Scarlet Letters & Storytelling

Josh Eyler, acclaimed author of How Humans Learn, delves into the pivotal role of storytelling in teaching, learning, and educational development and some of the systemic issues around grading practices tackled in his upcoming book, Scarlet Letters. He offers reflections and stories about his own developmental journey leading different CTLs and shares insights and inspiration for others engaged in educational development and institutional change.

Josh Eyler is Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and Director of the Think Forward Quality Enhancement Plan at the University of Mississippi, where he is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Teacher Education. He previously worked on teaching and learning initiatives at Columbus State University, George Mason University, and Rice University. A sought-after speaker for his expertise about the science of learning and about compassion in education, especially in connection with students, grades, and mental health, he has spoken at college and universities across the country. Eyler is the author of the book How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories behind Effective College Teaching (West Virginia University Press, 2018), which Book Authority named one of the “100 Best Education Books of All Time”. Called a “splendid repository of ways to rethink how we teach college” by the Los Angeles Review of Books, it was named a “Book of the Year” in the Chicago Tribune. His second book is forthcoming from Johns Hopkins UP in 2024. Scarlet Letters: How Grades are Harming Children and Young Adults, and What We Can Do about It, is about one of the most urgent issues in education today, grading and alternative assessment.

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