Dennis S. Davis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Literacy Education
Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching
College of Education and Human Development
UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
My teaching is rooted in an understanding of how difficult learning can be, especially when it requires reshaping previous knowledge and seeing things in a new way.
I tell my students that if a class discussion feels easy and comfortable, that probably means they already understood the content and didn't learn anything new - which means I need to work harder the next time to make sure we push our thinking into new territory. I want students to leave my class each day feeling like their minds have been pushed to the limit. At the same time, I want them to feel supported and respected so that our class is a rigorous - but never frustrating - experience.
