Björn C. Mitzinneck

To make the most effective use of class time and create productive classroom learning experiences, I rely on a general flipped-classroom-approach. That is, I assign strategically selected preparatory readings familiarizing students with the topic of a session and then use class time to deepen their understanding of the topic. Through reading individually, students get a chance to grapple with a topic for the first time. Through in-class group work and guided class discussions, students then get a second chance to grapple with a topic and to learn from one another and from communicating their own thoughts to others. This reinforces and consolidates their understanding.

 

For every student to reach her or his full potential, it is crucial that they feel empowered to participate in class and share their insights. I place great emphasis on creating an inclusive classroom environment. I establish clear ground rules in my syllabi and from the first session in class for a productive classroom climate. I also strive to counter stereotype threat and encourage minority students’ self-efficacy by consciously including examples of successful minority business leaders in my teaching and avoiding gendered, ethnically biased, or heteronormist language.

 

To continuously improve my skills as a discussion facilitator and instructor, I elicit student feedback. In every course, I ask for at least two student evaluations – one after roughly the first third of a course and one at the end. I use the first round of feedback to better tailor my teaching to the needs of the specific cohort of students. I use all student evaluations over time to analyze my potential for improvement and seek development opportunities for these skill areas.