On March 7, the CTL hosted an engaging Pedagogical Improv workshop led by Emily Pitts Donahoe - Associate Director of the University of Mississippi CETL. This interactive event blended teaching strategy exploration with improv techniques, helping participants develop the skill to adapt instructional methods to new contexts on the fly.
The session featured a "game show" style challenge, where panelists—featuring three CTL staff members—spun a virtual wheel to land on a teaching technique. The chosen technique, Debates, was then improvised by three current CTL consultants in different disciplines:
- Anthropology (Large Class Settings) – Designed a debate on cultural appropriation vs. cultural exchange. Students would first discuss the topic in small groups, identifying key perspectives. Then, they’d split into teams representing "exchange" or "exploitation" to debate as a whole class, before individually reflecting and choosing their stance again based on the discussion.
- Gender & Law (Large Class Settings) – Rooted the debate in Roe v. Wade, prompting students to critically assess whether the ruling provided an adequate legal framework for reproductive rights. Students would engage asynchronously by researching legal theorists, responding to structured debate prompts, and submitting post-debate reflections on how they might rewrite the decision differently.
- Performance as Activism (Small Class Settings) – Focused on a debate about abolishing or preserving the U.S. Constitution based loosely on a model in a contemporary play by Heidi Schreck called What the Constitution Means to Me. Rather than a traditional pro/con format, students would analyze which five parts of the Constitution should be abolished and which aspects were most critical to retain. This exercise emphasizes critical thinking, verbal communication, collaboration, and activism while making space for students who might be uncomfortable with confrontation.
After the panelists presented their ideas, participants broke into small groups to experiment with their own improv teaching techniques, putting the "Yes, And" principle into action. The session concluded with a discussion on structuring debates for different class sizes, integrating personal teaching values, and balancing improvisation with intentional course design.
One participant noted that this “fantastic workshop” was helpful for both experienced and “aspiring” instructors because it was “super insightful to hear from some of the teaching experts about how they use some techniques and their justification of doing so.”
This dynamic session reinforced the importance of fun, adaptability, and collaborative problem-solving in teaching. Thank you to our wonderful facilitator and workshop designer, Dr. Emily Pitts Donahoe, and our three CTL staff members, Dr. Molly Hatcher, Dr. Anne Braesby, and Dr. Kaitlyn Farrell Rodriguez for fostering a playful space for trying out new teaching techniques and building community.