PsychSessions: Conversations about Teaching N' Stuff

In this episode Garth interviewed Kendra Thomas from Hope College in Holland, MI. Kendra discusses her applied developmental and educational psychology research in under-resourced public schools in Brazil and with the iThemba Projects nonprofit in South Africa. She explains the challenges of collecting valid cross-cultural data, emphasizing short, context-appropriate measures built with practitioners and designed to provide immediate value (e.g., school safety, home-visit frequency, HIV misconceptions). She discusses defining and measuring "hope" across contexts, including building measures simultaneously in English, Zulu, and Portuguese, and notes how imported measures can fail (e.g., social responsibility reading as compliance). Kendra also describes becoming Kathleen Berger's textbook co-author via chapter reviews, managing time with leave and reduced load, and teaching a "developmental imagination" through five maxims. She shares her Brazil-to-U.S. educational path and teaching-focused career trajectory.
[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

🎧 AskPsychSessions Re-Release!
When, if ever, should students complete work that doesn't receive feedback? Jane Halonen from the University of West Florida tackles this listener question in a lively conversation about assignments, feedback, and learning.
Plus, there's a bonus discussion on grading presentations through peer review and faculty input.
Tune in for practical insights and a thought-provoking conversation! 📚🎙️
[Note: Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this Part 2 episode Eric interviews Chris Hakala from Springfield College in Springfield, MA. Chris discusses his evolving role as executive director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship, which provides faculty development (workshops, consultations, observations) and also manages online courses, instructional design, LMS/ed tech support, and growing online graduate programs. He discusses gaining tenure and retreat rights, pandemic-driven support for reluctant online instructors, and institutional pressures such as enrollment declines, faculty reductions, and "right-sizing," including pausing a PhD program amid capacity and political challenges. He describes teaching multiple psychology courses, heavy service and leadership work, and deep involvement in POD, STP, and NITOP. Much of the conversation centers on AI, cognitive offloading, and the need to redesign assessments to emphasize clear expectations and learning processes rather than polished products, while acknowledging faculty and student resistance and workload strain.
[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

Dr. Andrew Smiler's book Clinical Work with Men: Understanding Masculinity in Psychotherapy was recently released by the American Psychological Association. Andy shared his professional journey from five years in community mental health working with teenage boys, through a PhD in Developmental Psychology, academic work, and eventually into full-time private practice. He traced his entry into men's psychology to a pivotal graduate course on the psychology of gender and formative moments at APA conventions where he encountered Jim Mahalik discussing the CMNI and connected with Fred Rabinowitz from Division 51. The conversation then turned to his book's motivation: with ~80% of mental health professionals female and growing, and existing clinical books on men dating back 20–30 years, he wrote to translate research into practice for clinicians working with male clients. The book is structured with a cultural competence argument, an introduction to his Multifaceted Masculinity Framework (MFMF), and seven composite case studies. Andy then walked through the four facets of the MFMF. Throughout, he challenged the false stereotype that men are simple, emphasizing instead the full complexity of male psychology and inner life.

Lou walks us through exactly what happens inside a men's circle: the opening rituals, the talking stick, the accountability stretches, and yes, even the drumming. He explains the concept of "clearings," a structured practice for owning your own projections rather than directing anger outward, a tool so powerful it was even brought inside Folsom Prison. He's honest about the barriers men face walking into these spaces for the first time, the fear, the unfamiliarity, the cultural scripts that tell men to keep it all in, and why the hardest part is simply getting through the door. He also gives a clear picture of how the Mankind Project works and the remarkable cross-section of men you'll find in these circles: police officers, ex-convicts, CEOs, new fathers, grieving fathers, all showing up and speaking from the heart. And at the center of it all, Lou makes the case that the greatest gift men's work has given him isn't a skill or a technique — it's deep, lasting male friendship, the kind that's increasingly hard to come by as men get older.