On Episode 577 of Teaching in Higher Ed, I welcome Jessamyn Neuhaus, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and professor in the School of Education at Syracuse University. Jessamyn, author of Geeky Pedagogy and editor of Picture a Professor, joins me to explore the power and inevitability of teaching snafus—those moments when things go wrong in the college classroom. Together, we discuss how embracing these missteps can dismantle the damaging myth of the "super teacher" and actually create opportunities for growth, agency, and connection, both for instructors and learners.

Resources from the episode:

• Snafu Edu: Teaching and Learning When Things Go Wrong in the College Classroom, by Jessamyn Neuhaus
• Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) at Syracuse University
• Picture a Professor: Interrupting Biases about Faculty and Increasing Student Learning, by Jessamyn Neuhaus
• Geeky Pedagogy, by Jessamyn Neuhaus
• Manly Meals and Mom's Home Cooking: Cookbooks and Gender in Modern America, by Jessamyn Neuhaus
• Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play: Transforming the Buyer/Seller Relationship, by Mahan Khalsa
• The Sleeper, by Mike Wesch
• SIFT (The Four Moves), by Mike Caulfield
• Our University Is Replacing DEI with Vibes and Vaguely Diverse Stock Photos by Carla M. Lopez for McSweeney’s
• DEI? You’re Fired! with Heather McGhee on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
• 10 In the Moment Responses for Addressing Micro and Macroaggressions in the Classroom, by Chavella Pittman
• 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, by David Yeager
• Critical Teaching Behaviors: Defining, Documenting, and Discussing Good Teaching, by Lauren Barbeau, Claudia Cornejo Happel
• Dippity Do Girls with Curls Curl Boosting Mousse
• MoMA Sliding Perpetual Calendar
• Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Hand Soap
• Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education
• International Journal for Students as Partners
• Tea for Teaching Podcast
• The Present Professor, by Elizabeth A. Norell
• Thrifty Shopper
• We Are Lady Parts on Peacock

Episode topics:

• Embracing Snafus as a Normal Part of Teaching
• Dismantling the Super Teacher Myth
• Toxic Positivity in Academic Culture
• Intersectionality and Teaching Identity
• Systemic Inequities Impacting Teaching and Learning
• Navigating Learner Variability and Biases
• The Reality of Recipes and Best Practices in Teaching
• The Importance of Scripts and Repair Strategies
• Practicing Apologies and Admitting Mistakes in the Classroom
• The Limits of Perfectionism in Higher Education

Discussion questions:

1. Jessamyn Neuhaus emphasizes that mistakes and snafus are a normal part of teaching. How does embracing this perspective change the way we approach challenges in the classroom?
2. The episode discusses the “super teacher myth.” In what ways do pop culture and academic expectations perpetuate this myth, and what harm can it cause for both educators and students?
3. Intersectionality was highlighted as crucial for understanding snafus in teaching and learning. How do your own identities and your students’ identities intersect with moments when things go wrong in the classroom?
4. The episode describes “best practices” and evidence-based techniques but cautions against one-size-fits-all approaches. How do you adapt teaching strategies to your unique context, and what challenges do you encounter in doing so?
5. Discuss the “STIR” approach (Stop, Think, Identify, Repair) as presented in the episode. Which part of this process do you find most challenging, and why?
6. Reflect on the idea of using scripts or prepared statements for difficult classroom situations. In what ways could this be empowering or limiting for instructors? Have you ever used or benefited from such scripts?

Related Episodes

If you enjoyed this conversation with Jessamyn, you are highly likely to also appreciate her sharing on Episode 286 about her book, Geeky Pedagogy. She describes a reflective approach tailored for introverted, intellectual educators, highlighting the importance of self-awareness, intentional social preparation, and gratitude practices to become more effective rather than naturally “charismatic” teachers.

Quotable Words

On Episode 268, Jessamyn reveals how:

Teaching and learning is a social interaction. We tend to be underprepared for the social interaction part of our job.

Recommended

I updated the dedicated page of AI-related Teaching in Higher Ed episodes to now include a bunch of continually-updating resources.

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On the upcoming episode of Teaching in Higher Ed, we get to hear from Karen Costa on learning to teach, design, and rest from nature.

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Affiliate income disclosure: Books that are recommended on the podcast link to the Teaching in Higher Ed bookstore on Bookshop.org. All affiliate income gets donated to the LibroMobile Arts Cooperative (LMAC), established in 2016 by Sara Rafael Garcia.”

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