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GTA Training 2011 Managing Seminars

GTA Training 2011 Managing Seminars. Dr Anna Goatman Lecturer in Marketing. and former GTA. Why am I here?. To share my experiences of seminar teaching To give you some hints and tips To give you confidence To bridge the gap between the lecturer perspective and the GTA perspective

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GTA Training 2011 Managing Seminars

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  1. GTA Training 2011Managing Seminars Dr Anna Goatman Lecturer in Marketing and former GTA

  2. Why am I here? • To share my experiences of seminar teaching • To give you some hints and tips • To give you confidence • To bridge the gap between the lecturer perspective and the GTA perspective • To improve the seminar experience for students and GTAs

  3. My experience • Started teaching seminars in 2004 • Taught throughout my PhD • Taught on around 5 different courses (levels 1, 2, 3 and PGT) • To date, I have taught several hundred seminars to several thousand students • Offered a full-time academic job on the basis of my seminar teaching • Still teach seminars now (some on the same course I started teaching on in 2004)

  4. What are seminars for?

  5. What makes a good seminar?

  6. What do you think students like about seminars? What do you think students dislike about seminars?

  7. Before the first seminar • Talk to the course leader about what they expect you to deliver • If you are part of a GTA team for course, have a team meeting at the beginning of the semester • Read the full course outline • Request access to Blackboard • Possibly attend the lecture(s) • Possibly sit in on somebody else's seminar

  8. Get the right atmosphere • Body language • What you wear • Room layout

  9. The first seminar • Let them know a bit about you • Your academic background • What your outside interests are

  10. A bit about me

  11. Find out a bit about them • Which programmes are they on? • Do you have any exchange students? • Do they know each other? • Use name cards • Establish the ground rules • Expectations of them • What they can expect from you

  12. Tactics for getting them talking • Highlight that the seminar is a forum for discussion • Explain that it’s OK to be wrong, but not to be silent • Have a brief starter activity (5 minutes) to get everyone involved • Divide the seminar into smaller groups to discuss different questions.

  13. Encourage debate • Think about different ways of asking the same question • Break questions down into smaller parts • Encourage the students to ask questions • Of you • Of each other • Play devil’s advocate • Have a vote

  14. Dealing with dominant students • Formalised group feedback • Ask questions to specific individuals • Pull names out of a hat • Pick at random from the register • Ensure that different students present each week

  15. Tactics for getting them working • Make the feedback process formal • Flip charts • Acetate sheets • White boards • Mini PowerPoint presentations • Move around the room • Introduce some controlled competition • Offer small prizes • Sweets/ chocolates usually do the trick

  16. Things to avoid • Just repeating what they’ve done in the lecture • Giving a mini lecture • Filling in all of the silences yourself

  17. Dealing with unprepared students • Set/ reinforce the ground rules in the first seminar • Is the reading compulsory? • Discuss in advance how the course co-ordinator wants you to deal with unprepared students. • Are you expected/ allowed to throw them out?

  18. What are you going to do with - • Students who are late? • Students who are rude? • Students whose phones go off? • Students who don’t participate? • Students who won’t participate?

  19. The feedback loop • Keep the channels of communication open • with the course co-ordinator • Raise any problems • Offer feedback on how things are going • Make suggestions • with the students • Check how things are going • Ask for comments

  20. Things I wish I’d known • “It’s not me, it’s you” • Sometimes the students want to be there • … and sometimes they don’t • You know more than you think you do • But sometimes the students know more than you • You can’t plan for every eventuality • But how you deal with the unexpected matters • You are not their personal tutor/ academic advisor

  21. Seeing the whole picture • Have a clear introduction, explain the format of the session to the students • Manage the tasks and stay aware of the time • Have a brief plenary to check what they have learned

  22. Why teach seminars? • Seminar teaching is a fulfilling, enriching experience • But it can also be frustrating • Seminars are an integral part of university teaching and learning • Seminar leaders are part of a teaching team that includes lecturers, professors and administrative staff • It keeps you in touch • It’s an opportunity to discuss ideas

  23. …and finally • Keep in mind what the seminar is supposed to achieve • Students should feel comfortable, but not be complacent • Reflect on, and learn from, your experience • Teaching is a privilege, not a right • Don’t tell them that you’re only doing it because you get paid • Enjoy the experience – it might just get you a job

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