Authors: Linh Nguyen and Yvonne Johnson According to the Fall 2025 enrollment highlight, more than half of NIU’s incoming first-year students identify as first-generation college
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Beyond the loudest few: How to get quieter students to participate in your class
I recall walking into a lecture hall and disappearing into the crowd in many of my undergraduate courses. Like any hopeful and determined first-generation student,
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The hidden cost of catching up in STEM
In STEM, success is often measured by outcomes: grades, persistence, and graduation rates. When students who start with gaps in preparation ultimately perform as well
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Demystify the hidden curriculum of letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation are often the silent gatekeepers of opportunity. They can open doors to jobs, internships, scholarships, graduate programs, and professional schools. Yet, for
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Holding space for compassion: Trauma-informed teaching in an era of immigration crackdowns
As educators, we often talk about creating an effective learning environment in our classrooms—but what does that look like when students are living through trauma
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Building resilient learners: Turning self-doubt into student success
When I first arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant from Vietnam, I barely spoke English. So I got to work and found myself sitting
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Bringing critical thinking to life in your classroom: Lessons from Linda Elder
Here’s something that keeps me up at night: we’re living in an age where misinformation spreads faster than wildfire, and our students are caught right
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Forward focus book club first read: The Great Upheaval
Higher education stands at a crossroads. Just as previous generations navigated the shift from agricultural to industrial society, we face transformative challenges of our own.
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Building self-directed learners: From theory to practice
My social identities include a variety of educational “firsts”—first-generation immigrant from Vietnam, first-generation college graduate, and the first in my family to pursue a Ph.D.
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Grading for growth: A blueprint for equity in the classroom
Traditional grading practices have faced criticism for perpetuating inequity and hindering learning. Enter Joe Feldman’s Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and
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Fostering a creative learning culture
A truly creative learning environment welcomes and amplifies all voices, providing space for students from various backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives to contribute meaningfully. While some
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Embracing cultural wealth as a path to Black student success in STEM
The persistent underrepresentation of Black students in STEM fields has long been viewed through a deficit lens, focusing on barriers and challenges rather than strengths
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