Meriam Library(opens in new window)
Faculty Affairs (FAAF)(opens in new window)
Accessible Technology Services (TEIN)(opens in new window)
May 2026 Tuesday Tips
5th May 2026
Tuesday Teaching Tip: Authentic Voice in Online Spaces
Teaching online, especially in asynchronous formats, can be really difficult. It is a popular modality, especially for summer which is why I’m focusing on it here. Flower Darby was the most recent guest on the Teaching in Higher Ed (opens in new window) podcast, where she was interviewed about her recent book The Joyful Online Teacher (opens in new window). There was an interesting point she made about authenticity I wanted to pass on, “The research shows on online teaching and learning, including memes and your announcements from time to time, sparks some energy and enthusiasm in your students. But I would say if you’re not a meme person, don’t do that.”
Yes this is about memes, but it is really about the importance of authenticity even in formats that feel distant. We share a lot of advice through teaching tips and workshops, but what often goes unstated is that you should be finding the middle ground between things that match your own identity as a teacher and what we know about good instruction.
Whether you are prepping for summer or just trying to make it through finals, remember to take care of yourselves and look out for each other in the coming weeks. We can do this.
Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150
If you’d like to comment on this or any other Tuesday Tip, visit the FDEV Blog(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.
12th May 2026
Tuesday Teaching Tip: Contingency Plans
The Canvas hack(opens in new window) and outage is not the kind of event any single faculty member can prepare for. The levers of power are well outside of our control as individuals and we cannot effectively work around a system as integrated as Canvas. That said, we learned a few things this past week that should be enduring lessons for us as we practice good digital hygiene at the end of the semester. I want to highlight two best practices to keep in mind, even if there is never another Canvas outage.
First, remember how to contact students outside of the Canvas platform. Melissa Mache, Chair of Kinesiology, put together this quick guide(opens in new window) for emailing students as a group through the Portal. We have heard from students that these are sometimes directed to spam folders since it is a bulk email so let students know early in the semester to be on the lookout. Save this guide in case you need it again.
Second, download your gradebooks(opens in new window) at least at the end of each semester and store them in a secure folder. It is easy to go too far and become some sort of Learning Management System doomsday prepper. Instead, just take the straightforward step of creating a backup of current grades. This takes seconds and allows you to answer questions quickly in the event of another outage.
One quick note, Nik Janos and I are co-hosting a webinar covering 5 common AI myths and how to move beyond them for OneHE on 5/13 at 1pm(opens in new window). Registration is free.
On behalf of the team at Faculty Development, we hope you have the summer you want to have, and we look forward to seeing you in the fall.
Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150
AI Blog/Newsletter/Podcast(opens in new window)
If you’d like to comment on this or any other Tuesday Tip, visit the FDEV Blog(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.