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Can anyone offer advice for people about to teach their first course?
Teaching Advice?
- Thread starter UhOh
- Start date
1) Do not underestimate the amount of time it takes. This will be somewhat dependent on how many students you have, the course, etc. but teaching can be an enormous time suck.
2) Lower your expectations now. No, really, lower. Much, much, much lower. This may be a function of being in a state that believes its acceptable if the majority of the population is barely literate if it means slightly lower taxes.
3) Remember that the ones you will hear from are usually the bad students. The folks sitting quietly enjoying your lectures, getting A's, etc. aren't as likely to contact you.
4) Its okay not to know the answer to questions. Tell them you'll look it up and get back to it.
5) Related to #2, as hard as it may be to believe, you know more than you think you do and you likely ARE qualified to be teaching the course. Be confident.
6) Some undergrads are honest. Many are not. Be suspicious.
7) Some will do well. Some will fail. Help out people who come to you, but it is not your job to make sure everyone passes. It is your job to help those who want to learn the material do so. Learning is not the same as getting an "A".
Although that all sounds very negative, I'm teaching for the first time right now and I love it. Its incredibly fun, and the good students more than make up for the bad ones. I was somewhat hesitant going in since I'm not a big fan of clinical work and they carry a number of similarities. I've found that I like teaching infinitely more, and also that they feed off each-other (clinical experiences have improved my teaching and my teaching has actually improved my clinical work). I've gotten rave reviews from a number of the students, and I'm having such a blast I'm re-considering my career goals to a position that will allow for more teaching (and reward it).
2) Lower your expectations now. No, really, lower. Much, much, much lower. This may be a function of being in a state that believes its acceptable if the majority of the population is barely literate if it means slightly lower taxes.
3) Remember that the ones you will hear from are usually the bad students. The folks sitting quietly enjoying your lectures, getting A's, etc. aren't as likely to contact you.
4) Its okay not to know the answer to questions. Tell them you'll look it up and get back to it.
5) Related to #2, as hard as it may be to believe, you know more than you think you do and you likely ARE qualified to be teaching the course. Be confident.
6) Some undergrads are honest. Many are not. Be suspicious.
7) Some will do well. Some will fail. Help out people who come to you, but it is not your job to make sure everyone passes. It is your job to help those who want to learn the material do so. Learning is not the same as getting an "A".
Although that all sounds very negative, I'm teaching for the first time right now and I love it. Its incredibly fun, and the good students more than make up for the bad ones. I was somewhat hesitant going in since I'm not a big fan of clinical work and they carry a number of similarities. I've found that I like teaching infinitely more, and also that they feed off each-other (clinical experiences have improved my teaching and my teaching has actually improved my clinical work). I've gotten rave reviews from a number of the students, and I'm having such a blast I'm re-considering my career goals to a position that will allow for more teaching (and reward it).
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(1) Develop a good, concrete syllabus and go over it the first day of class. You can avoid a lot of headaches by outlining specific expectations (e.g., when projects are due, the criteria by which they will be graded), as well as consequences for late assignments (i.e., letter grade deduction for every day it's late). You will have much more ground to stand on if you have made your expectations explicit and in writing.
(2) If you can, schedule a day you know students will not have conflicting classes (e.g., on a reading day before final exams) to schedule a make-up day for any student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for any reason. This made my teaching experience so much easier, as I did not have to scramble to find time during my week to have people make-up an exam. Also, this reduces the amount of last-minute crises you will hear from students (e.g., car breaking down, etc.), because students will be aware of your policy and when they will make-up the exam.
(3) Make class fun by using plenty of relevant examples that students will find interesting. I taught introductory statistics to undergraduates (a class almost all undergraduate students dread), but I tried to use a lot of examples from pop culture (i.e., Jersey Shore, South Park) to illustrate statistical concepts. I think this helps students become more engaged with the material. Also, any time you can bring in outside videos or other media is a definite plus.
(4) If the class size and the content lend themselves to do so, try to incorporate more discussion than straight-up lecture. Students for the most part will be more engaged, and looking back, I think this is something I could have done better.
(5) Finally, be prepared for anything. Most of your students will care, but there will be some who, for whatever reason, just do not care about their studies. Accept this, and try not to let those few who do not care ruin your experience and your ability to reach those who do care. You will also hear just about any excuse imagineable from students as to why they cannot take the exam, why they cannot complete an assignment on time, why they can't come to class that day, etc. The more you are prepared for these, and the more you have your policies and expectations clearly explained in your syllabus, the smoother time you will have dealing with these inevitable circumstances.
I found teaching to be a great experience, and really want to do it in the future. Despite the difficulty, it can be extremely rewarding and fun. Good luck!!
(2) If you can, schedule a day you know students will not have conflicting classes (e.g., on a reading day before final exams) to schedule a make-up day for any student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for any reason. This made my teaching experience so much easier, as I did not have to scramble to find time during my week to have people make-up an exam. Also, this reduces the amount of last-minute crises you will hear from students (e.g., car breaking down, etc.), because students will be aware of your policy and when they will make-up the exam.
(3) Make class fun by using plenty of relevant examples that students will find interesting. I taught introductory statistics to undergraduates (a class almost all undergraduate students dread), but I tried to use a lot of examples from pop culture (i.e., Jersey Shore, South Park) to illustrate statistical concepts. I think this helps students become more engaged with the material. Also, any time you can bring in outside videos or other media is a definite plus.
(4) If the class size and the content lend themselves to do so, try to incorporate more discussion than straight-up lecture. Students for the most part will be more engaged, and looking back, I think this is something I could have done better.
(5) Finally, be prepared for anything. Most of your students will care, but there will be some who, for whatever reason, just do not care about their studies. Accept this, and try not to let those few who do not care ruin your experience and your ability to reach those who do care. You will also hear just about any excuse imagineable from students as to why they cannot take the exam, why they cannot complete an assignment on time, why they can't come to class that day, etc. The more you are prepared for these, and the more you have your policies and expectations clearly explained in your syllabus, the smoother time you will have dealing with these inevitable circumstances.
I found teaching to be a great experience, and really want to do it in the future. Despite the difficulty, it can be extremely rewarding and fun. Good luck!!
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Yeah. This.
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All great advice, I'd just add/highlight a few things. As a disclaimer, my policies tend to fall on the strict side of things, and they may not fit everyone's style.
1. Syllabus construction is probably the single most important thing you can do to cut down on grading/management problems. Typically 5% of the students cause 95% of the problems, so you need to be clear about your expectations and policies. My syllabi tend to be long, detailed, and somewhat rigid....but it significantly cuts down on the vast majority of issues that pop up during the semester. Things like the grading breakdown (e.g. 20% participation, 40% midterm, 40% final), type of exam, and exam policies are all listed.
2. Don't forget to address "extra credit", which I find to be a laughable concept at the college level, but evidently many students think it is fair game. I don't offer it, but I do allow for the lowest quiz grade to be dropped (if applicable) and/or sometimes offer the option to submit a paper to replace the midterm grade if it is a C or below. The paper is purposefully difficult, and it is something that takes more time than simply studying for the midterm.
3. Outline your attendance policy. I generally 3 "freebie" missed classes, with tardiness (more than 10-15 minutes) counting as a 1/2 class freebie. Any missed classes beyond those will negatively impact the participation grade, which I require in all of my classes. The "freebie" days can be for anything, and I don't need to know why. Some students may be hungover or others may have a doctor's appt, though extenuating circumstance are treated on a case by case basis.
4. I typically have handouts for my slides, though the handouts typically don't include all of the slides that I lecture on. Taking a page from professional presenters....there is value in attending and not just reviewing a presentation after the fact. I let the class know on the first day that anything mentioned in lecture is fair game, though I will provide a general outline of the major topics prior to the exams.
I swear these all come from experience, and I'm not trying to be overly difficult. Based on the student reviews, the vast majority of the students appreciate knowing exactly what is expected of them, and they prefer my straight forward approach to the class and grading.
As an aside, grammar mistakes drive me nuts, though I generally don't take off much for them. I've found that connecting the student with the writing center (or similar service) and encouraging them to get their work reviewed is received with less pushback.
1. Syllabus construction is probably the single most important thing you can do to cut down on grading/management problems. Typically 5% of the students cause 95% of the problems, so you need to be clear about your expectations and policies. My syllabi tend to be long, detailed, and somewhat rigid....but it significantly cuts down on the vast majority of issues that pop up during the semester. Things like the grading breakdown (e.g. 20% participation, 40% midterm, 40% final), type of exam, and exam policies are all listed.
2. Don't forget to address "extra credit", which I find to be a laughable concept at the college level, but evidently many students think it is fair game. I don't offer it, but I do allow for the lowest quiz grade to be dropped (if applicable) and/or sometimes offer the option to submit a paper to replace the midterm grade if it is a C or below. The paper is purposefully difficult, and it is something that takes more time than simply studying for the midterm.
3. Outline your attendance policy. I generally 3 "freebie" missed classes, with tardiness (more than 10-15 minutes) counting as a 1/2 class freebie. Any missed classes beyond those will negatively impact the participation grade, which I require in all of my classes. The "freebie" days can be for anything, and I don't need to know why. Some students may be hungover or others may have a doctor's appt, though extenuating circumstance are treated on a case by case basis.
4. I typically have handouts for my slides, though the handouts typically don't include all of the slides that I lecture on. Taking a page from professional presenters....there is value in attending and not just reviewing a presentation after the fact. I let the class know on the first day that anything mentioned in lecture is fair game, though I will provide a general outline of the major topics prior to the exams.
I swear these all come from experience, and I'm not trying to be overly difficult. Based on the student reviews, the vast majority of the students appreciate knowing exactly what is expected of them, and they prefer my straight forward approach to the class and grading.
As an aside, grammar mistakes drive me nuts, though I generally don't take off much for them. I've found that connecting the student with the writing center (or similar service) and encouraging them to get their work reviewed is received with less pushback.
Doesn't sound unreasonably harsh at all T4C. My approach is relatively similar and I'm considered "lenient" compared to some of the folks here.
Regarding #1 though...while I do the same thing it irritates me to no end that it is necessary. Syllabi have gone the way of consent forms and become bloated legal documents that no one bothers reading. I blame lawyers, lazy/useless students, and lawyers willing to represent lazy/useless students for being lazy and useless. It seems absurd that I need to include almost 1.5 single-spaced pages on what constitutes cheating, what I will do if I catch it, etc. Yet if I don't it seems inevitable I will get a college senior who "Didn't realize" that cutting & pasting entire pages from articles was plagiarism and sues the university because its unfair for them to be kicked to the curb. Syllabi seem to have grown exponentially in length because it wasn't THAT long ago that I was in undergrad and they basically just listed office hours, meeting times, and graded assignments.
There has been increasing talk regarding the cost/benefit ratio of IRBs lately, and whether they actually are effective or just black holes of paperwork and time that do more harm than good, though it doesn't seem to have led to anything major yet. I'm hoping the anti-bureaucracy movement grows and spreads to teaching as well, but am not holding my breath.
Regarding #1 though...while I do the same thing it irritates me to no end that it is necessary. Syllabi have gone the way of consent forms and become bloated legal documents that no one bothers reading. I blame lawyers, lazy/useless students, and lawyers willing to represent lazy/useless students for being lazy and useless. It seems absurd that I need to include almost 1.5 single-spaced pages on what constitutes cheating, what I will do if I catch it, etc. Yet if I don't it seems inevitable I will get a college senior who "Didn't realize" that cutting & pasting entire pages from articles was plagiarism and sues the university because its unfair for them to be kicked to the curb. Syllabi seem to have grown exponentially in length because it wasn't THAT long ago that I was in undergrad and they basically just listed office hours, meeting times, and graded assignments.
There has been increasing talk regarding the cost/benefit ratio of IRBs lately, and whether they actually are effective or just black holes of paperwork and time that do more harm than good, though it doesn't seem to have led to anything major yet. I'm hoping the anti-bureaucracy movement grows and spreads to teaching as well, but am not holding my breath.
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My teaching experience is different from what you'll be doing, so my only real advice is geared toward lecturing, but personally, I love when students are active participants in class - through answering questions, asking for further explanation, helping each other, etc. etc. If this is something you value too, roll with the vibe of the class, which varies from lecture to lecture and from student body to student body. Some days they will be eager to participate in general, some days only for particular content areas, and some days they will sit in their desks and stare at you with an uncanny dedication until you drop waiting for comments and move on. Don't force it if the students aren't digging it.
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-I found it helpful to plan ahead by building a few "extra" days into the semester in the event that a) I had to cancel class due to an emergency, b) the university canceled class for whatever reason, c) a few discussions/lectures/etc. went longer than expected, or whatever else. That way, I didn't feel pressured to cram large amounts of material in to short amounts of time so that I could remain on schedule.
-The advice to make your syllabus as clear and explicit as possible is EXCELLENT. As for cheating, I spent half of my first lecture discussing what does and does not constitute plagiarism. Quite honestly, many undergraduates (even upper-level undergrads) simply don't know all the ins and outs of proper citation.
-There will be students who complain regardless of what you do; you're never going to be able to please everybody. Accept it and move on.
-If you use a textbook, tell your students it's necessary for the course. Yes, I'm being serious.
-Run through your first lecture/discussion/class or two alone or in front of a friend or two before presenting it to your class. This will give you a feel for whether it's too long/short. After the first half-dozen classes or so, you'll likely have the timing down pretty well.
-Prepare in advance if at all possible (i.e., if you know what you'll be teaching and what book you'll be using ahead of time). Having to prep a course on the fly is no fun, trust me.
-The advice to make your syllabus as clear and explicit as possible is EXCELLENT. As for cheating, I spent half of my first lecture discussing what does and does not constitute plagiarism. Quite honestly, many undergraduates (even upper-level undergrads) simply don't know all the ins and outs of proper citation.
-There will be students who complain regardless of what you do; you're never going to be able to please everybody. Accept it and move on.
-If you use a textbook, tell your students it's necessary for the course. Yes, I'm being serious.
-Run through your first lecture/discussion/class or two alone or in front of a friend or two before presenting it to your class. This will give you a feel for whether it's too long/short. After the first half-dozen classes or so, you'll likely have the timing down pretty well.
-Prepare in advance if at all possible (i.e., if you know what you'll be teaching and what book you'll be using ahead of time). Having to prep a course on the fly is no fun, trust me.
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I pretty much second everything that has been said so far. The only adivce I can give is to break everything down into small steps. No, no, much smaller. Nope, not small enough. Even smaller. I have found it much easier to check on students' progress on a much more regular basis than having things accumulate. I am "only" the instructor for a social psychology class that has a lab and I am pretty much checking in on every step of my students' work.
I try to not have any expections, whatsoever, because even though they all have taken stats and experimental psychology, that does not mean that they know what an ANOVA is, let alone when you would use it.
I have also found that giving points for pretty much everything ensures that better quality work gets done, e.g. if they collected data for a group project and I tell them to individually think about what tests they need to run, I am guaranteed to spend all my lab time going through their experiment, explaining them what they need to do. Instead, I have them write up mini-proposals for which they receive a few points because at least that gets them to think about before they come to class, so that I don't have to deal with people who are completely clueless and confused.
When they have papers due, it's broken down into steps, i.e. they first hand in drafts, get feedback and then re-submit (depends on class size how feasable that is). When they collect their own data, I make sure they send the SPSS files to me for to take a look at it so that I don't have to waste classtime on fixing their messed up data files.
It sounds like a lot of work but I have found that doing it this way ensures that things ultimately go a lot smoother and generally result in less confused students.
My two cents.
I try to not have any expections, whatsoever, because even though they all have taken stats and experimental psychology, that does not mean that they know what an ANOVA is, let alone when you would use it.
I have also found that giving points for pretty much everything ensures that better quality work gets done, e.g. if they collected data for a group project and I tell them to individually think about what tests they need to run, I am guaranteed to spend all my lab time going through their experiment, explaining them what they need to do. Instead, I have them write up mini-proposals for which they receive a few points because at least that gets them to think about before they come to class, so that I don't have to deal with people who are completely clueless and confused.
When they have papers due, it's broken down into steps, i.e. they first hand in drafts, get feedback and then re-submit (depends on class size how feasable that is). When they collect their own data, I make sure they send the SPSS files to me for to take a look at it so that I don't have to waste classtime on fixing their messed up data files.
It sounds like a lot of work but I have found that doing it this way ensures that things ultimately go a lot smoother and generally result in less confused students.
My two cents.
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I LOVE teaching! It's always an adventure 😀
I've taught in several different environments: military, business courses (marketing/customer service), college... and what T4C says here is probably the most important thing I can possibly suggest to you...students NEED to know what is expected of them academically and behaviorally. It really helps the flow of the class and ensures that the students who want to succeed have the information they need to organize their time accordingly.
One thing I'll add is when grading papers, give them a copy of the rubric and go over it with them. This cuts down on the, "but why wasn't it an A paper?!?" emails and office visits. Again, it also serves to manage exceptions.
I don't allow extra credit though. I'm just a big meanie that way.
I am also a HUGE believer in getting students involved in discussions as groups and as individuals. I ask a lot of questions in class...get the students to work out the answers out loud...start a conversation with their peers and get them involved in the class. Though...I'm pretty strict as far as what is expected in their behavior so I don't (usually) worry when things get heated (passionate responses??) as I just remind them of the behavioral guidelines that were discussed in the syllabus.
Of course, this is contingent on not having a class of 300 freshman 🙄
Above all...enjoy yourself, keep your expectations in check (as previously mentioned) and remember that you were one of these students at some point in your academic career and try to be the teacher you wish you had...or try to emulate one of your fave instructors until you find your groove.
Best wishes and have fun!
AB🙂
I've taught in several different environments: military, business courses (marketing/customer service), college... and what T4C says here is probably the most important thing I can possibly suggest to you...students NEED to know what is expected of them academically and behaviorally. It really helps the flow of the class and ensures that the students who want to succeed have the information they need to organize their time accordingly.
Make sure you are familiar with your school's policy on what information HAS to be on the syllabus. That gets a lot of first time instructors. And if you're copying another instructor's syllabus...please read over it and ensure you agree with all of the course assignments and policies. It's a sad thing to have to explain a policy that you don't agree with..and I've seen it happen.
One thing I'll add is when grading papers, give them a copy of the rubric and go over it with them. This cuts down on the, "but why wasn't it an A paper?!?" emails and office visits. Again, it also serves to manage exceptions.
I have a similar system to this...I love "pop" quizzes that cover a reading assignment or a topic from the previous lecture and they can drop the lowest 1 or 2 grades depending on how many quizzes there were. It keeps them motivated to do the reading and to be involved in class. And who doesn't love a pop quiz?? 😀T4C said:
I don't allow extra credit though. I'm just a big meanie that way.
I swear we have the same approach to teaching...it's eeeerie.T4C said:
I agree completely!T4C said:
I am also a HUGE believer in getting students involved in discussions as groups and as individuals. I ask a lot of questions in class...get the students to work out the answers out loud...start a conversation with their peers and get them involved in the class. Though...I'm pretty strict as far as what is expected in their behavior so I don't (usually) worry when things get heated (passionate responses??) as I just remind them of the behavioral guidelines that were discussed in the syllabus.
Of course, this is contingent on not having a class of 300 freshman 🙄
Above all...enjoy yourself, keep your expectations in check (as previously mentioned) and remember that you were one of these students at some point in your academic career and try to be the teacher you wish you had...or try to emulate one of your fave instructors until you find your groove.
Best wishes and have fun!
AB🙂
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Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeSdC7lbAlA
And this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VKMo-wYEMM&feature=related
I believe this is what Ollie123 and others have alluded to as 'lowering your expectations'.
On a side note, I love teaching, despite the frustrations nicely illustrated by the above videos. Enjoy it! 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeSdC7lbAlA
And this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VKMo-wYEMM&feature=related
I believe this is what Ollie123 and others have alluded to as 'lowering your expectations'.
On a side note, I love teaching, despite the frustrations nicely illustrated by the above videos. Enjoy it! 🙂
Here are other shining examples (from Research Methods, which I currently TA):
In this study the materials that will be are instructions that will be read to regards on what the participants will be tested.
We could put a house cat living outdoor in a fence for a few days and see how it reacts to the different living environment.
- Results for the categories vary significantly at the unlikely level.
- . It seems to be in the significantly unlikely range.
· (Later, in the same paper) . It seems to be in the more likely range.
The chi-square value helps us see this by accepting the null hypothesis.
- There is mostly statistical significance.
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I require that my students taking an introductory lecture course (~90 students) schedule and keep a 10-15 minute meeting with me sometime during the semester. This counts for an easy 5% of their grade and almost all students do it.
Most of my students are second semester freshman or sophomores and have never made an appointment during office hours--so they don't even know that they can approach us when it's not for an emergency or an F. Although this policy is time consuming, I learned a great deal about my students and their specific goals, strengths, and weaknesses. I let them discuss whatever they want, but I typically start with, "so why are you taking my class in ____?" That leads to good discussions. I also find it's easier to connect with struggling students and give constructive criticism later when issues do arise because we already have built some rapport.
Most of my students are second semester freshman or sophomores and have never made an appointment during office hours--so they don't even know that they can approach us when it's not for an emergency or an F. Although this policy is time consuming, I learned a great deal about my students and their specific goals, strengths, and weaknesses. I let them discuss whatever they want, but I typically start with, "so why are you taking my class in ____?" That leads to good discussions. I also find it's easier to connect with struggling students and give constructive criticism later when issues do arise because we already have built some rapport.
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This is a great idea.
I do not currently teach, though I am going to add a version of this into my classes....I just hope my class is <30.
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Oh, one more piece of advice. Don't take things personally.
I'm just saying because I am seriously annoyed by a student who (and I you not) complained to the professor that I wasn't giving him enough points back for the re-submitted paper (up to half the points they lost) because the re-submission had parts missing (that had been outlined before), DESPITE the fact that allowing students to resubmit was something I didn't have to do AND that after I gave him back his re-submission, I gave another option to re-submit for 1/4 of the lost points. Essentially he was pissed he could now only earn 1/4 of the points back ...I mean, seriously?
Alright, back to being calm and unaffected by things like this.
I'm just saying because I am seriously annoyed by a student who (and I you not) complained to the professor that I wasn't giving him enough points back for the re-submitted paper (up to half the points they lost) because the re-submission had parts missing (that had been outlined before), DESPITE the fact that allowing students to resubmit was something I didn't have to do AND that after I gave him back his re-submission, I gave another option to re-submit for 1/4 of the lost points. Essentially he was pissed he could now only earn 1/4 of the points back ...I mean, seriously?
Alright, back to being calm and unaffected by things like this.
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Oh, one more piece of advice. Don't take things personally.
I'm just saying because I am seriously annoyed by a student who (and I you not) complained to the professor that I wasn't giving him enough points back for the re-submitted paper (up to half the points they lost) because the re-submission had parts missing (that had been outlined before), DESPITE the fact that allowing students to resubmit was something I didn't have to do AND that after I gave him back his re-submission, I gave another option to re-submit for 1/4 of the lost points. Essentially he was pissed he could now only earn 1/4 of the points back ...I mean, seriously?
Alright, back to being calm and unaffected by things like this.
Yep!
I had a student who I seriously believe was trying to intimidate me with his size and body language because he did not like the grade I gave him on one paper and that I was not going to excuse him for not turning in another paper because he missed class due to an "athletic function" (he was on the golf team). I had written into the syllabus that students were allowed to drop their two lowest grades, which could/would account for any potential missed assignments if necessary. He did not like this response and then informed me that I was "required" to allow him to miss classes, make up all assignments, and give him passing grades on everything by order of the athletic department. (I've also had students try to give me notes/excuses from their parents.) After notifying him that the athletic department did not dictate my grading policies, he stormed out of the lecture hall and I did not hear from him again. I did hear from the athletic department after the end of the semester inquiring as to why the student received a B/C in the class (not a failing grade by any means, but not the A that he thought he deserved). Thankfully, I had already reported the incident to my department chair, so she simply asked for a copy of my records and forwarded them to the athletic department.
KEEP YOUR RECORDS, FOLKS! I've had similar situations happen a few months after grades were submitted (i.e., students pop up inquiring as to why they didn't receive higher grades) and I had to dredge up their grades as evidence (after I had already left the position & university).
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This is great advice! I just found out yesterday that I will be teaching a course this semester so I'm very anxious about starting off right and at least appear prepared and together. It'll also be my first time teaching so that just adds to the nerves, but hopefully it won't be as daunting and scary as it seems. 🙂
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One of my peers took an undergraduate language class. S/he looks pretty young, and the undergrads didn't know him/her to be a grad student, so the undergrads spoke openly in front of him/her. Openly about all the great excuses they had used to get out of deadlines and doing work. Openly about how "stupid" their profs and TAs were for believing them.
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8/10 undergrads are not honest.
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Does anyone have any advice for people who tend to be nervous speaking in front of a large group of students?
Also, how do you lecture on topics...without reading the material off your slides, but without memorizing it either? Even if it's a class/topic i know a lot about, I don't think I can elaborate without having notes on the material.
Some advice is to use youtube videos and real-life examples--things college students can relate to!
Also, how do you lecture on topics...without reading the material off your slides, but without memorizing it either? Even if it's a class/topic i know a lot about, I don't think I can elaborate without having notes on the material.
Some advice is to use youtube videos and real-life examples--things college students can relate to!
D
deleted106747
Keep doing it. That's the only way I found that I became less nervous. The good part though is after teaching undergraduate I find giving presentations, etc. at conferences much easier.
I lecture based on PPT and then also have "notes" pages which I don't typically read directly from, but which have keywords on things I wish to elaborate on.
To second what everyone else has said: stick to your guns. I had students pushing me for unbelievable things. If I set a boundary, someone would push it. And they could be pretty hardcore about it.
That being said, I love teaching!
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I suggest you just temper any idealism you may have about teaching and undergrads. Undergrads have hounded, threatened, insulted, and openly mocked me (trust me, this is a partial list). If you want to be a teacher primarily (at a junior college or 4-year teaching institution), do a little empirical research about student evaluations of teachers and do whatever the findings suggest produces good evaluations (except perhaps a sex change, unless you want one. Men get evaluated more highly than women). If you don't want to make your career teaching (and in some cases, even if you do), your evals don't matter (only your research does). Do whatever you want and get through the term. And if you do get killed on evals, don't fret about it. UGs don't know if you're knowledgeable, just if they "like" you or want to hump you.
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After hearing some nightmare stories from friends of mine much farther along, I have avoided all undergrad classes. I'll guest lecture for a class or two for them, but forget about putting up with the kind of crap for an entire semester. At least with graduate classes you can have slightly higher expectations.
Made my day.
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Made my day.
Thanks T4C. Glad my bitterness tickled your funny bone (I'm never sure whether to laugh or cry). I actually went into this whole grad school thang 'cause I originally wanted to teach!
Two pointers related to above posts:
1. syllabus:
Your syllabus is a legally binding document (and as such can be the subject of litigation). It's not a bad idea to put in some kind of phrase about "schedules and assignments can change during the course of the semester" as a way to cover your ass. More importantly, if you are very explicit and thorough in your syllabus, and then make exceptions for particular students, you open yourself up to liability if you don't hold everyone to the same standard. This probably won't happen, but it's always a possibility. Some people keep it vague for this very reason.
2. keeping records:
Find out what the time limit for UGs to contest their grades is. Ours is 1 year. for each particular class, I have a general email folder for student communication, including my sent emails (to prove that yes, dummies, I did send out a hand-holding reminder that X was due, even though you should have known anyway, etc.). This whole folder gets deleted after a year. Then I have a general folder labeled something like "Student Shenanigans" or "Loafers and Liars" for anything smacking of trouble. I keep that a little longer, just to back my **** up in case anyone tries to mess with me down the road.
Lastly, the lowering your expectations thing--YES!! Whatever you want them to do, a significant amount will refuse. Unlike people in my discipline, psychologists are actually smart and use objectively scored tests--hooray! But we have endless papers (I have graded as many as 700 papers in one 10 week term) and students will **** 'em up any way they can. One of the favorites amongst my little darlings is a refusal to staple. Free staplers in every computer lab, but they WON'T use 'em. I think something broke in me the day one of my students folded the corner of his assignment over and drew a staple on with his pencil. I'm still baffled about whether this is hilarious, or so indicative of the fruitlessness of teaching that I should simply quit now.
This just comes with time. I hated public speaking when I was younger. I could always do it when I had to, but let's just say I usually wouldn't sleep much the day before. Few conference talks, 300-person lectures, and then teaching my own 3x/week class and those fears are largely gone..although getting up at conferences is still somewhat unnerving.
RE: Lecturing, again this comes with practice. My first few lectures I must have rehearsed a dozen times. By the end I'd barely even look at my own powerpoint slides, came up with examples off the top of my head, etc.
I think one of the biggest helps is getting over the idea that you MUST cover every detail. While the undergrads aren't happy about it, they need to suck it up and read the book, or accept that they will miss some things and get more questions wrong on exams. Once I let go of my fear that it would be the end of the world and everyone would fail the class if I accidentally glossed over one point I was hoping to make, or forgot to give a particular example, lecturing off the top of my head became much more comfortable.
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Here's a somewhat circuitous tip about teaching evals:
The first day I have my students handwrite an "info sheet" for me with name, email, major, reason for taking the class, and finally "anything else they want me to know about them." This latter one is good if they have some kind of anticipated "obstacle to success" such as work obligations, sick family members--good way to cross-reference when the inevitable midterm excuses come in.
Collect 'em and put 'em aside for the end of the quarter.
Now the term is over and you have your evals. Before reading the qualitative comments, get a good start on a bottle of your preferred alcoholic beverage.
[If you are a woman, get two bottles, you may need it when you 1) read that one or more of your students think you are "A BITCH!!!!!!!" or b) read sexually inappropriate comments.]
If you've held onto your "info sheets," you now have a handwriting key for comparison with your evals. Not that you would use it to "punish" anyone--it's too late for that anyway because grades are submitted by now--but it's actually really helpful for decoding the crazy good or crazy bad/inappropriate evals. If someone loved your class, but they are a big dummy who never came, take the compliment and toss it out. Same goes with Joe/Josephine delinquent tosspot--if they hated your class, who cares? But if you have bright, engaged students who are unhappy, and who take the time to express this in a thoughtful, articulate way, their criticism might be worth consideration.
Now drink the rest of the bottle. You've earned it.
The first day I have my students handwrite an "info sheet" for me with name, email, major, reason for taking the class, and finally "anything else they want me to know about them." This latter one is good if they have some kind of anticipated "obstacle to success" such as work obligations, sick family members--good way to cross-reference when the inevitable midterm excuses come in.
Collect 'em and put 'em aside for the end of the quarter.
Now the term is over and you have your evals. Before reading the qualitative comments, get a good start on a bottle of your preferred alcoholic beverage.
[If you are a woman, get two bottles, you may need it when you 1) read that one or more of your students think you are "A BITCH!!!!!!!" or b) read sexually inappropriate comments.]
If you've held onto your "info sheets," you now have a handwriting key for comparison with your evals. Not that you would use it to "punish" anyone--it's too late for that anyway because grades are submitted by now--but it's actually really helpful for decoding the crazy good or crazy bad/inappropriate evals. If someone loved your class, but they are a big dummy who never came, take the compliment and toss it out. Same goes with Joe/Josephine delinquent tosspot--if they hated your class, who cares? But if you have bright, engaged students who are unhappy, and who take the time to express this in a thoughtful, articulate way, their criticism might be worth consideration.
Now drink the rest of the bottle. You've earned it.
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Ativan works wonders. Just don't mix with pre-lecture Patron.
