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Monday lunch presentation presented by Yousif Shamo at the 2011 NSF ADVANCE Workshop: Negotiating the Ideal Faculty Position, A Workshop for Underrepresented PhDs and Postdocs in Science, Engineering and Psychology September 18-20, 2011

Why do we teach?

  • So that individuals learn
  • To convey the excitement of our intellectual area
  • To capture interest and imagination
  • To ensure deep understanding
  • To share our own research efforts

Who do we teach?

  • Undergraduates (focus for today)
    • Majors
    • Non-majors
  • Graduate Students (focus)/Post-docs
  • Colleagues
  • Your chair, your dean
  • The public
  • Program managers/patent office/others

Remember…

  • Developing a good course takes time
    • Learn good time management
  • What students learn is less than what you teach
    • Don’t just try to cover the material
  • Understand different learning styles
    • Students have different ways of learning
    • Use the resources you have available
    • Be aware of accessibility requirements

What is the nature of your course?

  • Large/medium/small enrollment?
  • Lecture-type classroom or smaller more intimate setting?
  • Majors? Upper level or lower level?
  • Non-majors?
Styles for these different types of courses are quite different!

Think about “active learning”

  • Traditional/passive learning = lectures + exams
  • Student-centered, active learning can include (among many possibilities):
    • Use of I-Clickers
    • On-line quizzes
    • 1-2 minute papers
    • Student discussion and reporting
    • Projects

Find out about resources

  • Are I-Clickers available?
  • What support for teaching is available?
  • Are there faculty groups to discuss teaching?
  • Are there on-line resources in your area for student-centered learning?
  • Are there sessions at professional meetings or specific meetings relevant to your area?
    • Will your Chair pay for you to attend?

Know about yourself

  • If you are asked what you’d like to teach…
    • Do you really love a big lecture setting?
    • Does a small group setting elicit a sense of excitement or a sense of dread?
  • You may not have the opportunity to choose, but knowing what attracts you (and why) may help in dealing with your teaching assignment

Preparation is key

  • Plan for 6-8 hours of preparation per class session the first year
  • Get notes from the previous lecturer, but make the course your own
  • Be familiar with the material (rehearse a lecture beforehand if you need to)
  • Don’t wait until the last minute
    • Not much room to improvise
    • May be easier in smaller classes

Do’s and do not’s

  • Do not expect perfection
  • Do not expect eager, listening faces
  • Do learn the names of your students if at all possible
  • Do get feedback during the semester
    • You can adjust accordingly
  • Do work the problems yourself
    • Texts have typos and errors – read the text

Think very carefully about your syllabus

  • Textbook information
  • Policies/Grading information
    • What makes up the grade? Is there a curve?
    • Are there make-up exams?
    • Don’t change point assignments mid-semester — stick with the syllabus
    • Think through the grading scheme — they’ll ask, so you might as well be ready!

Don’t make exceptions

  • If you make an exception for an individual, it will be an exception for the entire course
  • Do you allow —
    • Regrading?
    • Late tests? If not, how is grade determined if student was ill/had a death in family?

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Source:  OpenStax, Rice university’s nsf advance program’s negotiating the ideal faculty position workshop master collection of presentations. OpenStax CNX. Mar 08, 2012 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11413/1.1
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