A Quarterly Publication of The American Sociological Association Comments from the Editor Volume 36, Number 1 - January 2008 Volume 36, Number 2 - April 2008 (There is no Comment.) Volume 36, Number 3 - July 2008 (There is no Comment.) Volume 36, Number 4 - October 2008 (There is no Comment.) Volume 36, Number 1 January 2008 IF YOU ARE LOOKING for evidence that teaching occupies a central role in our discipline, you do not have to look further than the annual meetings of the American Sociological Association. Each year, dozens of teaching-related workshops, papers and often thematic sessions are presented at the meetings, from a wide range of scholars. In fact, there are far too many for any one person to attend. Each year, I leave the meetings wishing that I had the time to attend more of the workshops since this is one of the key places where we share innovative ideas about our teaching and gain inspiration for the year to come. Unlike papers, which may appear in print, workshop materials are seldom shared in a broader forum so that much of what goes on in these workshops is limited to those fortunate enough to attend. It is this fact that prompted me to devote a special issue to “Lessons Learned at the American Sociological Association Annual Meetings” so that this valuable knowledge can extend beyond the meetings and have broader application. Shortly after returning from ASA I invited workshop organizers to submit manuscripts that summarized the major topics and challenges presented in their workshop. About half did so. These submissions were peer-reviewed. What is contained in this issue is a sampling of papers that were accepted for publication and represent the rich variety of teaching-related workshops conducted at the ASA meetings. Some of the workshops concern general issues related to teaching, others focus on teaching specific courses, and some concern faculty development. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Nancy Greenwood, Jay Howard, and David Yamane for serving as peer-reviewers for the workshop papers. These colleagues graciously agreed to review multiple manuscripts in a very short period of time in order to get this issue ready to go to press. My thanks also go to the authors, who worked under tight deadlines as well. I hope you enjoy the fruits of their labor. The Editor of Teaching Sociology is Liz Grauerholz. For articles, notes, and conversations, send manuscripts to: Liz Grauerholz, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Howard Phillips Hall 403, Orlando, FL 32816-1360. Phone: 407-823-2227, Fax: 407-823-3026. For book, video, and software reviews, send manuscripts to: Jay Howard, Department of Sociology, Indiana University Columbus, 4601 Central Avenue, Columbus, IN 47203-1769. For questions about manuscript processing, contact Deborah Barr, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Howard Phillips Hall 403, Orlando, FL 32816-1360. Phone: 407-823-2227, Fax: 407-823-3026. The Webmaster is Pauline H. Pavlakos. Observations on form and egregious spelling may be directed to Ms. Pavlakos. The Teaching Sociology Web Page is located at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Le Moyne College, the Jesuit College of Central New York. Page last updated: August 28, 2008