In a new competition this semester, a study tip may be enough to win first prize.

On March 26, the Kent State Center for Teaching and Learning will host “The Great Kent State Teach-Off,” a five-minute presentation where instructors across Kent campuses go head-to-head to showcase their talents.

The Teach-Off allows instructors to show off something they do in their course: an assessment, a tool, a tip or an activity.

“This is for students to see their instructors in a different light,” said LeighAnn Tomaswick, Innovation Learning Design Specialist of the Center for Teaching and Learning, and the director of the event.

Students, including student leaders and graduate students, can benefit from the event, Tomaswick said. For the first time, teachers from a variety of fields will gather to share their tips and tricks.

Tomaswick said she wants students to understand the greatness of this event.

“There are these humans, that yes, they come and teach this content, but they’re also experts in teaching,” Tomaswick said. “I think what’s more important in today’s world is celebrating teaching, celebrating our amazing faculty.”

Sarah Beal, another coordinator for the event, highlighted the opportunity for students to gain insight into the teaching profession. 

“If there’s anyone who’s interested in becoming a professor one day, I think it’s also a great chance to see kind of an insight into what that lifestyle can look [like] for people that want to be professors,” Beal said. “Seeing some of the teaching practices that are going around on campus can help.”

There will be two competition categories, live and asynchronous, meaning viewers can watch the event in real-time or on their own time.

The live prelims are March 4 and 26. Viewers can watch via Microsoft Teams and vote for their favorite instructors.

March 24 through April 10, the asynchronous prelim will take place. Students can watch the recordings and vote before noon on April 10. Students can go to the Center for Teaching and Learning website to find more information.

There will be two trophies awarded. One trophy for the winner of the live prelim, and one winner for the asynchronous prelim.

A previous event Beal hosted, the “Three Minute Thesis,” inspired this event’s format. In a “Three Minute Thesis,” presenters briefly introduce themselves, their ideas and their business.

Tomaswick came up with a “micro-teaching” concept for this event because she wanted students to benefit from instructors’ teaching habits, she said.

Micro-teaching refers to a training technique that will help professors improve their skills through teaching short lessons, and then receiving feedback from an audience.

For Tomaswick and Beal, this is more than an event; it is a way to express gratitude to professors for the work they put into everything.

“To be a good teacher, you have to be able to communicate these really complicated ideas in a way that’s easy to understand for students,” Beal said. “That’s why the Center for Teaching and Learning exists.”

Alayna Howell is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].