friend,
Are you nervous about teaching? There's a lot of advice out there for how to improve, but the most important advice is this: don't neglect your teaching, but don't over-invest your time either. While teaching is important, you're ultimately in school to focus on your research.
That being said, improving your teaching skills should help you reduce the time you spend on teaching duties and increase the amount of time you spend working toward publication. Whether you'll soon be teaching for the first time or you've already begun teaching, here are some common pitfalls new teachers experience, and how to avoid them.
Self Doubt
You probably know your subject better than you think you do, and you don't have to know everything about a subject to know and teach it. It's okay not to know everything.
Self Criticism
You're your own worst critic. If you make a mistake, most students probably won't even notice. Just embrace it and move on.
Remember, even great teachers have bad days. Focus on improving instead of dwelling on mistakes. And while you should take student comments seriously, don't read too much into them—they often correlate with grades.
Unease with Public Speaking
Like writing, the only way to get better is to practice. Everyone has their own tips and tricks, but some that may help are:
- Tell stories and form narratives
- Use humor
- Pick subject matter that excites you—energy calms the nerves!
- Avoid crutches (notecards, powerpoints, etc.) especially early on
- Set the tone on the first day of class
- Start with an activity pertaining to your topic—don't hand out the syllabus until the end of class on the first day
Lack of direction from your department
Your colleagues aren't there to show you how to teach—your class is ultimately your responsibility. If you're looking for direction, try:
- Looking at past syllabi from other instructors
- Ask to observe your colleagues teaching, and copy the habits of great teachers
- Consulting other universities and online resources
- Adapting the class as the semester proceeds
Dealing with problem students
Problem students take many forms. Whether they're plagiarizing, trying to negotiate a better grade, or simply not up to par on reading and writing skills, you'll inevitably encounter them.
You can minimize their impact by:
- Establishing firm rules and parameters
- Setting expectations up front
- Including your policies in your syllabus
- Documenting everything in case problems emerge
Working with students in general
Treat students like the adults the are, even when they don't act like it, and make sure they use face time with you effectively.
Over the course of the semester, you can start firm & grade hard at the beginning, then ease expectations as the semester progresses.
I hope you'll find these tips helpful as you step into the classroom.
Best,
Nigel
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