Jordan H. Davis
@jordanhdavis.bsky.social
Faculty Development Specialist at Wilmington University. Substacker. Keynote Speaker. Podcaster. Providing breakfast restaurant recommendations.
Join our Substack community of Unteachers:
unteaching.substack.com
Join our Substack community of Unteachers:
unteaching.substack.com
Pinned
Jordan H. Davis
@jordanhdavis.bsky.social
· Jan 20
Unteaching | Jordan H. Davis | Substack
Dissecting the good, bad, and unhinged about teaching. Click to read Unteaching, by Jordan H. Davis, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
open.substack.com
Critiquing teaching and learning practices is kinda my bag, but IG, Twitter, and LinkedIn didn’t really suite my creative needs.
Well, Substack does! Subscribe for articles dissecting the good, bad, and unhinged about teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Well, Substack does! Subscribe for articles dissecting the good, bad, and unhinged about teaching.
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Beloved friends and colleagues!
This week's article-about the over-professionalization of higher ed, and its impact on students—will be shared tomorrow (Thursday) morning. Subscribe today to make sure it lands in your inbox.
Sign up here: unteaching.substack.com
This week's article-about the over-professionalization of higher ed, and its impact on students—will be shared tomorrow (Thursday) morning. Subscribe today to make sure it lands in your inbox.
Sign up here: unteaching.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Beloved friends and colleagues!
This week's article-about the over-professionalization of higher ed, and its impact on students—will be shared tomorrow (Thursday) morning. Subscribe today to make sure it lands in your inbox.
Sign up here: unteaching.substack.com
This week's article-about the over-professionalization of higher ed, and its impact on students—will be shared tomorrow (Thursday) morning. Subscribe today to make sure it lands in your inbox.
Sign up here: unteaching.substack.com
Read about how AI agents are already disrupting higher ed classrooms in my most recent piece: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
November 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Read about how AI agents are already disrupting higher ed classrooms in my most recent piece: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Students and instructors can now use agentic AI browsers like Perplexity’s Comet and ChatGPT’s Atlas to complete and grade online assignments respectively without even needing to log into their LMS. Read more below:
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Your Students' Secret Agent
Agentic AI browsers are yet another AI disruption, with immediate implications for online tests and quizzes
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Students and instructors can now use agentic AI browsers like Perplexity’s Comet and ChatGPT’s Atlas to complete and grade online assignments respectively without even needing to log into their LMS. Read more below:
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Good teaching is unconventional teaching. To teach well, you have to go against teaching traditions that have been around since the 13th century. It sometimes requires winning over students who expect an efficient yet disconnected learning experience that involves consumption and recitation.
October 26, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Good teaching is unconventional teaching. To teach well, you have to go against teaching traditions that have been around since the 13th century. It sometimes requires winning over students who expect an efficient yet disconnected learning experience that involves consumption and recitation.
For those looking for guidance on how to respond to students when their work appears to be AI generated.
Hint: Plagiarism checkers aren’t as helpful as you think they are.
Read more here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Hint: Plagiarism checkers aren’t as helpful as you think they are.
Read more here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
October 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM
For those looking for guidance on how to respond to students when their work appears to be AI generated.
Hint: Plagiarism checkers aren’t as helpful as you think they are.
Read more here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Hint: Plagiarism checkers aren’t as helpful as you think they are.
Read more here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Because plagiarism checkers are so unreliable, and because it’s nearly impossible to definitively prove that a student quoted or paraphrased AI without attribution, I don’t even bother accusing or investigating AI misuse.
Here’s what I do instead: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Here’s what I do instead: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
How to Respond to Cheating While Not Being A Jerk
A playbook for navigating academic plagiarism
open.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Because plagiarism checkers are so unreliable, and because it’s nearly impossible to definitively prove that a student quoted or paraphrased AI without attribution, I don’t even bother accusing or investigating AI misuse.
Here’s what I do instead: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Here’s what I do instead: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Read this week’s piece, “The Problem with Punisihing Plagiarism”, on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
September 29, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Read this week’s piece, “The Problem with Punisihing Plagiarism”, on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
I'm looking for insights on how educators manage smartphone use and the rationale and effectiveness of their policies. If you would like to contribute to an exploration of this topic, complete the short survey linked below:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Survey on Mobile Device Culture in Education: Classroom Smartphone Policies
Thanks so much for your interest this survey. I'm Jordan H. Davis, Faculty Development Specialist and author of Unteaching on Substack. My solo work involves analyzing cultural trends in education. Sc...
docs.google.com
September 26, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I'm looking for insights on how educators manage smartphone use and the rationale and effectiveness of their policies. If you would like to contribute to an exploration of this topic, complete the short survey linked below:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
The most consequential talk I’ve given, for young people anxious, exhausted, and unsatisfied as they pursuit of their ideal careers.
Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
How We Should Talk To Young People About Career Choices
Podcast Episode · The Unteaching Podcast · 09/11/2025 · 54m
podcasts.apple.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:28 PM
The most consequential talk I’ve given, for young people anxious, exhausted, and unsatisfied as they pursuit of their ideal careers.
Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
This week, I wrote about Alpha School’s controversial AI-taught programs, and their implications for the future of K-12 education. ⬇️
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Are Teacherless Schools Good for Education?
Parents pay Alpha Schools $65,000 for their kids to be taught by AI
open.substack.com
September 11, 2025 at 10:36 AM
This week, I wrote about Alpha School’s controversial AI-taught programs, and their implications for the future of K-12 education. ⬇️
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
A syllabus pro-tip from a student I just spoke with: if a student needs to complete an assignment or task, and that task is listed in the “Couse Overview” or “Assignments” section of the syllabus, put it in read so it sticks out among the rest of the text in the syllabus 🔴👍🏿
Small things! #learning
Small things! #learning
September 2, 2025 at 11:39 AM
A syllabus pro-tip from a student I just spoke with: if a student needs to complete an assignment or task, and that task is listed in the “Couse Overview” or “Assignments” section of the syllabus, put it in read so it sticks out among the rest of the text in the syllabus 🔴👍🏿
Small things! #learning
Small things! #learning
I’m writing to share a teaching methodology I’ve been tinkering with, a philosophy that undergirds all the approaches I’ve been encouraging instructors to adopt in their classrooms the past few years.
Learn more about unteaching and all it encompasses here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Learn more about unteaching and all it encompasses here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
August 25, 2025 at 1:25 PM
I’m writing to share a teaching methodology I’ve been tinkering with, a philosophy that undergirds all the approaches I’ve been encouraging instructors to adopt in their classrooms the past few years.
Learn more about unteaching and all it encompasses here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Learn more about unteaching and all it encompasses here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
My most recent Substack post explains why the word “andragogy” is divisive, and how we can shift our thinking about the difference between adult and child education.
Read here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Read here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
August 6, 2025 at 1:58 PM
My most recent Substack post explains why the word “andragogy” is divisive, and how we can shift our thinking about the difference between adult and child education.
Read here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Read here: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
I think I figured out the AI academic integrity issue (well, at least in my courses…for now).
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
How I'm Responding to AI Misuse
What should we do when students break our policies?
open.substack.com
July 28, 2025 at 11:52 AM
I think I figured out the AI academic integrity issue (well, at least in my courses…for now).
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Students accounting grim stories about their schools' anti-Al culture.
July 22, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Students accounting grim stories about their schools' anti-Al culture.
For any educator wanting to engage students in responsible AI use this coming school year: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
July 21, 2025 at 11:45 AM
For any educator wanting to engage students in responsible AI use this coming school year: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
I spoke to a professor last week who said, “We start all of our projects and assignments in class. Everyone one.”
His rationale: it avoids confusion about instructions and expectations, it supercharges the brainstorming process, and it reveals students’ task management and creative processes.
His rationale: it avoids confusion about instructions and expectations, it supercharges the brainstorming process, and it reveals students’ task management and creative processes.
March 31, 2025 at 12:59 PM
I spoke to a professor last week who said, “We start all of our projects and assignments in class. Everyone one.”
His rationale: it avoids confusion about instructions and expectations, it supercharges the brainstorming process, and it reveals students’ task management and creative processes.
His rationale: it avoids confusion about instructions and expectations, it supercharges the brainstorming process, and it reveals students’ task management and creative processes.
I see exhausted people doing their jobs—airport and post office workers, business people, etc.—and feel the strong urge to walk up to them and say, “you’re off today. You can go home now.”
If I could choose any superpower, it would be that.
If I could choose any superpower, it would be that.
March 29, 2025 at 12:00 AM
I see exhausted people doing their jobs—airport and post office workers, business people, etc.—and feel the strong urge to walk up to them and say, “you’re off today. You can go home now.”
If I could choose any superpower, it would be that.
If I could choose any superpower, it would be that.
An argument for eliminating participation grades 📝:
If you believe that faculty should be assessing substantive work and measurable skills, then college instructors should focus on assessing the skills that students are practicing, not the mere fact that they practiced them.
If you believe that faculty should be assessing substantive work and measurable skills, then college instructors should focus on assessing the skills that students are practicing, not the mere fact that they practiced them.
Why College Faculty Should Never Grade Participation
Participation is essential to learning, which is why you shouldn’t grade it
open.substack.com
March 27, 2025 at 9:07 PM
An argument for eliminating participation grades 📝:
If you believe that faculty should be assessing substantive work and measurable skills, then college instructors should focus on assessing the skills that students are practicing, not the mere fact that they practiced them.
If you believe that faculty should be assessing substantive work and measurable skills, then college instructors should focus on assessing the skills that students are practicing, not the mere fact that they practiced them.
Dusting off the Bluesky cobwebs to share my substack article on why participation grades are a threat to academic rigor.
Like, comment, blow a gasket…whatever you need to do!
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Like, comment, blow a gasket…whatever you need to do!
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
March 26, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Dusting off the Bluesky cobwebs to share my substack article on why participation grades are a threat to academic rigor.
Like, comment, blow a gasket…whatever you need to do!
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Like, comment, blow a gasket…whatever you need to do!
open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
Reposted by Jordan H. Davis
I sifted through #badprofessors on TikTok so you didn’t have to
Article link: unteaching.substack.com/p/the-new-co...
Article link: unteaching.substack.com/p/the-new-co...
February 3, 2025 at 1:25 AM
I sifted through #badprofessors on TikTok so you didn’t have to
Article link: unteaching.substack.com/p/the-new-co...
Article link: unteaching.substack.com/p/the-new-co...
Does anyone else use ChatGPT as their default personal assistant for IT issues? I don’t know why I do it. It’s not even helpful most of the time.
February 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Does anyone else use ChatGPT as their default personal assistant for IT issues? I don’t know why I do it. It’s not even helpful most of the time.
Join me in commemorating Dr. King’s legacy: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...
What Dr. King Would Say About Higher Ed in 2025
Instead of looking backward, I speculate on what he might say about academia if he were here today.
open.substack.com
January 20, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Join me in commemorating Dr. King’s legacy: open.substack.com/pub/unteachi...