Essentials for Teaching: Insider Tips at WKU

Essentials for Teaching: Insider Tips at WKU From the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching (FaCET)

ObjectivesAfter this presentation, you will... • Have a foundation for success • Be aware of FaCET resources • Be able to prevent some common problems • Recognize some key WKU policies • Know characteristics of WKU students • Initiate priority-setting for teaching

Agenda

FaCET Resources • Basic Teaching Skills Seminar • Teaching Portfolio Seminar • Others: Get booklet at Info Fair • New York Times - Sign up by Wednesday 8/22 at noon • New Faculty Notes • Emergencies in Classroom H.O. • Teaching Issues listserv • Mentor Program – Barb Kacer

Prevention & Policies Overview • Contribute ideas as we go. • Syllabus • First Day/Week • Planning Across Classes • Grading Issues • Life in Your Department

Syllabus: Course Clarity • Syllabus Booklet • Policies, Checklist • Disability statement • “May use software to check for plagiarism” • Gen Ed objectives • Must upload to TopNet • Recommended at least 1 week prior to semester’s start

Syllabus: Calendars • TopNet- can download class meeting calendar • For Term & Final Exams (not at class time) http://www.wku.edu/registrar/academic_calendars/index.php **Note Labor Day, Fall Break for students, Election Day, & Thanksgiving**

Syllabus:“Attendance” Issues Better to grade for participation both philosophically & legally But there are some situations in which mere attendance must be known.

Syllabus: Know student attendance • 1. At 60% point (Oct 29) • $$ implications for student. • Quit coming before this point = FN grade & repay federal money. • Missing after = F. • Keep records!

Syllabus:Know Student Attendance • 2. Teaching freshmen? 5th week report • 3. 2007 law, need to know international student attendance, • wiser to know for all students rather than single out a group • 4. Be aware of drop (9/4) & withdrawal (10/17) dates relative to your assessments.

First Day:Prevent Problems • Set norms for desired behavior • e.g., start on time, keep the entire time. • Review key rules, e.g., plagiarism • Get to know students: cards, something unique • Remember: you can get “easier” • You can’t get harder without protests.

Syllabus: First Week • Administrative tasks • Dropping/Adding, so take attendance, bring extra syllabi if you make copies • How soon have graded activities? • Check students have prerequisites • Check on Textbooks • Beware of “Please add me” • Enough seats in the room? Holds on student? Departmental policies? • “Pre-test”?

Syllabus:Planning Activities • Service Learning • ALIVE Center 782-0082 • Critical Thinking initiative • Group Work (Cooperative or Collaborative Learning) • Case Studies, Problem-Based Learning • Remember: classes have personalities • What works for one may flop for another

Syllabus: Planning Across Classes • Check due dates • Don’t overwhelm yourself w/grading • Give students feedback before drop/withdrawal dates • varies if bi-term or full term • Solicit anonymous student feedback about 4th week.

Syllabus:Assessment of Students • Include both Formative and Summative Assessments • Formative • Non-graded • Motivational, Educational • Summative • Textbook test banks aren’t trustworthy • What if they do badly? • Ask a colleague to review 1st test.

Assessment of Your Performance • Student Input to Teacher Effectiveness ratings • Roughly 2nd to last week of term. • Student Gov’t Assoc (SGA) ratings • Annual Review – Digital Measures • Teaching Portfolio

Exam Planning • You may want to consider timing /scheduling • Fall Break, Election, Homecoming, Thanksgiving • Do not give final exams the week before “final exam week.” • If giving final, must give at posted time. • You may be able to also give it at another time– ask.

More Exam Planning • Keep exams 5 years- • Destruction report (U0476 Student Credential File) • Make-ups: Do not have to provide. • Put policy in syllabus & follow-it. Consider jury duty, caregiving needs, university excused, level of illness.

Grading: Posting Grades • What not to post as identifiers: • Partial SSN, ID number not acceptable. • What is okay & within FERPA? • Use identifiers known only to you and the student • AND scrambled – not alphabetical or by grades • AND at least 25 students • OR use Blackboard software • Legal Issues in the Classroom: • http://www.wku.edu/teaching/bsct/legal.php

Grading Writing • The experts say mark a page of grammar, then just content. • Plagiarism • Software-SafeAssign in Blackboard. TurnItIn possible. • They cite but use exact words, no quotes. • F on assignment; F for entire class is more likely to trigger an appeal . • Keep copies of plagiarized work.

Student Issues • Tell dept head early of any student problems • Keep documentation • a note on meetings/content • e-mails from/to the student • Sexual Harassment: Maintain boundaries. • Avoid being alone with a student. • Leave office door ajar • Watch touching

Behavior Management • Your Body Language • Take care in framing issues • “You” is aggressive. “I” works better. • Meet outside class. • Clarify the Problem, don’t assume • If danger, respond immediately • If not, seek advice, act promptly

Life in Your Department • You are important to department • Get to know your secretary (Office Assistant/Associate) • Will save you one day. • Choose your service activities • Research: 15 minutes daily writing • Use mentors (FaCET, dept) • Gives you perspective.

WKU’s Students? • See folder for demographics from the WKU Factbook • Core Teaching Principles

When did you learn how to deeply analyze and evaluate non-discipline material? • High School • Freshman-Sophomore Years • Junior-Senior Years • Graduate School • Post-graduate • Not yet

Understanding Students • They often learn better within a social context • They often don’t know, that they don’t know • Start where the students are, not where you wish they were or where you are. • May choose to be average or below. • May not read text, may study short time. • Develop as learners over time

Collect Data to Get to Know Your Students • Collect a Card or Info sheet with Demographics • 1-Minute paper • What was the muddiest point today? Or • What was the most important thing you learned? • No name; 1 minute; • Report back to class after reading.

What does it mean to be “faculty”? • Teaching is a discipline • Many ways to teach effectively • Most involve being organized. • Excellence is a long term process. • Your assumptions drive • your choices as teacher • your perception of students & learning • how you spend your time, your life

Imagine…. • It is Finals Week in December… • What are you proud of having accomplished in student learning? • How did you do that? • How did you measure it? • What do you need to do now to get there?

Instructional Alignment • These elements must match for maximum student learning & student ratings. Learning Objectives Assessment Activities

Objectives are Practical • Guide teacher choices w/re activities • What NOT to do • Help us to avoid giving “busy work” • Motivational tools & learning guides for students • Guide assessment • Helps in conflict resolution

Writing Course Objectives • “What will the student gain from the course?” • Writing Quality Learning Objectives: • http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/templates/objectivetool.html • http://www.radiojames.com/ObjectivesBuilder/

Give Table in Syllabus?

Any questions?Purple sheet • No name necessary: • Any important questions remaining • On the back: • Any other issue related to “settling in” that FaCET can assist with

Summary • Reviewed • Prevention and policies • Nature of students • Importance of instructional alignment • Use your personal goals to prioritize implementation

More Information • Don’t re-invent the wheel • http://www.wku.edu/teaching/communities/newfac.php • FaCET seminars– booklet at info fair • FaCET library • http://www.wku.edu/teaching/db/ctlresources/checkout/ • List of books, articles, electronic sources • Consulting services: 745-6508

Welcome to WKU! Call us-- we want to hear from you! 745-6508

Essentials for Teaching: Insider Tips at WKU