their enthusiasm for the subject and for their students. Their energy as infectious.
March 22, 2023 at 9:53 am
I found this reading insightful for a number of reasons. Often, technical subjects are dryly taught; remembering that you are teaching about design is overlooked or forgotten and it becomes all about science and numbers and formulas. Teaching the technical aspects as an integral piece of the broader architecture is a great way to keep it interesting and put the science in perspective. I also appreciate the emphasis on student engagement through activities, in particular hands on activities. Unless you are an incredible orator it is hard to keep people engaged for hours at a time, regardless of the subject. Many people learn better by doing, anyway. I also agree that quizzing is an ineffective way of gauging your students’ knowledge, in particular when it comes to design. Being able to recall facts is fine in an academic setting, but when they go out in the world they will need to channel that knowledge into creating spaces and that’s not something you just magically know how to do because you read a few books on it. Practicing design is not emphasized enough at University, in my opinion.
March 21, 2023 at 4:30 pm
From Ed’s first statement alone, I already agree in what he’s saying. Being passionate and excited about what you’re teaching really helps students get excited too, it’s almost like the passionate energy is contagious. From my experience with teachers that seem very passionate about what they’re teaching, I usually get excited myself. Some other main points that I thought was really interesting was to start of fast and break up the hour. The reality is that students don’t stay engaged with the lecture for long periods of time and their attention slowly fades away over time, so starting off fast, is the best way to get the message or material across. Also, breaking up the hour really does help a lot. When you have breaks, whether it’s just toilet breaks, just to let students stretch and restart their attention and get them engaged again is key. I feel like respect is 100% the way to go, being nice and respectful to the students will make them actually listen to you and not just disregard everything you say and lecture about. I had a couple professors these past few terms which was just rude and mean to the students and those classes are the ones that people hate the most and don’t care about because how are you expected to respect the teacher and learn from someone who doesn’t respect you back? Having a negative attitude really compromises what you want to take in and learn from the class lectures. But at the end, the most important thing is Love. Love teaching, love the subject matter, and love the students. I agree with this completely and like I said before it is contagious. Students will love what they’re learning if you show your love for it and spread it in the classroom.
March 21, 2023 at 9:00 am
Throughout the reading of Notes to Myself by Ed Allen, I found one reoccurring theme – engagement. Ed continually emphasizes the importance of engaging your students, and yourself, in the structure of the course, the course content, and the presentation of the material. The first takeaway from this theme is that instructors should be passionate and enthusiastic about their topics – and show this passion through their teaching. Another key takeaway from this theme is the importance of communication at several levels. This includes body language and eye contact, as well as verbal communication. The third takeaway from this theme was to continually change up the class structure and find ways to keep students involved. This includes changing up the class structure from class to class, as well as within the class period.
One very surprising item that Ed mentioned was that “research and experience have shown that you have a maximum time window of about ten minutes (and often less) at the start of a class in which you either engage your students’ attention or lose it.” This research shocked me, and made me feel a bit nervous about teaching, due to the pressure that this creates. It highlights the vital importance of being well prepared as an instructor – both in lesson planning and the start of classes. It makes me think back to his comment about technology. I think many people have had the common experience of coming to class, only to have the class delayed 10, 15, plus minutes because there are technical difficulties setting up the lecture slides. Thinking retroactively on those experiences, it does severely impact your ability to refocus on the course, after you’ve had that time to chat with classmates. The combination of these two facts demonstrates how important flexibility and the ability to ‘think-on-your-feet’ are in an instructor.
March 19, 2023 at 5:29 pm
Edward Allen’s book, Notes to Myself, provides valuable insight into how he engaged students as a professor in the often-dry technical subject matters such as structures and statistics in architecture education. Having now been a student in two technical courses – Building Construction and Environmental Control Systems I – I can see the legacy of Professor Allen’s pedagogy at the University of Oregon. The short book opens with “Teach with stars in your eyes” and ends with “The most important thing about teaching is love.” It remains precisely as positive in the pages in between, reminding the reader that when one teaches, one hopefully inspires future generations of designers on a continual quest to learn – not just regurgitate the facts or ideas you teach them.
Conversely, it is also a stark difference in pedagogy from teachers I have had in the past who teach more with ego and bravado than any tangible passion for inspiring learning or critical thinking often found in people who consider teaching their secondary job. These teachers will exist in every subject matter, but especially in design and theory, it is surprising to find this lack of enthusiasm for a student’s potential to learn. His lessons provide an antithesis to this. The seemingly simple notes written by Edward Allen to “Respect each student’s dignity,” “Run risks,” or “Involve students actively” make it evident that he cared deeply about the subject matters he taught and the importance he placed on architectural education.
Maybe not as obvious to everyone, but one of the most significant lessons I get from reading Notes to Myself is never to rest and assume that your job as a teacher creating your lessons or course outlines is done or that you have perfected the art. Instead, continual review of the methods and processes that go into formulating classes and lectures to constantly respond to the changing needs of students and the ever-present progress in architecture and design is needed. Each note is short and will continue to be a resource I come to again and again. The format of the notes – short paragraphs and sentences, sometimes with examples illustrating when the tactic has proven useful – can easily be adapted to continue figuring out how to inspire future educators to strive for excellence.
March 11, 2023 at 11:13 am
Reading response to “Notes to Myself” by Edward Allen
With each new note I read I had the same feeling that this was truly an amazing teacher. I wanted to take his classes even though I struggled through structures. His teaching style is reminiscent of my mom’s stories of teaching preschool and kindergarten at a Montessori school. My mother would plan her lessons in the evenings I would see all sorts of exciting materials and activities. I wanted to be a student at her school (I went to catholic school) where they learned in such an interactive way. Active learning was the key. One story that put an impression on me was when she was teaching her students about the religions of the world. She told me how she was getting a lot of calls from parents asking where she had taken their children. She had decided to take the children on a walk and stopped at a temple since in fit in to their studies (no field trip papers were sent out or signed). I love this story because she took the kids out in to the world to experience what they had ben talking about in class with out much planning. Yet it made a big impression on the children.
In “Notes to Myself” none of the notes were about lecturing for an hour and how to prepare one’s slides. They were about engaging students, having conversations, experimenting investigating, and designing. Learning by doing. We have known that labs and discussion groups are great additions to lectures. Why is it that we have not incorporated active learning like labs and discussions groups into the lecture? this is what Allen does he does not separate the discussions and labs and lectures. They are intertwined.
March 9, 2023 at 3:11 pm
Ed Allen’s “Notes to myself” was a delightful read that delivers many insightful points on teaching and engagement with students. It is clear to see that he has had many valuable experiences in teaching which have molded him to be the well rounded educator that he is. One of the most apparent points that he was getting across is that you should always be enthusiastic and passionate in order to create an equitable teaching environment, but what is most important is that you maintain your personality while teaching and make sure you still come across as you! All of the notes listed by Ed Allen assures us that if we follow these tips then we will be a great teacher. Looking at this from the perspective of the student, Ed describes everything that I would look for in an educator. While keeping the attention of a large group can be hard at times, if you are passionate and personable and confident then people are going to want to listen to you. I can think of countless amounts of educators that I believe were insanely successful as well as inspiring. Those who set the bar high on the very first day create a learning experience that will continue to grasp the students. If the instructor is passionate then it should be easy for you to share your excitement about the topic with the students. While it seems like a simple guideline to follow but it is apparent to the students when the educator does not seem interested in what they are talking about. This is something that I want to avoid for the entirety of my career and I believe that is possible if I follow Ed’s “Notes to myself.”
February 27, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Notes to myself is a short and to the point series of recommendations written to teachers, by a teacher. The advice ranges from instructions on how to conduct the classroom to how to cover the subject of the teaching.
The document is written in a light hearted, non academic tone, and that makes it a quick read and helps the reader stay engaged. It’s also a look into the backstage of being a design professor, which, from the perspective of a student at the early stages of developing an interest in teaching, is usually an unknown territory.
The essay succeeds in transmitting Edward Allen’s enthusiasm for teaching in each of the sections: he promises positive results from certain behaviors and communication ways he tested, and doesn’t shy away from illustrating his arguments with cautionary tales or personal stories from his teaching positions.
Some of the advice is conventional and common to many disciplines, where skills of public speaking and keeping the attention of a room are required (maintaining eye contact and engaging the audience). Other advice is specific to design teaching, while some points the author makes are less likely to agree with everyone, like “Scrap the syllabus” and “Quit quizzing”. Thoughout the notes, every piece of advice is elaborated with do’s and don’t’s, mostly in short sentences, which in my opinion helps a lot with retaining the information the author is trying to get through. There is no better way to attract people’s attention (academics or not) than by telling what to do/what not to do.
The qualities of a design teacher described by Edward Allen are: communicative, creative, risk taking, kind and caring, and committed to facilitate understanding of the topic by all students.
This enthusiam for teaching reaches its peak with the last piece of advice, when the author concludes that the most important thing about teaching is love. I believe this word was carefully chosen and prefered to passion, because it encompasses much more.
February 20, 2023 at 1:13 pm
I believe that expressing and conveying excitement about any subject is a key element of impactful teaching and does not relate to its level of difficulty. Back in my high school, students with mathematics and physics majors had to pass a course called differential equations, known as the most difficult course of the 4-year high school; However, our teacher was incredibly passionate about the material which made it super exciting for us! She used to talk with the equations and call each variable or function with endearment words, dear x! By looking back and forth between the whiteboard and the students she could make the whole class more engaging!
A hands-on activity that does not make them feel stressed out! According to my own experience, designing A Jeopardy game focusing on the last sessions’ materials with some bonus points or some small gifts or chocolates would be encouraging!
These days, even Geometry professors rely on PowerPoint presentations! I believe sometimes real-time drawing and solving the question step by step using chalk and a traditional blackboard would be more effective! Teachers could have control over the speed of writing each part of the answer and their body language while explaining and writing could also help the students remember the contents more easily in the future!
For more engaging class activities, it is always helpful to pair students and make them criticize each other’s projects. This process would improve their critical thinking in the long run, and enhance their confidence to participate in class discussions and ask questions more readily during the lectures. My own experience as an Iranian student demonstrates convincing evidence of this. I believe that culture also plays an important role in building students’ critical personalities. I grew up in a culture with a desperate focus on personal validation and constant affirmation. The educational system was also not an exception. Neither students nor teachers were open to critiques or constructive feedback, and students had to memorize each phrase of the books and write the exact sentences in the exams. To put it differently, they were never asked to reflect on the materials they read, which I believe would suppress young minds’ creative ideas, self-confidence, and critical thinking. Conversely, I found the American pedagogy exactly different, and when I compared the ability of students here in analyzing texts and reflecting on them, I found the culture and the nurture surprisingly impactful in this matter.
February 18, 2023 at 7:59 pm
I loved reading Notes to Myself by Edward Allen. His first note, “Teach with stars in your eyes” summarized as ‘let your teaching be given as a gift to those you teach’ really touched me. My most influential teachers, all of them, have been those who love what they are teaching and that love and enthusiasm comes through in their teaching. When I was in grad school the first time, for Electrical Engineering, I met an incredibly enthusiastic teacher at a two-week specialty course. He kicked my butt, the class was so difficult, but Bruce was there every night until midnight sitting in the homework lounge helping students get through their problem sets and then ready to go with an engaging enthusiastic lecture again the next day. He was so wonderful that I latched on tight to him and made him my adopted thesis advisor for the remainder of my PhD. I eventually went to work for Bruce and he’s still my mentor to this day. When I decided to leave science to pursue architecture, I met him for breakfast to break the news to him and like always, he was enthusiastic and supportive and just absolutely wonderful about it. Teaching with stars in your eyes didn’t end with his class, it came through in his spirit and mentorship about every aspect of life, about learning the ropes at work, about making thoughtful life decisions, and finally about supporting those he cared about. I felt his enthusiasm come through for my decision to pursue a new career and he became one of those writing a letter of recommendation for me. His enthusiasm was contagious and it was hard not to love what he loved. It took me years to realize that I needed the source of his enthusiasm not just what rubbed off and I needed to be pursuing something that I was passionate and excited about, that I really needed to follow my heart even if the cost of doing so was high.
If I wrote a note to myself on teaching right now, I would write ‘Show your students your authentic self’. You must pursue something that is meaningful to you and when you teach that thing to others, show them why and how it’s meaningful to you and don’t be afraid to care about them or be judged by them. Being authentically ourselves gives our students the same permission and in so doing, opens them to an authentic level of learning that they may not have seen before, it allows them to care about what you are teaching. Enthusiasm and caring are contagious.
February 17, 2023 at 9:28 pm
There are many things I like about this reading, and some I do not. I love the parts about breaking up the hour and being hands on in the ways of teaching, it is true that engaging with students in a dialogue versus a monologue is better for retention. But, the part of this reading that frustrated me was the part where the advice to “start in the middle” is given.
It may because I am in grad school now and the motivation is most entirely intrinsic at this point in my life, it is frustrating to learn from the middle. As grad students, we want to be here and learn a subject we’re deeply interested in and starting in the middle seems gimmicky. To start in the middle suggests that the most mundane details couldn’t be interesting to us and we would need to be plunged head first into a project we don’t fully understand to be ignited with the fire to learn. We want to digest and understand why the technical aspects of architecture are as they are, we want to leave no stone unturned and starting in the middle does not create curiosity–but desperation. The production on the other side and the learning that had to happen along the way no longer becomes a journey of learning, but a necessity to meet a deadline. I supposed it is only later that one can reflect to understand what was learned in the process.
I understand the sentiment, but I fear that starting in the middle does less for excitement and more for burn-out. Not to suggest that self-learning isn’t a necessary part of grad school, but it certainly doesn’t need to feel as confusing and frustrating as it has been when it comes to learning the technical areas of architecture.
Grad school is hard and I am in no way saying it shouldn’t be, but giving students a fighting chance, I believe means respecting their curiosity enough to teach them the basics, as boring as they can be, before throwing them into the deep end.
February 16, 2023 at 5:01 pm
I found Ed Allen’s Notes to Myself to be an insightful, enjoyable read that gives a glimpse into what makes teachers successful at any level of education or in any setting. Allen’s advice mainly focuses on engaging the students in various ways to hold their attention better and keep them interested. This can be achieved through changes in body language, such as improved eye contact or facing the students when talking, which helps them feel seen and respected. It also helps to plan hands-on or engaging activities during class, like small group work, experimentation, and demonstrations.
I particularly enjoyed his advice on which subject matter to cover when. It seems counter-intuitive to start from the middle of a subject and work either forwards or backwards, but it makes perfect sense that students first need to get interested in the material before becoming self-motivated to learn more. If the middle of a subject is the most interesting, why not start there? Students will then formulate their own questions and research the answers or pay closer attention to subsequent lectures on the subject if they have already become invested.
What struck me most about the reading was how important it is to love both the subject and teaching itself in order to be successful and have the greatest impact on students’ lives. When I think about teaching, I am struck by the magnitude of responsibility it imposes, no matter what subject. A teacher can instill in students a complete love of any subject if the class is taught in a loving, enthusiastic way, or go the exact opposite direction if the student leaves class feeling shamed, disengaged, or misunderstood.
When I teach skills or subjects to my children, I always make sure they first feel loved and have their basic needs met before beginning or it’s sure to be an uphill battle that will be frustrating for everyone. They are more receptive to learning and growing if they feel safe with me and there aren’t any other distractions (such as hunger or exhaustion). I am able to decide when it’s the right time to teach them because I know them well and I can decipher how they are feeling and what they need at any given moment.
I assume it’s similar when teaching older children or adults; teachers will be most successful if they know their students on a personal level, understand their educational and personal needs, and are able to adapt lessons and lectures to meet the needs of different classes or different students. While this isn’t always possible, at the very least showing students love and understanding will set up the classroom environment as a safe place. I hope that if I ever become a teacher, I’ll be able to convey to my students how much I care about their development and their well-being so that they feel comfortable asking questions and being vulnerable enough to learn and grow to their fullest potential!
February 16, 2023 at 4:58 pm
I found Ed Allen’s Notes to Myself to be an insightful, enjoyable read that gives a glimpse into what makes teachers successful at any level of education or in any setting. Allen’s advice mainly focuses on engaging the students in various ways to hold their attention better and keep them interested. This can be achieved through changes in body language, such as improved eye contact or facing the students when talking, which helps them feel seen and respected. It also helps to plan hands-on or engaging activities during class, like small group work, experimentation, and demonstrations.
I particularly enjoyed his advice on which subject matter to cover when. It seems counter-intuitive to start from the middle of a subject and work either forwards or backwards, but it makes perfect sense that students first need to get interested in the material before becoming self-motivated to learn more. If the middle of a subject is the most interesting, why not start there? Students will then formulate their own questions and research the answers or pay closer attention to subsequent lectures on the subject if they have already become invested.
What struck me most about the reading was how important it is to love both the subject and teaching itself in order to be successful and have the greatest impact on students’ lives. When I think about teaching, I am struck by the magnitude of responsibility it imposes, no matter what subject. A teacher can instill in students a complete love of any subject if the class is taught in a loving, enthusiastic way, or go the exact opposite direction if the student leaves class feeling shamed, disengaged, or misunderstood.
When I teach skills or subjects to my children, I always make sure they first feel loved and have their basic needs met before beginning or it’s sure to be an uphill battle that will be frustrating for everyone. They are more receptive to learning and growing if they feel safe with me and there aren’t any other distractions (such as hunger or exhaustion). I am able to decide when it’s the right time to teach them because I know them well and I can decipher how they are feeling and what they need at any given moment.
I assume it’s similar when teaching older children or adults; teachers will be most successful if they know their students on a personal level, understand their educational and personal needs, and are able to adapt lessons and lectures to meet the needs of different classes or different students. While this isn’t always possible, at the very least showing students love and understanding will set up the classroom environment as a safe place. I hope that if I ever become a teacher I’ll be able to convey to my students how much I care about their development and their well-being so that they feel comfortable asking questions and being vulnerable enough to learn and grow to their fullest potential!
February 13, 2023 at 11:55 am
Reading notes:
– Start fast.
o Start with a vivid demonstration.
– Make sure students feel like people, (talking with everyone at least once a class)
– Teach the student to have the idea first, then teach them to use math in support of the idea.
– Respect each student’s dignity and how you respond to questions matters.
– Take risks sometimes an unorthodox approach is better and more striking to students.
– Never lecture for a solid hour. Break up the class.
– Make experiments hands on.
– Its ok to take your time going through the subject sometimes its hard for people to get it and you might not cover all of the material and that is ok.
– Love to teach what you teach it will rub off on students and they will also develop a love for the subject.
I thought that this reading pretty well summed up what we talked about in class. I thought it was interesting how the things covered in this article identified specific qualities that we found in our favorite teachers as well. For example when we talked about professors and teachers listening to their class and taking extra time to explain a subject rather than becoming upset with them for not understanding. I would argue that listening to the class is one of the most important pillars of teaching because you might be a good teacher but you’ll never be a perfect one. So when your class isn’t understanding something it’s more of a reflection on you as the teacher not the students. I have had many teachers who were not willing to compromise or adjust their teachings in order to help the students, and that to me spoke volumes about how much they cared for the subject. Something that the class often mirrored in behavior. Teachers and professors should want their students to understand so shouldn’t they want to do a little more if it means that the student finally understands? Finally, I thought that the mention of teaching with a vivid demonstration was a very striking thought. When I think back to my classes the things that I remember clearest are the instances where there was something ‘vivid’ happening. For example I still remember who Francis Drake was because of the hilarious presentation my High school teacher gave in 2013. Connecting multiple senses with experience and new information is something that I think would be interesting to study.
February 1, 2023 at 9:00 am
The reading by Ed Allen was quick and enjoyable. Much like the techniques he was actively describing, his writing was easily digestible, concise, and engaging. He didn’t make us do activities, but by sprinkling in anecdotes, fragmenting sentences, splitting up the content into related chunks, and bolding key words, he keeps the reader engaged throughout the reading. Most of what Ed talked about is luckily intuitive for me as I am the daughter of a phenomenal educator (my mother) who frequently shares her successes and failures with me. Additionally, I have had a decent amount of experience in leadership positions, namely as a GE this last two years where I have done both the “right” and “wrong” things by Allen’s standards. There were many tidbits I particularly appreciated and hope to adjust within my second credit teaching project. Some of these morsels include:
“Tactile experience not only teaches, it motivates”
“…what you taught them will obsolesce sooner than you think. The lasting value
of the courses that I took was that they introduced me to their subject areas, taught me to operate at a basic level within them, laid a philosophical base, and taught me how to learn about them over time.”
“Don’t try to cover, try to uncover your topic”
“Start in the middle…plunge your students in”
“Scrap the syllabus”
“Quit Quizzing!”
“Capture the imagination of the last row of kids”
“Start the course fast”
and lastly
“Live on the edge from time to time”
All of the above quotes offered new insight or profound techniques to me that I hope to implement in my work (namely in my Professional Context discussion lecture) for the 2 credit teaching assignment. The article was so exciting and relevant that I shared it with my mother (who is a third grade teacher) in hopes that it helps her in the classroom. The reading was quite helpful and I can see why it works perfectly for this application and why it prevails as a leading/favorite text at University of Oregon presently.
December 6, 2021 at 2:06 pm
Ed Allen’s “Notes to Myself” is full of anecdotal advice for aspiring architecture instructors. With approximately 24 years of education as a student and nearly six years as a teacher/instructor, I can validate much of the advice given. While reading through it, I was reminded of some of the journeys through my own education and the teachers and professors who have impacted me so greatly. I grew up on a large ranch and hunted frequently as a result. After killing a wild boar one weekend, I decided to take the heart to my 7th grade life science teacher. We had been studying circulatory systems in mammals, and I clearly saw the connection. I carefully preserved it and took it to her proudly Monday morning. By the time I got to class 5th period, she had the lab set up for us to study and I saw the heart on display. I asked her if she had time to look at it and her face lit up as she excitedly told me how she had put all her fingers in the different ventricles that very morning. I still remember how giddy she was upon telling me!! I will never forget her enthusiasm!!
I also had professors in college that were clearly excited for the subject they taught, although many of my professors did not. Allen’s comment of “put the computer in it’s place” really struck me and made me recall a class I took as an undergraduate that I loved as a subject, but the professor made it difficult to enjoy. The course was Parasitology and the professor’s teaching method was to use an overhead projector with transparencies (not kidding!) that he had used for decades. The course material was very interesting, but his teaching style was boring and outdated. He also taught the lab section of the course which was more interesting because it was hands on with microscopes and actual cultures of parasites, but with the same teaching method of overhead projector, it was a difficult three hours to get through.
I had two professors at my undergraduate institution whose passion stands out in my mind today: an ecology professor who is still so passionate about his work–I keep in touch with him though he has moved to a university in the northeast. The other professor was my undergraduate mentor, who had such a wealth of knowledge. He would be lecturing and then just rely on his knowledge to draw molecular structures on the board. I worked in his lab for 3.5 years and learned so much from him.
One part of Allen’s writing that rang true to me is respecting each student’s dignity. How important this is!! Giving each student equal weight and letting each student speak is so important. I believe this is why many students don’t speak up–they do not want to appear stupid or inferior because they do not understand something. Normalizing question and response time in a classroom seems like an unreachable goal; but with more awareness and compassion, educators can allot respect due their students.
Allen’s paragraph devoted to leading students to expect the unexpected is somewhat unrealistic in my opinion. Teachers or professors love nothing more than seeing their students come to class and to be engaged in learning. However, Allen’s expectation for educators to change up class every day is impractical. Educators of all levels (K-12 and university level) have so much on their plate professionally. Their job is not merely teaching–committees, meetings, student/parent conferences, grading, lectures or lesson plan preparations and professional correspondence keep them busy during non-teaching hours. This leaves even less time for personal relationships and family time. Allen’s suggestion of making each day new in a class is unrealistic, for if a teacher were to do this, when would they have time for other things non-job related?
Another part of Allen’s notes I related to was the bit on teaching straight and simple. Although I have taught some complicated subjects and concepts, relating the concept to an analogy has proved very successful in the past. Create a way to help your students remember the material. Teacher’s tricks for learning are still the reason why I remember some of the things I do–it was taught to me that way and I’ve never forgotten it.
Additionally, Allen states that sometimes it is beneficial to start teaching material in the middle instead of the beginning. I said this so many times while taking general biology. The way the courses are taken are General Biology 1, where you learn about atoms, molecules, amino acids and cell metabolism and General Biology 2, where you learn body systems of animals you already know, starting with an earthworm and working your way up to a mammal. The reason I feel that starting in the middle (General Biology 2) would make more sense is because it begins with organisms you already know and recognize and starts to break down their systems for you to learn. If this was followed by the material in General Biology 1, these systems could be broken down further, from tissues to cells, cells to proteins, proteins to amino acids, amino acids to molecules and molecules to atoms. This makes much more sense to learn this complicated material. After all, doesn’t it make perfect sense that the first Star Wars movie made was Star Wars IV: A New Hope? Starting in the middle makes perfect sense sometimes.
Allen goes on to suggest that the syllabus you created should be scrapped. This cannot be done pragmatically for several reasons. First, learning institutions require a syllabus. Second, students rely on the syllabus to know what is expected of them and when assignments are due. Next, there are different types of students in every classroom–students that need the structure a syllabus provides, anxious students who check the syllabus often, students who are flexible and indifferent to spontaneous changes to the learning schedule (but still complete the work), and rebels, who would thrive on the chaos an absent syllabus would produce. Finally, Not having a syllabus simply creates an unstable and unpredictable learning environment. Students with test anxiety, performance anxiety or other disorders may make teaching on the fly difficult to adjust to.
In conclusion, Ed Allen’s “Notes to Myself” provides heartfelt and practical ways to improve one’s teaching. His experience and wisdom are evident with paragraphs of advice to teachers to engage with their students in many different ways. With his focus on the students and their ability to learn, Allen’s passion for teaching is clear: connect with your students. Do what it takes to reach them, accept them, respect them, engage them and love them. Do these things and not only will you be fulfilled in what you do as a teacher, but you will also have impacted a life and made a difference.
December 2, 2021 at 2:29 pm
While reading Notes to Myself I found myself connecting heavily with that Allen wrote on both the student and the teacher side. I have been in the past an undergraduate teaching assistant and led lab sections as well as office hours and workshops for students. And of course, I am currently in graduate school and have been in school for over 20 years now.
A few things Allen touched on were fairly straightforward about eye contact, grabbing attention, and not heavily relying on technology. I really connect with all of these as I know I learn better when I feel like I am having a conversation with a professor and some of those formalities of a monotone lecture with slides are broken. On the other side, when I was a TA I was only teaching student about a year or two below me in school and I feel like that blurred line of hierarchy(or lack thereof) was actually beneficial because I was comfortable with eye contact and talking more candid which I feel allowed the student to connect with me more easily.
Allen also went into detail on more abstract teaching ideas like passion, respect, and design of building science. This was really my bread and butter when I was assisting in teaching new student in the interior design program that I attended. I loved when I was learning about, and that love pushed me to want to share it with people. This meant that, yes it was a job, but also I really enjoyed what I was doing and when met with a question I didn’t know how to answer, I didn’t panic or felt inadequate, I was excited by the challenge and did research or asked a professor. I felt this on the other side as well when I entered higher education and felt like for one of the first time, I was being taught by people that really knew what they were talking about and that they really cared. Not to say that in k-12 none of my teachers had a passion for their subjects or hated their students, but when diving deep into a subject, you are able to teach the more specific and niche courses and ideas that you are actually passionate about, rather than a large sweeping subject that may become mundane after a while.
Interestingly, one of the only parts of this reading I did not agree with was “Scrap the syllabus”. I understand what Allen is getting at and I think his description of the course he taught sounds really intriguing. The thing is though is when you are juggling 4-5 classes, a job, a family, and some semblance of a social life, have even a rough outline of a course with a few due dates is extremely helpful in order to reduce stress. I have had courses in the past that haven’t had syllabi and honestly all it did was stress me out even more because, as someone with anxiety, my brain created the worst outcome possible. It quite frankly is also not practical in the world of learning standards. I complexly agree that it is the “more natural way to teach” but for students that were raised in our current education system, it just is not effective.
November 19, 2021 at 11:39 pm
“Note to Myself”. It was very interesting for me how Allen emphasizes on the importance of love and passion in teaching by starting and finishing his reading with teaching with love. As a student, I have experienced how start of the course can engage me in a different way. For me, knowing a broad perspective of the course beyond reviewing syllabus would result in more engagement. Providing real-world examples is a good way to start the course fast as Allen mentions.
In another part Allen discusses the importance of maintaining eye contact. However, I agree that keeping eye contact is very helpful to engage students, but my experience as student and teacher shows that it makes some students stressed.
Respecting students is very important. In one of my classes, the professor calls each of students to know their ideas, or ask questions. I always hear the naggings and negative reactions about his course, and how students are not interested in participating classes. Each session a noticable number of students are absent.
I really enjoyed the strategy that Allen mentioned to lead unexpected classed to encourage students come to class. Routine schedules are always boring, and not encouraging.
Teaching straight is another part that I think each teacher should have in mind, specially in architectural courses which are open ended. Many students feel confused and overwhelmed by the complexity of the lessons.
November 19, 2021 at 12:04 pm
While reading Notes to Myself I found myself connecting heavily with that Allen wrote on both the student and the teacher side. I have been in the past an undergraduate teaching assistant and led lab sections as well as office hours and workshops for students. And of course, I am currently in graduate school and have been in school for over 20 years now.
A few things Allen touched on were fairly straightforward about eye contact, grabbing attention, and not heavily relying on technology. I really connect with all of these as I know I learn better when I feel like I am having a conversation with a professor and some of those formalities of a monotone lecture with slides are broken. On the other side, when I was a TA I was only teaching student about a year or two below me in school and I feel like that blurred line of hierarchy(or lack thereof) was actually beneficial because I was comfortable with eye contact and talking more candid which I feel allowed the student to connect with me more easily.
Allen also went into detail on more abstract teaching ideas like passion, respect, and design of building science. This was really my bread and butter when I was assisting in teaching new student in the interior design program that I attended. I loved when I was learning about, and that love pushed me to want to share it with people. This meant that, yes it was a job, but also I really enjoyed what I was doing and when met with a question I didn’t know how to answer, I didn’t panic or felt inadequate, I was excited by the challenge and did research or asked a professor. I felt this on the other side as well when I entered higher education and felt like for one of the first time, I was being taught by people that really knew what they were talking about and that they really cared. Not to say that in k-12 none of my teachers had a passion for their subjects or hated their students, but when diving deep into a subject, you are able to teach the more specific and niche courses and ideas that you are actually passionate about, rather than a large sweeping subject that may become mundane after a while.
Interestingly, one of the only parts of this reading I did not agree with was “Scrap the syllabus”. I understand what Allen is getting at and I think his description of the course he taught sounds really intriguing. The thing is though is when you are juggling 4-5 classes, a job, a family, and some semblance of a social life, have even a rough outline of a course with a few due dates is extremely helpful in order to reduce stress. I have had courses in the past that haven’t had syllabi and honestly all it did was stress me out even more because, as someone with anxiety, my brain created the worst outcome possible. It quite frankly is also not practical in the world of learning standards. I complexly agree that it is the “more natural way to teach” but for students that were raised in our current education system, it just is not effective.
November 18, 2021 at 10:52 pm
As I went through this course, I experienced a lot of what Allen addressed in “Notes to Myself”. A lot of the strategies he talked about made him a more effective teacher. It was a great short read that talked about the importance of following a natural approach to teaching and learning. He talked about how to take risks and how these can lead to great conversations with students. He goes on to explain why these actions were effective and how they were implemented throughout his career. While he has specific actions that he can take to improve his teaching, his notes also touch on the qualities that make great teachers. One thing that struck me most about his writing is the simplicity of his message.
As an architecture student, I have experienced all kinds of lectures full of both interesting and dull topics. It now makes sense to me that the teachers in both scenarios used or did not use the right strategies. “Don’t make it boring – teach with stars in your eyes.” This statement stood out to me as it related to my experience as a teaching assistant. Other notes that I found useful are: Don’t use computers as a tool, don’t teach building science, don’t teach design for technical issues, and be straight and simple. Nowadays, learning and knowledge are so universal that it is nearly impossible to find a single source of information. Over time we have learned that assimilating from our personal experiences helps us become effective and better teachers who simplify the complexity of the concepts involved in teaching. This discipline allows young and aspirational teachers like me see the world through the lens of fluidity, the willingness to adapt, and to develop effective design solutions through sharing our knowledge with students.
Allen stresses the importance of uncovering a subject rather than covering all the details. A strategy like this will encourage students to keep learning about it after they finish their classes. He ends his essay by stating that he would like to scrap the syllabus. This is a bold and important statement, since it sets the expectations of both the student and the teacher. I feel that learning from other teachers who have a great deal of knowledge and have mastered the art of sparking the curiosity in the next generation by engaging the students more dynamically and in a flexible way is a great thing to do.
November 17, 2021 at 12:30 am
“Notes to Myself.” It is intriguing how Ed contradicts “myself” in the title to the word “you” he used in the whole passage. Perhaps it is Ed’s way to connect with his audience – inviting us to share a mutual feeling towards teaching. Reading it thus invites me to take some notes on my own teaching experiences.
Teaching is indeed challenging, yet fun at the same time. I can see some points Ed provided in his notes are very accurate, while others are less relatable. For example, Ed encourages us not to focus on covering the whole subject, instead emphasizing the “meaningful” parts, which will help students set a base for their understanding. This is the art of teaching, which I believe has been overlooked, at least from what I see and experience: teachers are too focused on covering all various materials given by the curriculum committee. This has to change, as I see this as the only way to let students embrace the learning process.
However, as teaching is a part of the education system, not every teacher has autonomy in their teaching activities. I have seen many teachers (at least in my country) trapped in a system that does not give enough space for teachers as individual educators to experiment with their methods. There are minimum requirements set by ‘higher power’ that every teacher should meet to get a good evaluation and opportunity to have more teaching chances. These requirements include a series of quizzes, exams, and proof of material coverage. In this sense, the beautiful process of “simple and fun” learning, as promised by Ed, is still far from reality. In other words, we, teachers, may at some point understand the art of teaching yet not get enough trust and appreciation to do what we believe is best for our students.
If I could meet Ed, I would have told him these kinds of stories, invited him to Indonesia, and traveled around the country to witness how varied the face of teaching could be. Perhaps, after some observations, he could have offered us a ‘Notes to Ourselves’: something we all could share and relate to. It would have been great, wouldn’t it?
November 15, 2021 at 12:52 pm
I’d consider assigning this to the Track II class of ten at the beginning of the quarter, to give us ideas in terms of how to present “our” buildings. I think that successful architects need to be able to communicate ideas, and even though the lessons are directed at teachers, those lessons could help us with our seminar presentations. When we started the quarter, I was pretty nervous about using Powerpoint/etc. because I’d never done it before, and I realize that I was so taken aback by the technological aspect of it, it actually distracted me from thinking about the actual ideas.
Allen’s idea of the blue dot design exercise is pretty brilliant, and I don’t know why I haven’t had a class like that before. Why doesn’t everyone do that? Or things like that? It is a perfect example of how to involve students in their education, which is the whole point, right? So they are not only involved in creating something, but also in evaluation, which is the point.
The idea of looking students in the eye is so important. I play music and I’m terrified of looking anyone in the eyes when I’m playing, so I fully get the fear and not wanting to do this. This is exactly why I keep my Zoom camera on when I’m not in class. I think it’s a point of participation, to be able to see people and look all of us in the eyes and try to communicate on a basic level. It’s respect, even when it’s not what anyone wants to do.
Starting fast, always not a bad plan but I think changing things up so we’re not just sitting there for hours on end is good. So the long seminars work if they are structured with changed activities (likely more important than breaks).
Put the computer in its place – I love this but I don’t think UO is on the same page here. Some classes are bogged down in coding. Even so, the best part of the design courses that focus on computer programming is seeing other students’ work, and we realize how interested and passionate we all are already at design. It opens our eyes up to new ideas of what is skill versus what is beautiful.
November 1, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Growing up with two parents that were teachers really instilled a lot of the aspects that the author touches on in this reading. I was pleasantly surprised to read things that I had been instinctively doing for years whether I was impromptu teaching something, running a homework help session, or actually GE-ing a class. There were a few other notes that I liked, a few that I didn’t agree with, and a few that I just felt are impractical in certain aspects. In my opinion, all of these strategies are valid, and they do work wonders while teaching. However, with experience you will learn how you best teach effectively and when to use certain styles and methods. For example, teaching a structures lab does not allow for a design problem to be integrated, nor does it allow for any design based learning when the students are tasked with learning FEA software. It does allow for you to practice your ability to explain a technical subject in multiple different ways, and to learn how to best hold students attention when the lab consists of 16 problems to solve in the same software. More often than not, I find these notes from the author to be second nature to me. I think it’s just from this stuff being the dinner table conversation; the “how was your day” conversation. I am lucky to have had that environment growing up and while I don’t dream of a career in teaching, I do feel like I have an advantage doing it. For those who have no experience in teaching, I would tell you to read these notes, and tab two or three to use at a time. Experiment with which strategies worked and which ones didn’t. With time, you’ll be able to reach into your quiver and pull the most effective strategy for that situation, but that can only come with experience.
March 1, 2021 at 5:57 pm
Edward Allen’s “Notes to myself” begins with the importance of passion and enthusiasm and ends with teaching with love. The subject of passion and love could not be underestimated in teaching because love and passion is contagious. The passion of a teacher for what he teaches, the people he teaches, and the art and act of teaching directly determines and reflects in the teacher’s attitude or demeanor. Passion begets passion. Excitement is transferable! Allen could not have said it any better, “teach with the stars in your eyes”!
One other remarkable point Allen made in his notes was to respect each student’s dignity. I agree that each student should be treated as a person with utmost respect. The fact that the student is not as knowledgeable in the area of expertise of the teacher does not ever imply that the student is dumb or any less of a person deserving respect. This point really defied what I have previously seen as a dominant attitude of most teachers I have encountered growing up. This attitude of not treating students with respect and dignity breeds an atmosphere of intimidation and general demoralization of students even before the begin studying the subject.
However, I beg to differ a little with Allen’s point of praising the student publicly and criticize them privately. I believe that a public critique is not entirely a harmful thing if it is done in a loving way, in a way that is constructive and yet encourages the student and all other student to see the mistake and strive for better. In some scenarios, it is good to lovingly point out a mistake in public so that other students can learn from it. I am of the view that before a criticism is given to a student in the presence of others, the teacher should adequately praise or give a positive comment about the student’s work, question, or ideas. That way, the student is convinced that the teacher has his best interest at heart and will be more receptive to the criticism. This also is not to say that a teacher should criticize a student’s personality or make derogatory comment as a personal attack on the student. Whatever criticism that a teacher has for a student, whether in public or privately, it should be done objectively and constructively to build up the student in every way possible. “If your teaching becomes a pure act of love, then you will have become a consummate teacher”.
January 30, 2021 at 10:13 pm
Teach with stars in your eyes.
– Edward Allen
It is lucky to read Allen’s Note to Myself as the first reading for teaching. The insightful thinking about ways of teaching is encouraging and meaningful.
I can sense Allen’s teaching ideas focus on how the knowledge will pass to the student and make the class truly effective. Allen captures the students’ perspective that how they able to be engaged in the study. The “ten minutes hook start” for me is a great reminder. When I am recording my teaching moment, I focus on finishing the content and passing it to the audience. When I read this part, a word that came to my mind is “empathy.” From my understanding, the hook is a way of getting attention. Still, it is also just a starting point to journal the professional knowledge, techniques, and design with empathy. When I am TA the first-year student, I understand what they are at for the first time in the architecture design studio. Learning in some ways could be challenging. It is a synthesized ability related to the personal experience, attitudes, emotional state, and the environment. When I am trying to be the teaching character, a person has more power and needs more care and sensitivity. What I can provide should not be limited to a beautiful lecture but an open and free learning environment.
The most striking sentence that directly points out my motivation for teaching, though I do not have much experience, is “The most important thing about teaching is love. Love your subject matter. Love the act of teaching. Love your student”. The passion for teaching would be so simple and also could be very complicated. This sentence brings me back to my original point of why I was going to teach.
I was surprised by Allen’s note on “treasure your quirky, offhand ideas.” Allen shows me a view that focuses not only on the student perspective but also on thinking about teaching as a person of myself. To believe myself first! To understand me and then enjoy the excellent moment in front of students. In this way, I can go further on this road.