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Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Using This Resource

I. Preparing to Teach
Planning a course
--Defining Instructional Objectives
--Teaching and Learning Styles: The   Academic Culture
--Choosing and Using Instructional   Materials
--Writing a Syllabus
--Syllabus Checklist
--Using the Syllabus in Class
--Summary of Course Planning
Addressing Students' Needs
--Importance of Knowing Your   Students
--Planning Considerations
--Getting to Know Your Students
--Students of Different Backgrounds
--Students with Disabilities
--Teaching Strategies: Non-Native   Speakers of English
--Creating a Learning Environment
--Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in   the Classroom
--Common Disruptive Student   Behaviors and Possible Responses
--Dealing with Apathetic Students
--Cultural Differences for International   Instructors
--Summary of Addressing Students’   Needs
Teaching Tips
--Organizing Class
--Ways to Be Accessible Outside the   Classroom
--Six Common Non-Facilitating   Teaching Behaviors
--Wireless in the Classroom: Advice   for Faculty
--Summary of Teaching Tips

II. Teaching Methods
The First Day of Class
--When the Class Meets You
--When You Meet the Class
--Diversity the Instructor Brings to the   Classroom
--Conversing with Students with   Disabilities
--Moving Forward
--Summary of the First Day of Class
Lecturing
--Strategies for Effective Learning
--Advantages and Disadvantages of   the Traditional Lecture Method
--Enhancing Learning in Large   Classes
--Chalkboard Technique
--Writing Assignments in the Lecture
--Engaging Women in Math and   Science Courses
--Formulating Effective Questions
--Summary of Lecturing
Discussion
--Brief Overview
--The “Nuts and Bolts” of Discussion
--Facilitating Discussion of Sensitive   Issues
--Encouraging Student Contributions
--Alternative Instructional Methods
--Potential Problems in Discussions
--Summary of Discussion
Expanding Teaching Strategies
--Practical Examples
--Show and Tell
--Case Studies
--Teaching with Case Studies
--Guided Design Projects
--Brainstorming
Group Work
--General Information about Using   Groups
--Group Work in an Introductory   Science Laboratory
Science Labs
--The Role of the Lab Instructor
--What Do the Students Need to   Know?
--The First Day
--Planning and Running a Laboratory
--Safety Procedures
--Summary of Science Labs
Teaching Outside the Classroom
--Tutoring
--Office Hours
--Teaching Students to Solve   Problems
--Advising and Extracurricular   Activities
--Summary of Teaching Outside the   Classroom
Overcoming Misconceptions
--Societal Attitudes and Science   Anxiety
--Misconceptions as Barriers to   Understanding Science
--Common Difficulties and   Misunderstandings

III. Teaching-as-Research
Assessing Student Performance
--Establishing Objectives for   Assessment
--Assessment Primer
--Formulating Effective Methods of   Assessment
--Helping Students Succeed on   Assignments and Exams
--The Why and How of Tests
--Grading Lab Reports, Problem Sets,   and Exam Questions
--Grading Checklist
--Grading Specific Activities
--Grading Writing
--Summary of Assessing Student   Performance
How to Evaluate Your Own Teaching
--Evaluating Your Own Teaching
--A Note on Teaching-as-Research

IV. Appendices
Inspirational Essays
--Mathematics: The Universal   Language of Science
--Transforming Quizzes into Teaching   and Learning Tools
--Teaching My Students to Fish
--Chemistry: The Other Foreign   Language
--Teaching to Different Modes of   Learning
--Notes from a Career in Teaching
Additional Resources
Websites
Graduate Assistant Handbook Outline
--Department- and Institution-Specific   Information
--18 Questions to Have Answered

Works Cited

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The semester I was a graduate student instructor for Survey of Genetics, the professors decided that the students would be given a short quiz every other week in their discussion section. The students’ grades on the quizzes were to be based solely on attendance: if a student came to section that day and turned in a quiz, she or he would get full credit for the quiz. While the professors’ intent to encourage students to attend discussion section was good, I wanted the quizzes to be more than just an attendance incentive. I expected that many students would not feel compelled to study for the numerous quizzes if their grades did not depend on them, thus diminishing the possibility of using the quizzes to assess students’ progress in the course. In addition, I suspected that many students would not take the time to examine their corrected quizzes closely, thereby missing the opportunity to identify gaps in their knowledge before the exam. To address this problem, I developed a quiz strategy for my discussion section that was consistent with the course guidelines set by the professors, but would still encourage the students to take the quizzes seriously so that the grades would allow me to evaluate their progress in the course.

My strategy involved correcting the quizzes together in class immediately after the students finished the quiz instead of grading them myself. Rather than just telling the students the answers, I asked volunteers to come up to the chalkboard and write their answers for the rest of the class. Students were allowed to ask for help from classmates if necessary. On particularly tricky questions, I had two students work together at the board so they would feel less intimidated. Taking turns putting their quiz solutions on the board encouraged them to study for the quiz, since they knew they would have to get up in front of their peers. Also, they were able to identify gaps in their knowledge of the course material by correcting the quizzes themselves right after taking them. At the end of class, I collected the quizzes so that I could determine which topics were particularly difficult for the class as a whole and spend more time reviewing them with the students. I then returned the quizzes in the following section so the students could use them as study guides.

The effectiveness of this interactive method was confirmed by feedback from the students. As a formal evaluation, I requested that the students fill out anonymous midterm evaluations of the course and discussion section, in which I asked them specifically about the grading format of the quizzes. The students stated their overwhelming support for the method. Several students said it greatly helped them prepare for the exam, and admitted that otherwise they probably would not have studied for the quiz and would have recycled their papers without going over the corrections. In addition to positive written support from the students, I noticed a huge increase in class participation relative to the days where there were no quizzes. As the semester progressed, the students were more confident about asking and answering questions. In comparing notes with other TAs for the course, it also seemed that my students were more willing to ask questions in section and took their quizzes more seriously than students in other sections did.

The students benefited from this method because they had a strong incentive to study for the quizzes, and in so doing so, learned the course material in smaller sections rather than waiting to cram for the exam. They also received immediate feedback on their progress by going over their answers in class after the quiz. I collected the quizzes after the students graded them so I could notice if there were any difficult topics that I needed to spend more time reviewing. Increased class participation also made discussion sections more productive and enjoyable for both me and the students. Finally, the method was consistent with the professors’ guidelines, since the actual numerical quiz grade was based solely on attendance.