Notes on Teaching and Learning

One of the most common complaints about participation grades from both students and teachers is their subjectivity. Whether these grades are assigned once or twice per semester or for every class period, most participation grades involve teachers evaluating students on how often and how well they engage in class discussion. While there is nothing inherently […]

Read Full Post »

“5 page minimum, 12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced, one inch margins, with 0pt spacing between paragraphs and your name in the upper right-hand corner of the first page.” Teachers go to great lengths in their syllabi to ensure that students are actually doing course work rather than (ab)using loopholes to meet the minimum requirements. […]

Read Full Post »

Ever wish you could spice up that first day of class so that it doesn’t just include you reading from the syllabus? Below are some efficient ways to disseminate syllabus information that may be more dynamic and interesting than simply reading out the text of the syllabus word by word: The book, Teaching What You […]

Read Full Post »

Are you going to have TAs for one of your classes this semester?  Or will you be a TA?  Before the harried first week of class, sit down to talk through these few key questions to set mutual expectations for faculty and TAs:   1. What is your teaching philosophy? What are the learning goals […]

Read Full Post »