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Published by Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning
Keystone Concepts in Teaching is a higher education podcast from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning at George Mason University. We focus on impactful teaching strategies that support students and faculty. Join us for conversations with experienced educators across disciplines and instructional modalities who share their actionable, evidence-based tips from the classroom! Why keystone concepts? These are essential ideas that support effective teaching and learning. Our podcast aims to enhance faculty development by sharing these concepts and inclusive strategies to support faculty of all types and disciplines. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform to get notified about new episodes every 2 weeks during the spring and fall semesters. Listen to our <25-minute episodes while you're on the go to discover small change strategies you might try now! Hosted by: Rachel Yoho, CDP, PhD Produced by: Kelly Chandler, MA
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In this special Hear From Your Host episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching , producer and guest host Kelly Chandler introduces the podcast’s new host, Dr. Breana Bayraktar, Educational Developer at the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. Breana shares her teaching experiences and reflects on the questions that drive her work around faculty development, faculty agency, and innovation in higher education. Together, Kelly and Breana discuss what listeners can expect in upcoming episodes, including conversations about student support, generative AI in teaching, and the continuing impact of post-COVID learning on student expectations, engagement, attendance, and classroom participation. This episode offers an inside look at the perspective Breana brings to the podcast and sets the stage for future conversations about teaching, learning, and faculty development at George Mason! NEW! Please take a moment to answer our 5-question, anonymous Podcast Listener Survey to tell us a little about how the podcast has impacted your teaching: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/vCVZ1Q8bcK Check out our website!
In this special episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching , host Breana Bayraktar speaks with attendees and presenters from George Mason University’s 18th Annual Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference about what makes ITL such a meaningful space for faculty learning, connection, and inspiration. Guests Cindy Parker of Costello College of Business, Colleen Reynolds of English, Lorena Jordan of Libraries at Schar School of Policy and Government, and Sanja Avramovic of the College of Public Health share practical teaching ideas they took away from this year’s conference. From design thinking and career-readiness framing, to digital escape rooms, student wellbeing, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, our guests reflect on strategies they learned from George Mason faculty presenters across various disciplines. The conversation also highlights ITL as a welcoming, low-stakes opportunity to explore new approaches to teaching, connect with colleagues and campus resources, and share one’s own work with a broader audience. Whether you are a longtime participant or new to the conference, this episode offers a compelling look at how ITL helps George Mason faculty learn from one another and strengthen teaching across the university. Learn more about ITL: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/programs/home-itl-conference/ Check out our website!
In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching , guests Joy Banks and Min Park from the College of Education and Human Development share with us how they create meaningful learning experiences across in-person and online teaching. Drawing on examples from their own courses in Education and Tourism Management, they reflect on how thoughtful course design—not just modality—shapes student engagement. The conversation also explores how faculty can help students grapple with complex and sometimes controversial topics across modalities by grounding discussion in evidence, inviting multiple perspectives, and giving students space to analyze, reflect, and grow. With practical insights for faculty across disciplines, this episode highlights how higher education teaching can move beyond content delivery to foster critical thinking, cultural competence, and meaningful student growth. Check out our website!
In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching , we spoke with two George Mason University Korea faculty from very different disciplines, Statistics professor Ajiboye Babalola and Business and Law professor Omario Kanji, about how instructors can build relevance in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on examples from both their classrooms and life experiences, they discuss how connecting theory to real-world practice helps students see why course concepts matter beyond the classroom, from legal problem-solving to data-informed thinking. Their engaging conversation also explores multilingual teaching and the value of meeting students where they are through clear communication, relatable examples, and an intentional investment in their educational journeys. With thoughtful reflections on inclusion and the growing role of AI, this episode offers faculty practical inspiration through a collegial conversation marked by connection, storytelling, and humor. Check out our website!
In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching , Ana Farnham and Kristin Johnsen-Neshati from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University share how perspective-taking can deepen teaching and learning across disciplines. Drawing on examples from graphic design and theater, they discuss how helping students consider audience, interpretation, and intent can deepen students’ thinking about how their work is experienced by others. The conversation also explores Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and other accessible, multimodal teaching practices that support student engagement by making room for different ways of learning and demonstrating understanding. With thoughtful examples and practical insight, this episode offers faculty an inspiring reminder that when we design courses around experience, curiosity, and access, we create more impactful learning environments for all. Check out our website!
In this inspiring episode about humanizing higher education classrooms, host Rachel Yoho speaks with George Mason University English instructor Eric Auld and Xiaoyu Gao (former instructor with George Mason's English department at time of recording) about practical, research-informed strategies for building authentic connections with students across modalities—from asynchronous online courses to face-to-face composition classrooms. Our guests share concrete activities they use in their own classrooms to build a conducive classroom culture, discuss the value of appropriate instructor vulnerability in fostering student trust, and explore how humanizing teaching can address contemporary challenges like AI in student writing and faculty mental health. Whether you teach required first-year composition courses or upper-level seminars, you'll discover actionable approaches to create learning environments where students see writing as process over product, develop their authentic voice, and feel genuinely supported. This conversation offers fresh perspectives on transforming mandatory courses from perceived obstacles into engaging experiences while reminding us that sustainable teaching requires putting on our own oxygen masks first—a timely message for faculty navigating the complexities of modern higher education. Check out our website!
For the first time, Keystone Concepts in Teaching features a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) and a graduate instructor as guests, offering faculty a candid look into the student-instructor perspective. Host Dr. Rachel Yoho is joined by Sehaj Gill and Yasmin Rahmani, who share anecdotes from teaching introductory labs and lectures at George Mason University while pursuing their own graduate degrees. The conversation emphasizes the importance of relatability, patience, and clear communication, especially when guiding students through their core course requirements. The episode explores lessons learned from handling classroom challenges, advice for professors on working productively with GTAs, and practical guidance for aspiring GTAs—including adaptability, not overlooking fundamentals in the age of AI, and confidently admitting “I don’t know.” Faculty will gain actionable strategies and new perspectives on creating supportive, relevant, and inclusive learning environments, straight from the voices of those teaching and learning at the same time. Resource: George Mason University Graduate Education - Teaching Skills: https://graduate.gmu.edu/professional-development/teaching-skills Check out our website!
How do we develop, support, and recognize effective teaching across career stages in higher education? In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching , host Dr. Rachel Yoho is joined by Christi Wilcox, Director of the Office of Outreach, Student Success, and Engagement in George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing, for a wide‑ranging conversation about faculty development, graduate student preparation, and the recognition of teaching and learning work. Together, they explore why investing in pedagogical training, especially early with graduate students, strengthens both institutions and the profession. Additionally, Christi provides listeners with strategies for how to make the value of teaching development visible and why faculty should strategically advocate for and document their teaching‑related professional growth. This episode invites faculty across disciplines to rethink recognition, professional development, and the many ways effective teaching contributes to student success and the broader higher education ecosystem. Resource: Faculty Podcast Credential: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/credentials/keystone-concepts-in-teaching-podcast-faculty-credential/ Check out our website!
Faculty mental health is rarely discussed—but deeply connected to teaching, learning, and student success. In this Hear From Your Host episode, guest host and Producer Kelly Chandler turns the microphone toward our host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to explore faculty mental health as a critical, and often overlooked, aspect of higher education. Drawing on research and observations, the conversation examines structural stressors in academia, the isolating nature of teaching, and the importance of community and support. Faculty will gain language, context, and practical ways to think about wellbeing - not as individual self‑care alone, but as a shared, systemic commitment essential to effective teaching and sustainable academic pursuits. Guest Note: This is an academic exploration of a topic, not medical or mental health advice. Many campuses, local communities, and health insurances have mental health support. Resources: Some Mason Resources: Employee Assistance Programs: https://hr.gmu.edu/benefits/insurance-and-benefits/employee-assistance-programs/ Mason Korea: BetterHelp online counseling sessions available. TimelyCare: mental health line https://rsr.gmu.edu/timelycare-now-available-to-faculty-and-staff/?utm_source=provosts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=facstaff&utm_term=20260126 Leave: https://hr.gmu.edu/benefits/leave/ Dual Career Assistance: https://hr.gmu.edu/support-resources/spouse-and-partner-employment/ Employee Resource Groups, Communities of Practice, and Other Networks: https://hr.gmu.edu/support-resources/faculty-and-staff-networks/ Disability and Religious Accommodations: https://hr.gmu.edu/support-resources/disability-and-religious-accommodations/ Center for the Advancement of Well-being's Faculty and Staff Resources: https://wellbeing.gmu.edu/resources-2/resources/ For references to the discussion and sources cited, please visit https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/knowledge-center/keystone-concepts-in-teaching-podcast/season-4-spring-2026-keystone-concepts-in-teaching/ Check out our website!
George Mason’s University Career Services Executive Director, Saskia Campbell, joins host Dr. Rachel Yoho to explain the role her office plays in supporting students at the university and highlight practical ways faculty can partner in preparing students for life after graduation. The conversation explores George Mason’s career outcomes data, the chaos theory of careers, and the transferable skills employers value most. Faculty will also learn about low‑effort, high‑impact teaching practices and resources. This episode is a must‑listen for instructors interested in helping students make clearer connections between coursework and career pathways. Resources: University Career Services: https://careers.gmu.edu/ Career Readiness Guide: https://mymasonportal.gmu.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-193714404_1 Career Influencers Network: https://careers.gmu.edu/faculty-staff/career-influencers-network Request a Classroom Presentation: https://careers.gmu.edu/faculty-staff/request-presentation Check out our website!
In this episode of Keystone Concepts in Teaching , host Dr. Rachel Yoho sits down with Dr. Kim Eby, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development at George Mason University, for a wide‑ranging conversation about faculty recognition, teaching, and the changing landscape of higher education. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience at George Mason, Dr. Eby reflects on student‑centered learning, interdisciplinary teaching, and what it means to support faculty across career stages in a time of increasing complexity. Settle in for an insightful conversation with Faculty Affairs' pivotal leader as she makes the compelling case that supporting faculty success is inseparable from supporting student success in a sustainable, effective higher education institution. Resources: Faculty Affairs website: https://provost.gmu.edu/about/administrative-units/faculty-affairs-and-development , The Chronicle article Dr. Eby references: https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-ai-is-changing-higher-education Check out our website!
What exactly do academic advisors do—and how can faculty benefit from understanding that role more clearly? In this episode, four of George Mason University’s professional academic advisors unpack the realities of advising with our host, Dr. Rachel Yoho. They explain where their work begins and ends, how they partner with faculty, and why collaboration matters more than ever for student success. Faculty listeners will gain insight into how advisors’ unique relationships with students can complement how students show up in classrooms and how partnerships between faculty and advisors can strengthen student referral practices, retention, and holistic student support. In a time of growing enrollment pressures and AI‑driven change, this conversation offers practical perspectives on how faculty and advisors can work together to better serve students. Check out our website!
Find out how the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning at George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence are natural collaborators as we navigate how to support faculty in today’s higher education landscape. In this episode, your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, explores this dynamic educational partnership with guests Dr. Indigo Eriksen and Hector Revollo from NVCC. These two institutions share a region, many students, resources, and even faculty. Listen in to find out how our guests are supporting faculty to feel empowered in our current, challenging environment, particularly around artificial intelligence. Resource: ADVANCE: https://advancesuccess.gmu.edu/ Check out our website!
Dive into our discussion with Drs. Stephanie Bluth and Alyssa Bivins from the Graduate Division! The host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, explores how our guests developed their innovative graduate teacher training programs, the importance of strategic unit collaboration across universities, and why everyone could benefit from having teaching skills. Find out how the Graduate Division developed evidence-based solutions to a ubiquitous issue in higher education: how many college instructors do not receive any teacher training before stepping in front of a classroom. Listen in as they share their experiences in creating productive communities of practice not just for graduate instructors, but for anyone who wants to talk about and assess their teaching. Resources: George Mason University Graduate Division: https://graduate.gmu.edu/ , Yoho, Rachel and E. Shelley Reid. Establishing Teaching Centers as Partners in Institution-Wide Initiatives. POD Perspectives , Vol. 1, Iss. 1 (2024), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.15868/socialsector.44761 Check out our website!
In this episode, Dr. Tawnya Azar joins your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to share actionable strategies about how to avoid becoming the “AI Police” and teach students to think critically about how and when to responsibly use AI in college. Additionally, she shares how to meaningfully build rapport and trust with students in an online classroom and provides insightful tips to help students find value in demonstrating their learning – rather than relying on AI. Listen in to find out how Dr. Azar found joy in teaching in the age of artificial intelligence! Resource: Yoho, R. (2023), No, Let's Not Go Back to Handwritten Activities: Inclusive Teaching Strategies in the Context of ChatGPT. The National Teaching & Learning Forum , 32: 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntlf.30379 Check out our website!
Drs. Esther Park, Iulia Fratila, Allison Miner, and Yanika Kowitlawakul join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to discuss how they got started as new faculty members, their efforts to transform their teaching and students’ learning, and engagement with professional development. Resource: Stearns Center events calendar: https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/events/ (events open to Mason affiliates only) Check out our website!
Dr. Lynnette Leonard and Dr. Dakota McCarty join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to explore how we approach from different disciplines teaching difficult topics, including those with social contexts and relevance. Resource: Mason Korea website: https://masonkorea.gmu.edu Check out our website!
Drs. Tom Polk and Joan Hwang join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to explore what Writing Across the Curriculum is, how it has developed, and current initiatives and impacts. Resources : Writing Across the Curriculum: https://wac.gmu.edu/ WAC Research Reports: https://wac.gmu.edu/past-assessment-and-program-review-resources/ Meaningful Writing Report: go.gmu.edu/meaningfulwriting Check out our website!
In our second Hear From Your Host episode, Dr. Rachel Yoho, the regular host of the podcast, becomes the guest as Producer Kelly Chandler guest hosts to facilitate a conversation on how we prepare for and navigate difficult situations in educational spaces. Resource: Stearns Center Events Calendar (registrations for George Mason affiliates only): https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/events/ Check out our website!
Dr. Lisa Gring-Pemble, Dr. Aimee Weinstein, Maoria Kirker, and Doug McKenna join your host, Dr. Rachel Yoho, to discuss alternative grading strategies such as ungrading. Resource: Stearns Center Events Calendar (registrations for Mason affiliates only): https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/events/ Check out our website!
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Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed October 23, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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