S5 E45: Preparing Students for Complex Realities

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, host Breana Bayraktar speaks with George Mason University Public Health Associate Professor Michelle Williams about how experiential learning, community-based perspectives, and real-world application can make student learning more meaningful across disciplines and course levels. Drawing on her work in health education and community-based research, Michelle shares how she helps students connect theory to practice by engaging with the environments, barriers, and professional realities that shape health outcomes in everyday life. The conversation also explores teaching students from diverse academic backgrounds, adapting assignments for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral learners, navigating challenging conversations around AI and contested topics in the classroom, and rethinking the role of group projects in skill development. With practical examples and thoughtful reflection, this episode offers faculty a compelling reminder that students learn more deeply when course content is grounded in the complex realities they will encounter beyond the classroom.NEW! Please take a moment to answer our 5-question, anonymous Podcast Listener Survey to tell us a little about how the podcast has impacted your teaching: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/vCVZ1Q8bcK Check out our website!

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, host Breana Bayraktar speaks with Naomi Martinez-Jones and Jamilah Anderson from George Mason University’s Disability Services office about what faculty should know regarding accommodations and how a collaborative partnership can support student success. The conversation unpacks how the accommodations process works, what faculty are required to do, and why open communication with Disability Services is so important when questions or concerns arise. Naomi and Jamilah also share practical ways instructors can build more accessible and inclusive courses from the start, from digital accessibility and flexible course design to universal design for learning, while still maintaining high expectations and academic rigor. Grounded in both policy and student experience, this episode offers a thoughtful, faculty-centered look at accessibility in higher education and reminds us that creating access is not something instructors or students should navigate alone.  Resources: Disability Services https://ds.gmu.edu/, Assistive Technology Initiative https://ati.gmu.edu/ NEW! Please take a moment to answer our 5-question, anonymous Podcast Listener Survey to tell us a little about how the podcast has impacted your teaching: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/vCVZ1Q8bcKCheck out our website!

In this special Hear From Your Host episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, producer and guest host Kelly Chandler introduces the podcast’s new host, Dr. Breana Bayraktar, Educational Developer at the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. Breana shares her teaching experiences and reflects on the questions that drive her work around faculty development, faculty agency, and innovation in higher education. Together, Kelly and Breana discuss what listeners can expect in upcoming episodes, including conversations about student support, generative AI in teaching, and the continuing impact of post-COVID learning on student expectations, engagement, attendance, and classroom participation. This episode offers an inside look at the perspective Breana brings to the podcast and sets the stage for future conversations about teaching, learning, and faculty development at George Mason! NEW! Please take a moment to answer our 5-question, anonymous Podcast Listener Survey to tell us a little about how the podcast has impacted your teaching: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/vCVZ1Q8bcKCheck out our website!

In this special episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, host Breana Bayraktar speaks with attendees and presenters from George Mason University’s 18th Annual Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference about what makes ITL such a meaningful space for faculty learning, connection, and inspiration. Guests Cindy Parker of Costello College of Business, Colleen Reynolds of English, Lorena Jordan of Libraries at Schar School of Policy and Government, and Sanja Avramovic of the College of Public Health share practical teaching ideas they took away from this year’s conference. From design thinking and career-readiness framing, to digital escape rooms, student wellbeing, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, our guests reflect on strategies they learned from George Mason faculty presenters across various disciplines. The conversation also highlights ITL as a welcoming, low-stakes opportunity to explore new approaches to teaching, connect with colleagues and campus resources, and share one’s own work with a broader audience. Whether you are a longtime participant or new to the conference, this episode offers a compelling look at how ITL helps George Mason faculty learn from one another and strengthen teaching across the university. Learn more about ITL: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/programs/home-itl-conference/ Check out our website!

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, guests Joy Banks and Min Park from the College of Education and Human Development share with us how they create meaningful learning experiences across in-person and online teaching. Drawing on examples from their own courses in Education and Tourism Management, they reflect on how thoughtful course design—not just modality—shapes student engagement. The conversation also explores how faculty can help students grapple with complex and sometimes controversial topics across modalities by grounding discussion in evidence, inviting multiple perspectives, and giving students space to analyze, reflect, and grow. With practical insights for faculty across disciplines, this episode highlights how higher education teaching can move beyond content delivery to foster critical thinking, cultural competence, and meaningful student growth.Check out our website!

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, we spoke with two George Mason University Korea faculty from very different disciplines, Statistics professor Ajiboye Babalola and Business and Law professor Omario Kanji, about how instructors can build relevance in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on examples from both their classrooms and life experiences, they discuss how connecting theory to real-world practice helps students see why course concepts matter beyond the classroom, from legal problem-solving to data-informed thinking. Their engaging conversation also explores multilingual teaching and the value of meeting students where they are through clear communication, relatable examples, and an intentional investment in their educational journeys. With thoughtful reflections on inclusion and the growing role of AI, this episode offers faculty practical inspiration through a collegial conversation marked by connection, storytelling, and humor.Check out our website!

In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, Ana Farnham and Kristin Johnsen-Neshati from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University share how perspective-taking can deepen teaching and learning across disciplines. Drawing on examples from graphic design and theater, they discuss how helping students consider audience, interpretation, and intent can deepen students’ thinking about how their work is experienced by others. The conversation also explores Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and other accessible, multimodal teaching practices that support student engagement by making room for different ways of learning and demonstrating understanding. With thoughtful examples and practical insight, this episode offers faculty an inspiring reminder that when we design courses around experience, curiosity, and access, we create more impactful learning environments for all.Check out our website!

In this inspiring episode about humanizing higher education classrooms, host Rachel Yoho speaks with George Mason University English instructor Eric Auld and Xiaoyu Gao (former instructor with George Mason's English department at time of recording) about practical, research-informed strategies for building authentic connections with students across modalities—from asynchronous online courses to face-to-face composition classrooms. Our guests share concrete activities they use in their own classrooms to build a conducive classroom culture, discuss the value of appropriate instructor vulnerability in fostering student trust, and explore how humanizing teaching can address contemporary challenges like AI in student writing and faculty mental health. Whether you teach required first-year composition courses or upper-level seminars, you'll discover actionable approaches to create learning environments where students see writing as process over product, develop their authentic voice, and feel genuinely supported. This conversation offers fresh perspectives on transforming mandatory courses from perceived obstacles into engaging experiences while reminding us that sustainable teaching requires putting on our own oxygen masks first—a timely message for faculty navigating the complexities of modern higher education.Check out our website!

For the first time, Keystone Concepts in Teaching features a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) and a graduate instructor as guests, offering faculty a candid look into the student-instructor perspective. Host Dr. Rachel Yoho is joined by Sehaj Gill and Yasmin Rahmani, who share anecdotes from teaching introductory labs and lectures at George Mason University while pursuing their own graduate degrees. The conversation emphasizes the importance of relatability, patience, and clear communication, especially when guiding students through their core course requirements. The episode explores lessons learned from handling classroom challenges, advice for professors on working productively with GTAs, and practical guidance for aspiring GTAs—including adaptability, not overlooking fundamentals in the age of AI, and confidently admitting “I don’t know.” Faculty will gain actionable strategies and new perspectives on creating supportive, relevant, and inclusive learning environments, straight from the voices of those teaching and learning at the same time. Resource: George Mason University Graduate Education - Teaching Skills:  https://graduate.gmu.edu/professional-development/teaching-skills Check out our website!

How do we develop, support, and recognize effective teaching across career stages in higher education? In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching, host Dr. Rachel Yoho is joined by Christi Wilcox, Director of the Office of Outreach, Student Success, and Engagement in George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing, for a wide‑ranging conversation about faculty development, graduate student preparation, and the recognition of teaching and learning work. Together, they explore why investing in pedagogical training, especially early with graduate students, strengthens both institutions and the profession. Additionally, Christi provides listeners with strategies for how to make the value of teaching development visible and why faculty should strategically advocate for and document their teaching‑related professional growth. This episode invites faculty across disciplines to rethink recognition, professional development, and the many ways effective teaching contributes to student success and the broader higher education ecosystem.Resource: Faculty Podcast Credential: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/credentials/keystone-concepts-in-teaching-podcast-faculty-credential/ Check out our website!