Notes on Fisher Files, Sequence II, Episode 9 - Teaching

Here are my notes on the Fisher Files episode entitled "Teaching."

Introduction

• Teaching happens anytime you interact with students or colleagues, not just in the formal lecture setting.
  
• If you're a good teacher, you will find that teaching goes both ways: you are teaching your students and colleagues and they are also teaching you.
  
• You want to organize an academic class in a way that is pleasurable and efficient for both you and students.
  
• Keys to lecturing well
  
  • Preparation
    
  • Finish on time without hurrying
    
  • Respect the students
    
  • Keep a tight feedback loop
• What doesn't work: Keeping a lecture or two ahead of the students because you will end up with a course that meanders (no, an outline is not good enough)

First time teaching the course

• When you start off, most universities will give you a tour of duty that involves teaching the same class three times in a row.
  
• Prepare the course well in advance. At the start of the course, have a rough draft of every single lecture. (that is, everything you will say and write on the blackboard) and a rough draft of every problem set (Yes, you read the last bullet point correctly. You need to prepare a rough draft of every lecture and every problem set. A class is a lot of work and the more of it you do ahead of time, the better)
  
• Need a clear idea of your goals so that you can assign useful problems in the problem sets
  
• Know your audience and your student’s capabilities; ask your colleagues who taught them the term/year before
  
• Need to constantly be adjusting the course to keep a balance between overwhelming and boring the students
  
• It's easy to find out if you're meeting that balance; just ask the students and section instructors
  
• Good idea to have a staff meeting every week for the course (usually 15-30 minutes is sufficient)
  
• In order to finish each lecture on time without hurrying, you will have to practice every lecture
  
• By practicing every lecture, that means practicing in real time with blackboards and a timer
  
• Won't cover the many aspects of lecturing (pacing, legible writing, presentation, etc) since there are books and media available on these topics

Logistics

• You need to have respect for the students and they need to respect you.
  
• The way to make this happen is to make clear your expectations of them and what they should expect from you
  
• Expectations is really about laying out boundaries
  
• Within your boundaries, you will be completely engaged in teaching and outside of those boundaries, spending more time on teaching is optional
  
• Lay out your expectations right away at the beginning of the course
  
• On the first day, hand out a one page sheet of expectations
  
• Reasonable expectations for you
  
  • You should finish your classes on time
    
  • Problem sets should be graded and returned with solutions in a timely fashion
    
  • Textbook should be chosen at a reasonable level
    
  • Students should find you available to discuss the course
• Reasonable expectations for students
  
  • Students should not bother you when you don't have office hours or an appointment scheduled
    
  • Students should not complain about their grades
    
  • Students should attend class on time
    
  • Students should make an honest attempt to complete their work
• When you hold office hours, you should really be available (i.e. waiting for students) and not doing other work
  
  • Peter likes to reserve a tutoring room and bring a magazine
    
  • Peter thinks it is useful to have office hours a few hours before the problem set is due so that you get a lot of students and can generate a lively discussion
• Should encourage students to email you with questions
  
  • Students should expect a thoughtful, timely response to a reasonable question
    
  • But they should not expect that they can send you a 4 page long email anytime and expect a response
• Problem sets and exams should be returned within a week maximum, preferably shorter because after that, students forget the material or the material becomes irrelevant
  
• Problem set/project due dates
  
  • Recognize that like yourself, students have complicated lives with many competing demands and it can be difficult to meet "arbitrarily set" deadlines
    
  • Peter's take: students should meet deadlines, but if they need extra time, they should tell the instructor and propose a new due date subject to instructor approval. If the instructor is not going to start grading the problem set/project soon anyways, it makes sense to give the student some extra time.

Teaching

• You should look at students while you lecture; are they engaged, bored, or lost?
  
• If they looked lost or disengaged, you should stop lecture and ask them what's wrong
  
• You should talk to students informally before/after lecture, during office hours to get feedback
  
• Course evaluations come too late and they just confirm at you knew already anyways
  
• Try to find out who the students are and what they are interested in (show an interest in their lives)
  
• Anything you can bring into the course from your research or experience is valuable because you will be passionate about it
  
• Find ways to make your teaching more efficient
  
  • One example, if you screw up in lecture, write up an explanation and pass it out in class rather than going over it on the blackboard
    
  • One idea: set up a video camera and videotape a blackboard derivation
• Section teaching
  
  • Role is not to give another version of lecture, do problem sets for the students, or answer questions
    
  • In first five minutes of class, figure out what the students need help with and make an agenda out of their questions and concerns
    
  • Group related questions together in the agenda
    
  • Spend rest of the time going through the agenda and addressing student’s questions in a Socratic dialogue
    
  • Make students feel like section is their time
• Teaching graduate students
  
  • Mainly you teach them to do your research for you
    
  • But take some time to prepare mini-lectures about things they should know but won't learn about in class (think about what you wish you had known as a grad student)
    
  • Try to meet with your graduate students weekly
    
  • Good to teaching your student something at every meeting
    
  • Also a good idea to have everyone teach each other at group meetings

Conclusion

• Remember that teaching is pleasurable because you spend a lot of time with students who are interested in the same things you are and want to learn from you. Students are endlessly fascinated with faculty: how you got there, where you went to school, what research you conduct.
  
• Just make sure this stuff doesn't spill into teaching time (set your boundaries)
  
• In contrast, most of your colleagues are just concerned with their own research and not really interested in what you are doing.