Tips for (first time) teaching

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Tips for (first time) teaching

• Jessica L. Collett

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Before the class begins

• Draw from experience.
• Let someone else do the work for you.
• Plan ahead.

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Before the class begins

• Draw from experience.
• Dont reinvent the wheel.
• Did you take the class that youre teaching, or
  TA for it?
• Check out those syllabi or syllabi for similar
  classes online.
• What kind of reading would you do as an
  undergraduate student?
• What assignments did you love (and learn from)?
• What kind of instructor do you want to be?
• What kind of instructor can you be?
• Play to your strengths. Be yourself.

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Before the class begins

• Let someone else do the work for you.
• Choose a book whether a reader, a text, or a
  monograph to center your course around
• Incorporate components of other peoples syllabi
• assignments, policies, course objectives
• Plan ahead.
• Determine your course objectives
• Consider in-class activities
• Teaching Sociology
• Create a detailed syllabus
• a contract between you and the students

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When things get rolling

• Be the professor.

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When things get rolling

• Be the professor.
• Dress the part
• Be clear with your expectations, stand your
  ground
• Your job is to educate them, not placate them
• Stay ahead of the reading, lectures, etc.
• Use only the technology that youre comfortable
  with
• Be prepared
• Keep your promises
• turn-around time for feedback and grading
• remembering to check into things

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As the semester goes on

• Take a grounded theory approach.
• Solicit feedback.
• Protect your time.

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As the semester goes on

• Take a grounded theory approach
• Its doubtful this will be the last time youll
  teach this course. What will you do next time?
• Generate a folder with lecture notes, handouts,
  clips and comics, etc.
• Make note of what works and what doesnt
• Write down student examples (from exams, papers,
  class discussion) to use in subsequent iterations
• Be willing to switch things around
• However, ensure any changes can only help the
  students!

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As the semester goes on

• Solicit feedback
• Mid-term evaluations
• What do you like most about this course?
• What do you like least about the course?
• What changes can the professor make to enhance
  your learning/experience in this class?
• What changes can you make to enhance your
  learning/experience in this class?
• Make use of the feedback
• Summarize student concerns, respond to them
• Ask a professional for advice
• invite them in to watch you teach

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As the semester goes on

• Protect your time
• Delineate specific teaching time
• This includes reading and answering emails!
• Keep up with research
• Being a faculty member is about balancing
  research and teaching now is the time to master
  that balance.
• Encourage students to be involved without you
• Create a buddy system or groups for students to
  lean on
• Encourage students to form study groups, review
  together
• Solicit exam questions from students, incorporate
  peer review

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Wrapping up the semester

• Solicit feedback (again).
• Prep for next time.

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Wrapping up the semester

• Solicit more feedback.
• Let students know this was your first time
  teaching and that you really value the feedback
  they provide on the CIFs.
• Ask an extra-credit final exam question on their
  most loved and most hated reading of the
  semester.
• making sure they articulate rationale for these
  choices
• Debrief with others.
• Prep for next time.
• While its still fresh, think about what to toss
  out, what went over well. Incorporate student
  concerns from CIF. Then let it go and get back to
  other things.