Terry McGlynn is professor of biology at California State University Dominguez Hills and research associate in the Department of Entomology in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He is the author of the academic blog Small Pond Science and is a regular contributor to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Many of us find ourselves in front of a university classroom with little formal training in how to be effective instructors or how to mentor diverse populations of undergraduates. McGlynn's book is the resource so many of us have been waiting for. It is practical, informative, and full of helpful tips. Whether you are new to college instruction or a seasoned professor you are certain to discover tools that will improve your science teaching. --Corrie Moreau, Professor and Collection Curator, Cornell University Dept. of Entomology I love field guides. In this useful, interesting book, Terry McGlynn offers a field guide to the wonderful wilds of the classroom. This is the book every aspiring or new instructor should have, but so too seasoned professors. It is extraordinarily useful, but in as much as it draws on insights from a broad range of fields, also fascinating. It will be a classic. --Rob Dunn, Professor of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University It is the empathy that McGlynn brings to his subject that sets his book apart, for McGlynn, an experienced professor of Biology, is first and foremost a teacher of empathy in this text, a rare and precious skill. As instructors, we think we already know the nuts and bolts of how to teach a course, but how to structure a classroom such that it may foster the empathy required to promote lasting change? We haven't thought about this enough, but lucky for us, McGlynn has. Every subject covered within this 'Practical Guide' is grounded in McGlynn's vision of a more equitable and compassionate learning environment and promises deep benefits for students and teachers alike. --Hope Jahren, Author of Lab Girl and The Story of More