<p>What does it take to truly thrive as an online instructor — and why does it matter so much for students? In this episode, Eric Mazur sits down with <strong>Flower Darby</strong>, Associate Director of the Teaching for Learning Center at the University of Missouri and author of the recently published book, <a href="https://www.oupress.com/9780806196534/the-joyful-online-teacher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>The Joyful Online TeacherFinding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes.</em></a> Flower shares why instructor well-being isn&#39;t a luxury but a pedagogical necessity, how meaningful social connections can combat the isolation that plagues asynchronous courses, and why joy may be one of the most underrated tools in an educator&#39;s toolkit. Whether you teach online, in person, or somewhere in between, this episode is a reminder that centering the people in your classroom (starting with yourself) makes all the difference.</p>