Teaching Tips from the 2004 Ann Ferren Teaching Conference
download pdf version
Challenge your students but also provide support.
Always expect the best of each and every student.
Build a positive point of view; find ways to praise students for a job well done.
Students are your students – they aren't your children.
Teachers should eventually self-destruct. That is, you give students all the necessary tools so that he/she doesn't need you any more on future progress.
Teach your interests.
Have students e-mail you about anything unclear in class. Respond after class and/or at the start next class with answers and discussion that link to the e-mails.
Be accessible to students and aware of their questions and concerns. One good way to accomplish this is to provide time for One-Minute Papers at the end of every class in which students can ask questions, summarize, and raise problems. Respond either that day via phone or e-mail, or at the start of the next class.
Students can be a terrific resource for guest speakers. (A past student is a cousin to a presidential press secretary and arranged for him to speak to my class.)
Incorporate students and include students in your work – working together with students to achieve a goal in terms of a project, research, writing – so that a teacher can not only achieve personal success but can help direct students towards their career goals.
Power point, when used properly, for my own lectures and for student presentations combines visuals (photos, etc.) with the spoken and written word. It can be very creative and satisfying.
At the beginning of every class I announce that the course will cover controversial issues that some people will find offensive. I say that if they cannot endure this they should consider leaving. But I say that despite the controversial nature of the topics I will make the class a safe environment where everyone feels able to express their view. I will not tolerate personal attacks and invite students who feel silenced to see me.
Run the class like a meeting:
-Say what you are going to do
-Do it
-Remind the class about what you just did before they leave
Repetition is important!
No matter the size of the class, learn the students' names and use them. Helpful hint: have students draw a picture of themselves on the back of an information sheet. Review pictures before class.
Learn the names of all the students by no later than the third week of the semester.
Making name placards for each student. (It prompted me to introduce every student to all at the outset and to encourage discussion more.)
Don't have everything planned out for every class. It's more engaging if there is an element of risk.
Prepare lectures like you were playing musical scales. Start with a fundamental point and a base note and build in a logical way to an interesting aspect, a high grace note early in the lecture. This will meet the needs of the knowledgeable and the novices.
Admit what you don't know.
Don't bluff students: “I'm glad to answer your question – I don't know, but I'll find out.”
If you don't know the answer to a student's question, admit it, and then get back to them with an answer.
You don't need to have all the answers to be a good teacher.
No concept is ever too rudimentary, nor any question stupid, nor any opinion invalid.
Create ways to ensure that students read and struggle with a text before they come to class.
Have papers due before the day of class. A teacher assigned weekly summaries on reading. Though it was a Wednesday class, the papers were due Monday at noon. The class seemed more efficient due to this and I liked doing them early.
Do mid-course evaluations.
Give students a chance to informally evaluate the course midway through the semester.
Ann Ferren's three midterm evaluation questions – I still use them every time:
1. What is helping you learn in this class?
2. What is getting in the way of your learning?
3. What are your suggestions for the rest of the semester?
Ask for evaluation early – it's not too late to change a course during the semester.
Give students evaluation forms to receive their feedback on teaching.
In every classroom there must be a captain. You can be open to student input, ideas, opinions, and contributions; in fact, you must be. But ultimately someone must say, “Sail that way.”
For each class session, show up early to discuss various issues and put the room at ease.
Use student suggestions to make more meaningful and more effective assignments.
Call on a student and ask them to ask a question in class.
A colleague told me that I shouldn't worry about filling every silence. If I ask a question and wait (what sometimes seems like an hour), eventually a student will answer.
Take pauses in class to stop and look around to make sure all the students look up in understanding.
In as much as is possible, have the students read classic authors directly instead of second-hand versions of what they said.
Use novels to illustrate course materials.
Continual use of multiple symbols to deliver content:
-present material visually: images and print
-present material verbally
-present material interactively and with physical manifestations
-present material so that students encounter subject inductively and deductively
Have the students talk/converse in a language class.
Use analogies or real-world examples to illustrate a point. This helps the students both understand and remember the principle.
Have students critique each others' writing during class discussions. It engages them more than the professor doing a solo act.
Allow each student to speak and write what they passionately believe. I have learned not just to listen but to hear.
Listen to the students as if they were your colleague or Dean.
Every day reflect on your teaching. Find one thing that went well in class(es) that day and think of how you can make it better and/or incorporate it into other lessons.
You don't have to be “right”, you have to state at least one position clearly and allow students to react to it.
The goal: to get your students to read and ponder your carefully crafted comments, embed the grade, that is, weave it into your text. About 2/3 of the way through, work in the A, B, C, etc.
Give students ownership over their learning/course.
Assign groups and group projects to ensure multicultural makeup – gives them an opportunity to hear other perspectives in and outside of classroom discussions.
Be selective. Don't assign too much reading, but give assignments that make sure the students have done the reading you assign!
Challenge students with more work than they think they can handle. (They learn more and build confidence in themselves.)
Large classes were overwhelming at first. Anna Russell, musician-comedienne, said to treat the audience like one person. That's what Oprah and Conan do! This helps you not expend all your energy trying to contact 70 people on an individual level during class.
Peer students and professors offered to mentor me and discuss problems. We meet monthly to chat.
Call Kathy Schwartz. (Make use of support resources.)
Be in your office before, during, and after stated office hours.
Build a partnership with the Teaching Assistant to ensure a better use of resources for students.
Don't do the same thing twice in one semester no matter how applicable.
Change your syllabus radically so that you can teach a new course every semester even when you teach the same course.
View the syllabus as a contract – for the faculty and student.
Make sure that your students understand clearly (in your syllabus and in your orientation session) the goals and the rules of your course.
Be very clear on what your expectations are – and very clear on all your assignments.
Use handouts for each class (outline of important points).
Time management:
-split the handouts and start at two ends of classroom
-let students know you have a handout!
Give students a sense of community by sitting in a circular fashion, which provokes dialogue and provides space for intentional, respectful engagement.
Don't keep your back to the class for a long period when you write on the chalkboard.
Walk around the class. Stand in different places.
“Dress professionally”, said one of my students in his/(probably)her narrative comments in the teaching evaluation. I didn't think it was important – I still don't – but it made a difference.
Keep a special folder/binder of protective paper sheets with all of your overheads in it.
Use 3 ring notebooks so you can update/delete/add articles, jokes, etc. to the course easily.
For those with organizational challenges: Color code each course file. For example, red for course #1; blue for course #2. Then everything and anything to do with course #1 goes in the red file.
Make PDF documents of all course files generated (greater stability).
Partner with a colleague to team teach a course. |
