Instructors share favorite demonstrations, assignments, teaching tips, class practices, and current research on teaching. 

1. Zombie Dash: Reviewing Neuroscience In a Post-Apocalyptic World 

Amy Koch, Raleigh Charter High School

Description: For this review activity, students work in pairs to practice identifying neuroscience terms by reading zombie-themed scenarios. The scenarios are hung around the room and students must earn enough correct answers to survive and earn a prize. Students benefit from the opportunity to discuss or debate answers with peers while the physical movement and role play adds a bit of fun.

Bio: Amy started her high school teaching career as a Biology Teacher many years ago. She switched to AP Psychology on a whim in 2001, and has been teaching it exclusively ever since. Amy currently teaches at Raleigh Charter High School.

2. Sleep Through the Five Pillars* 

Christina Luzzi, Columbia High School

Description: Teens aged 13 to 18 should sleep 8 to 10 hours. Sadly, 60% of middle school students and 70% of high school students are not sleeping the recommended hours. CDC data states, in 2021, 80% of female students, 84% of 12th grade students, and 84% of black students do not get the recommended hours of sleep. Lack of education, our capitalist society, but more importantly, the pressures to succeed at all costs are just some of the reasons why lack of sleep has become an epidemic. During my presentation, I’ll provide information about how you can help your students to change their sleep for the better.

Bio: Miss Luzzi is a teacher at Columbia High School in New Jersey. During her tenure, she’s taught various history classes and, since 2019, has primarily taught AP psychology and on-level psychology. Miss Luzzi is an energetic, enthusiastic, and lifelong learner. Her love for learning and increasing her content knowledge of psychology inspired her to apply to psychology teacher workshops nationwide. She attended the three-day Clark University and Oregon State University workshops. Her experiences sparked Miss Luzzi’s interest in attending more professional development opportunities and starting her own. In 2024, she started the Tri-State High School Psychology Teacher Workshop to offer a more local, inexpensive, and meaningful professional development opportunity for psychology teachers in her area. Miss Luzzi’s experiences at the 2023 NCSS and the 2024 PsychologyONE conferences inspired her to submit a proposal to present at the 2025 NCSS conference in Boston. At the conference, she presented Sleep through the Five Pillars. The response to her presentation inspired her to apply to present the same topic at the 2025 PsychologyONE conference.

3. Teaching about Therapy: Cognitive Restructuring Therapy (CRT)

Katherine Rowinski, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Description: Cognitive Restructuring Therapy (CRT) is a therapeutic technique that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns. Since our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviors, CRT can improve emotional regulation and reduce psychological distress by changing negative or irrational thoughts. In this teaching demonstration, you’ll experience what it feels like to participate in CRT by identifying unhealthy assumptions, challenging them, and replacing them with more realistic and constructive ones. This type of psychotherapy is helpful for a wide-range of mental health problems and is empirically supported to treat depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders (such as PTSD) and eating disorders.

Bio: Dr. Katie Rowinski is a Teaching Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) and has been teaching at UTK since 2010. She teaches General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Childhood Psychopathologies, and Developmental Psychology. In addition to teaching, she is also a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in independent practice serving children, adolescents, and families, specializing in psychotherapy and psychoeducational assessment. Her clinical training includes specialization in play therapy, grief counseling, and family therapy.

4. Facilitating High-Engagement, Zero-Cost Online Delivery of Introductory Psychology*

Tim Flemming, Georgia State University
(co-author Chantal Tusher, Georgia State University)

Description: In the current academic climate, some of us may feel pressure to offer more online sections of courses with even larger enrollment caps – typically coming at a cost to both faculty and students. In this demo, I will preview many materials developed for a fully self-authored large online, asynchronous Intro to General Psych course. Also being mindful of the corresponding rise of generative-AI services, we have created a large library of engaging activities that are “AI-unfriendly” and offer students a more authentic learning experience with highly personalized course materials. Roundtable discussion to follow.

Bio (Tim): As a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology Department at Georgia State University, I serve as both PSYC 1101 Course Coordinator and Director of Online Studies for our Online BA/BS Degree-Completion Program. My research background in Cognitive and Comparative Psychology utilized only nonhuman primate models for learning, but I have transitioned to a focus on my human students to examine their online and classroom learning approaches and studying strategies. Along with a large (450+ enrollment) section of PSYC 1101 which I teach online nearly every semester, I teach courses in the Cognitive Sciences area. Finally, I have become interested in and teach Cross-Cultural Psychology both on campus and as a Study Abroad experience in Japan.

*indicates a roundtable discussion will be held on this topic

While enjoying lunch, guests will be given a collection of teaching topics to discuss with fellow attendees in a roundtable format. 

Guests will select from a range of teaching topics and exchange ideas in a roundtable format, led by a group facilitator. Halfway through the session, attendees will have an opportunity to switch to a different discussion topic. *A few roundtables focused on general, widely relatable topics will repeat across Saturday and Sunday roundtable sessions, giving attendees more flexibility to engage with different topics. 

1.  Encouraging Healthy Habits Across the Curriculum

Christina Luzzi, Columbia High School

Description: Building on an earlier Teaching Expo presentation regarding healthy sleep habits, this roundtable will focus on a greater variety of healthy habits that students can cultivate within the Intro Psych course. Attendees are encouraged to share their favorite resources, activities, and assessments that help students live healthier, happier, and more productive lives.

Bio: Miss Luzzi is a teacher at Columbia High School in New Jersey. During her tenure, she’s taught various history classes and, since 2019, has primarily taught AP psychology and on-level psychology. Miss Luzzi is an energetic, enthusiastic, and lifelong learner. Her love for learning and increasing her content knowledge of psychology inspired her to apply to psychology teacher workshops nationwide. She attended the three-day Clark University and Oregon State University workshops. Her experiences sparked Miss Luzzi’s interest in attending more professional development opportunities and starting her own. In 2024, she started the Tri-State High School Psychology Teacher Workshop to offer a more local, inexpensive, and meaningful professional development opportunity for psychology teachers in her area. Miss Luzzi’s experiences at the 2023 NCSS and the 2024 PsychologyONE conferences inspired her to submit a proposal to present at the 2025 NCSS conference in Boston. At the conference, she presented Sleep through the Five Pillars. The response to her presentation inspired her to apply to present the same topic at the 2025 PsychologyONE conference.

2. Teaching Intro Psych Online

Tim Flemming, Georgia State University
(co-author Chantal Tusher, Georgia State University)

Description: Building on an earlier Teaching Expo presentation, this roundtable will focus on the opportunities and challenges of teaching Intro Psych online. In this discussion, we will share many materials developed for a fully self-authored large online Intro to General Psych course. Also being mindful of the corresponding rise of generative-AI services, we have created a large library of engaging activities that are “AI-unfriendly” and offer students a more authentic learning experience with highly personalized course materials. Attendees will be encouraged to share their own resources and strategies for online delivery of this important course.

Bio (Tim): As a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology Department at Georgia State University, I serve as both PSYC 1101 Course Coordinator and Director of Online Studies for our Online BA/BS Degree-Completion Program. My research background in Cognitive and Comparative Psychology utilized only nonhuman primate models for learning, but I have transitioned to a focus on my human students to examine their online and classroom learning approaches and studying strategies. Along with a large (450+ enrollment) section of PSYC 1101 which I teach online nearly every semester, I teach courses in the Cognitive Sciences area. Finally, I have become interested in and teach Cross-Cultural Psychology both on campus and as a Study Abroad experience in Japan.

3. APS and APA: How Can They Help?*

Rachelle Tannenbaum, Anne Arundel Community College

Description: Community college faculty's experiences and needs are often distinct from those of faculty at 4-year schools. In this discussion, I will briefly share some information about APA and APS resources that are relevant to psychology teaching. Our discussion will then center on (a) how we might use these in the community college context and (b) ideas for ways that those organizations might better serve 2-year faculty. 

Bio: Rachelle Tannenbaum is a Professor at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, MD. She primarily teaches Introduction to Psychology, which is her favorite course by far; she also teaches Developmental Psychology. She has been actively involved in training and review processes related to online learning and course design, learning outcomes assessment, digital accessibility, and diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. After 25 years, she's still in love with the fact that she gets paid to spend her time learning new things. Her fantastic experiences with Psych One have inspired her to start a similar conference (MAESTRO Psych) in the mid-Atlantic.

4. The Power of Stories: Using Art and Literature to Spark Emotional Connections and Learning

Paula Hylton, Cannon School

Description: Learning is deeply connected to emotion. Literature, art, and storytelling serve as powerful tools that encourage students to make emotional connections and enrich psychology instruction. Specific strategies include thematic hooks, gallery walks, and book studies which helps instructors tap into students’ empathy, curiosity, and reflection. Analyzing these various mediums provides students opportunities to discuss humanity before they are ready to discuss themselves. This table talk will be a brainstorming session of all the various ways instructors have used this type of approach as well as sharing of specific literature, art, or stories that they currently use in their teaching.

Bio: Paula Hylton is an Upper School Psychology Teacher and advisor at Cannon School located in Concord, NC. She holds a B.A. from St. Lawrence University and M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. With 18 years of experience teaching psychology, Paula is passionate about applying psychological science to help students and colleagues learn and thrive beyond the classroom. Over the last 5 years, she has helped in providing Cannon School faculty with access to resources and professional development focused on the science of teaching and learning. Outside the classroom, Paula enjoys spending time with her husband and two beautiful little girls, as well as crossfitting, running, and reading.

5. What Do Your Neighbors Need to Know About Psychology?

Sue Frantz, Highline College

Description: For most of 1.5 million students who take Introduction to Psychology in the U.S. each year, few will go on to major and psychology and most may never take another psychology course. These countless non-majors will go on to be our neighbors, such as police officers, healthcare providers, librarians, engineers, teachers, business owners, and politicians. What do they need to know about psychology? In this discussion, we will explore how to consciously choose the concepts our neighbors need to know, rather than default to teaching this course as we always have. Thinking about your community, what do your neighbors need to know about psychology? 

Bio: Sue Frantz is a first-generation college student who earned her BA in psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1989 and her MA in social psychology from the University of Kansas in 1992. She has been in love with sharing the concepts of psychology with her diverse student community since she began her teaching career as an adjunct professor at community colleges in the Kansas City area, before landing her first full-time professor job at New Mexico State University—Alamogordo (NMSU-A). After teaching at Highline College in the Seattle area for 22 years, she is now faculty emerita. Having relocated to Las Cruces, NM, she is affiliate faculty of psychology at New Mexico State University.

6. Collaborate to Educate*

Benjamin White, Augsburg University & University of Tennesse - Knoxville

Description: We know that collaboration and communication are skills that are highly valued and skills that our students need to learn and practice, but when it comes down to designing a group project, it can take a lot of work to get groups to work. In this round table we will discuss the best practices for designing, managing and implementing collaborative work in any teaching environment (face to face / remote / asynchronous).

Bio: Benjamin White is a Visiting Professor at Augsburg University in Minneapolis,  MN and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville teaching a  combination of face to face, remote and asynchronous courses. He places emphasis on assisting students in developing practical applications of material to their individual lives and has experience teaching a wide variety of psychology courses at two- and four-year, public and private institutions.In addition, Benjamin has served as the Faculty Fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Blinn College in Bryan, TX, and is a contributor to the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation at UTK and the CTL at Augsburg University. He has developed workshops on a variety of topics concerning pedagogy, andragogy, teaching methods, and student success with a goal to provide faculty with different perspectives and methodologies to promote success for themselves and their students inside and outside of the classroom. In 2019, he gave a TEDx talk for the Blinn College TEDx event. He currently serves as an early career mentor for STP, helping instructors who are new to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

7. Teaching AP Psychology: What Works, What’s Hard, and What’s Next

Amy Koch, Raleigh Charter High School

Description: Join fellow high school psychology teachers to share strategies, concerns, and aspirations for teaching AP Psychology. We'll discuss curriculum design, exam pressures, classroom engagement, and recent changes to the course and exam.

Bio: After earning her MAT in Science Education from Duke, Amy started her high school teaching career as a Biology Teacher many years ago. She switched to AP Psychology on a whim in 2001, and has been teaching it exclusively ever since. Amy currently teaches at Raleigh Charter High School. 

8. Big Class, Big Impact: Engaging Students in Large Introductory Psychology Courses

Ann Nordmeyer, University of Vermont

Description: When class size grows, how do we keep students thinking, talking, and applying what they learn? This discussion centers on tools and techniques for increasing participation, fostering community, and promoting meaningful learning at scale.

Bio: I am a Senior Lecturer and my focus is on teaching and pedagogy. I teach courses on Introductory Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Statistics for Psychologists. Prior to joining the teaching faculty at UVM, my research focused on how children and adults learn and process logical language. I completed my PhD at Stanford University in 2016, where I worked with  Michael Frank in the Language and Cognition Lab studying how children learn and understand logical words in communicative contexts. Before that, I was an undergraduate at Smith College where I worked with Jill de Villiers studying the relationship between linguistic and conceptual development. From 2016 - 2023 I was an Assistant/Associate Professor in the campus Psychology Department at Southern New Hampshire University. 

*repeating roundtable 

Guests will select from a range of teaching topics and exchange ideas in a roundtable format, led by a group facilitator.  Halfway through the session, attendees will have the opportunity to switch to a different discussion topic. *A few roundtables focused on general, widely relatable topics will repeat across Saturday and Sunday roundtable sessions, giving attendees more flexibility to engage with different topics. 

1.     Engaging in Academic Conversations

Raina Cook, North Mecklenburg High School

Description: The goal of this discussion is to provide educators with the opportunity to boost their confidence as well as their students to be active & respectful participants in academic conversations. This round table discussion will provide educators with the opportunity to extend their understanding of the Academic Conversations Teaching Demo. Additional documents/assignments will be explained along with providing other instructors with the opportunity to share examples of their own techniques that they may implement within their educational environments.

Bio: I’ve wrapped up my thirteenth year of teaching psychology at North Mecklenburg High School (Huntersville, NC) which included four various courses, IB Psychology I & II, AP Psychology, & Introduction to Psychology. I’m incredibly passionate about the content I teach with Neuroscience, Social Psychology, & Developmental Psychology being my favorites. I incorporate a lot of project-based learning in my class where students apply content in creative ways such as mock trials, debates, skits, performing songs they wrote about our current unit, or finding connections about the topics to real-life & personal experiences. I try to get my students to see the relevance of the curriculum in their everyday lives to better understand themselves as well as why others may behave differently than them.

2.     Teaching Group Polarization in the Age of Social Media Echo Chambers

Katie Grobman, California State University – Monterey Bay

Description: Join a dynamic discussion about the psychology of group polarization and the role of social media amplifying our natural psychological tendencies toward tribalism.  What are the societal consequences of these factors fueling division and prejudice? What are the personal consequences of possibly competing needs to be psychologically healthy and active informed citizens?  Building upon the preceding demonstration and presentation, “Unraveling Group Polarization,” let’s share experiences, strategies, and resources to help students understand the phenomena, and foster their critical thinking and self-reflection without fueling disillusionment.

Bio: Katie Hope Grobman is an Associate Professor of Psychology at California State University – Monterey Bay.  She has taught a diverse range of college psychology classes including intro, social, developmental, and cognitive, and special topics in infancy, education, and creativity.  Her breadth of teaching includes sharing mathematics with underprivileged elementary and middle school students, physics at an all-girls high school, philosophy in college, and psychology to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.  Her psychology lab studies deep conceptual change through struggle - our creativity, moments of insight, struggles with morality, and the power of teaching and parenting to transform our lives.  Her website, CopernicanRevolution.org, shares psychology lessons fostering self-discovery through online activities, hands-on classroom experiences, engaging lectures, and discussion prompts. Beyond academics, she loves skating, volunteering, thrifting, hiking, and especially her daughter Abigail.

3.     APS and APA: How Can They Help?*

Rachelle Tannenbaum, Anne Arundel Community College

Description: Community college faculty's experiences and needs are often distinct from those of faculty at 4-year schools. In this discussion, I will briefly share some information about APA and APS resources that are relevant to psychology teaching. Our discussion will then center on (a) how we might use these in the community college context and (b) ideas for ways that those organizations might better serve 2-year faculty. 

Bio: Rachelle Tannenbaum is a Professor at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, MD. She primarily teaches Introduction to Psychology, which is her favorite course by far; she also teaches Developmental Psychology. She has been actively involved in training and review processes related to online learning and course design, learning outcomes assessment, digital accessibility, and diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. After 25 years, she's still in love with the fact that she gets paid to spend her time learning new things. Her fantastic experiences with Psych One have inspired her to start a similar conference (MAESTRO Psych) in the mid-Atlantic.

4.     Not Just the Textbook: Rethinking Readings in Introductory Psychology

Frank Ferraro, Adjunct Professor 

Description: This round table will focus on ways to enhance engagement in introductory psychology courses through readings and other media that go beyond traditional textbooks. The main presenter will offer brief essays used in their course, along with discussion questions specifically tied to each essay. Participants are encouraged to share their own strategies and examples. The goal for the session is to highlight and generate creative alternatives and supplements to textbook readings across all major areas of psychology. Finally, the roundtable aims to inspire instructors to update course materials for a changing and more diverse student population.

Bio: Frank Ferraro earned a Ph.D. in psychology (behavioral neuroscience) from Kansas State University. He has published scientific articles in the areas of alcohol/drug addiction and the benefits of wilderness experiences on human creativity. Much of his career has been spent at liberal arts teaching institutions, where he has taught introductory psychology, research methods, psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, and upper-level research capstones. He is an award-winning teacher, having been honored by both Nebraska Wesleyan University and Midland University for excellence in teaching.

5. Collaborate to Educate*

Benjamin White, Augsburg University

Description: We know that collaboration and communication are skills that are highly valued and skills that our students need to learn and practice, but when it comes down to designing a group project, it can take a lot of work to get groups to work. In this round table we will discuss the best practices for designing, managing and implementing collaborative work in any teaching environment (face to face / remote / asynchronous).

Bio: Benjamin White is a Visiting Professor at Augsburg University in Minneapolis,  MN and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville teaching a  combination of face to face, remote and asynchronous courses. He places emphasis on assisting students in developing practical applications of material to their individual lives and has experience teaching a wide variety of psychology courses at two- and four-year, public and private institutions.In addition, Benjamin has served as the Faculty Fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Blinn College in Bryan, TX, and is a contributor to the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation at UTK and the CTL at Augsburg University. He has developed workshops on a variety of topics concerning pedagogy, andragogy, teaching methods, and student success with a goal to provide faculty with different perspectives and methodologies to promote success for themselves and their students inside and outside of the classroom. In 2019, he gave a TEDx talk for the Blinn College TEDx event. He currently serves as an early career mentor for STP, helping instructors who are new to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

6. The AI Dilemma: When Students Can Use It… But We Wish They Wouldn’t 

Benjamin Anderson, Southwest Minnesota State University

Description: This roundtable tackles a central tension in today’s classrooms: how to uphold academic integrity while preparing students for a world where AI is ubiquitous. In this session, we’ll explore how to manage situations where students have access to AI, but the pedagogical goals call for their restraint. Share strategies for setting norms, designing assignments, and responding to gray-area cases.

Bio: Dr. Benjamin Anderson is a Professor of Psychology at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he serves as Program Director and Supervisor for Concurrent Enrollment in Psychology. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in cognitive, computational, and systems neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis. His current research explores encoding and retrieval mechanisms involved in dual coding and visual imagery in everyday life. Ben teaches a wide range of courses, including General Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Biological Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Memory in Mind and Culture. His teaching is grounded in student-centered course design, inclusive pedagogy, and high-impact practices that foster deep engagement and meaningful learning. With extensive experience in both online and on-campus instruction, Ben is committed to creating equitable, accessible, and intellectually rigorous learning environments.

7. Maintaining Motivation When Education is Under Fire

Emma Grisham & Margaret Maples, Duke University 

Description: There are currently a number of threats to higher education, from funding cuts and restrictions on academic freedom to the rise of artificial intelligence. In these uncertain times, both faculty and students can struggle to stay motivated. Together, we will strategize how we can support and sustain motivation in a shifting educational landscape, not only for ourselves, but also for the undergraduate and graduate students we teach and mentor.

Bios: Emma Grisham is an instructional faculty member at Duke University. She received her BS in Psychology from r MA and PhD in Social Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. Her work primarily focuses on the practice, training, and science of teaching. At Duke, she teaches Intro Psych and Social Psych, and co-supervises the Costanzo Teaching Fellowship. In addition to teaching Intro, she loves getting to build individual and team mentoring bonds with her teaching team of undergraduates and learning from the next generation.

Margaret Maples received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a master’s of science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Since 2018, she has been a part of the Duke University community, contributing to various research and administrative initiatives. In her current role, she works with Bridgette Hard and Emma Grisham to support Duke’s PSY101 course, and serves as a staff teaching assistant for different Psychology and Neuroscience courses each semester. Outside of work, Margaret enjoys listening to audiobooks, learning new creative skills and mediums, and hanging out with her favorite people.

*repeating roundtable