ACUE Focus: Traci Johnston

More than 153 UA - Pulaski Technical College faculty have improved their teaching practices through a program with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). This rigorous, evidence based, 25-week course engages instructors with independently validated research to improve student achievement and close equity gaps. ACUE Focus is a question and answer series where faculty share their experiences with ACUE.

Traci Johnston
Associate Teaching Professor of Education, Department of Education and Reading
Education: M.S. University of Arkansas, B.A. Harding University

1. What ACUE Cohort were you a part of?

Fall 2018 - Spring 2019

2. What do you teach and how do you think you benefited from the ACUE course?

I teach Early Childhood Development & Education courses. ACUE provided me with additional skills on providing useful feedback to students and making sure the feedback I’m providing helps improve their knowledge and understanding of the material being presented. I also really benefited from the modules on planning effective class discussions and facilitating engaging class discussions.

3. What is the best thing you learned from ACUE?

I learned many techniques but one of the main techniques I continue to use is the “One-Minute” paper. I give students one question about the content we have been reviewing. Either at the beginning or end of class, I give them “one-minute” to answer the question. This allows me to gauge what they are understanding or what content I need to spend more time on in class. I also really like giving students a “mid-semester” evaluation. I want students to be comfortable in my class so if I can make any changes to help them, it’s what I want to do.

4. Do you think your students benefited from you taking the ACUE course and if so, how?

Absolutely! I think it really helped me step out of the box. I was able to add more teaching tools to really connect with my students and be a more intentional educator.

5. What was your favorite module in ACUE?

My favorite module in ACUE was “Connecting with Your Students.” When you connect with your students and they feel you care about them, they want to work hard and do well in your class. That is a great way to retain our students.