Pant recommended that when you teach for the first time, it's a good idea to make a plan that is complete as possible, but when the class actually begins, you have to be flexible and willing to make changes. He suggested teaching a class that you've already TA'd for so that you know what to expect from the students. He also pointed out that students actually listen when you speak, so you have to be careful about what you say and what work you give them. He recommended working out all HW problems ahead of time so you can give hints about suspected difficult problems, and he reminded us of the importance of being kind and polite to students to create a pleasant atmosphere for learning. He stressed the importance of clarity. Not only is it important to share policies and goals of the course, chapter, class session, etc. with the students, but oral and written clarity are also important. To accomplish this, he suggested writing in complete sentences on the board, and for international students in particular, he stressed the importance of speaking slowly and clearly. Finally, he pointed out that even though not everything will go as planned, it's important to try to keep a strict schedule so you can both teach and research well.
Dan talked about some of the steps that go into preparing for teaching a course. He recommended first thinking about what your goals are for the course since every class is different. To do this, it might be a good idea to talk to people who've taught the course before. He suggested that you then go through the textbook to see which sections you want to cover/emphasize. Once you know this, you can then make your course plan on a calendar, although you still have to be slightly flexible -- you don't want to rush too much at the expense of student learning. He likened the course syllabus to a contract between you and the student and pointed out the importance of looking at old syllabi to get an idea about what needs to be included. Finally, he pointed out that there is no fixed formula for success, but making use of the Kaneb Center (like getting certified early on) can help.
Allegra discussed how teaching non-calculus courses like finite math is different. She pointed out that one difficulty with these courses is that they jump around a lot, so it's difficult for some students to follow what's going on. This makes it especially important to be organized and to listen and recognize how your students are handling the material. She suggested that one way is to replace a homework assignment with a pop quiz. With special admissions classes, she stressed that the students deserve respect. Also, she recommended emphasizing the process you use to solve problems; using activities in class can help with this.
Heather talked about surveying students midsemester about their feelings regarding the class. Even if results are mixed and you decide to make no changes after reading these surveys, she pointed out that it is extremely important to respond to the surveys to let the students know that you're listening to them and care about them. Heather gives a survey on the first day of class, midsemester, and at the end to get more specific feedback than from TCEs. She also commented on collaborative learning. She thinks that it benefits all of the students, even those who don't enjoy it, since it's sometimes easier to learn from peers than from the "math god/goddess" at the front of the room and bright students learn more when they have to explain the material to others.
Finally Steven pointed out that the benefits of collaborative learning only come if it's implemented well. He said that there are two types of students are resistant to collaborative learning: bright students and students who think they know what they need to know but really don't. To bring all of these students on board, he suggested emphasizing that the groups are actually teams so they need to work together on tasks for the success of the entire team (which seems to be an idea that engineers are familiar with). He also pointed out that switching around groups isn't always a good idea once the team structure is established. He emphasized the importance of having good activities because students can turn on you fast if there's an activity that they don't like. He also suggested calling out the names of students you know so that they think you know everyone's names. He pointed out that it's a good idea to have some supplemental, more difficult problems prepared to challenge the better students and keep them engaged. If a classroom isn't designed for team activities, he pointed out that it might be necessary to force students to rearrange desks and chairs so they can work together. Finally, he recommended having no more than eight groups so that it's possible to walk around and help them with questions.
After the panel's remarks, there was a question about teaching in the summer versus in the fall or spring. Allegra commented that classes are 5 days a week for 1 hour 15 minutes during the summer, instead of just 50 minutes. Also you have to grade all of your own homework/quizzes/tests during the summer, which can take a lot of time. Heather found it easier to keep a balance between research and teaching in the summer, though, since you're not taking any classes. Erika said that teaching calculus in the summer is difficult since time is condensed and since the material builds on itself.
You might consider attending the Kaneb Center's early semester evaluation workshop on February 10th (Heather says that this workshop is awesome). Let Alex Himonas or Dan know if there's something you want covered this semester. If you'd like to know more about what to expect from the teaching seminar, look at the old website linked from Dan's homepage. Finally, the new meeting time will be 4:50-5:40 pm on Tuesdays.
(reported by Stacy Hoehn)