Meeting Class

1. Meeting Class Watson 2013 New Graduate Teaching Assistant Workshop August 21, 2013 Dr. Doris L. Watson

2. Meeting your first class A bad beginning makes a bad ending (Euripedes, a long long time ago) Watson 2013

3. 1. Pedagogical Warm-up • Visit your assigned classrooms before day of class! • Check out the seating arrangements • Technology … is there any??  • Visit Bookstore • Are your materials in? • Correct editions? • Visit your Webcampus site • Upload syllabus • Readings, assignments, etc. • Match your GAR-Animals! Watson 2013

4. 2. Break the Ice • Peer to Peer or Individual Interviews • Your name or preference; where are you from; what year are you in the major; something interesting you did this summer, etc. • Pair students together – Pairs become 4’s – 4’s become 8’s…  • Report back to large group depending on the class size • Write responses on index card • You make connections with students – more likely to remember names, etc. • Students begin to make connections with each other • Students begin to make connections with you Watson 2013

5. 3. Introduce the Course • Your contract with the students – The Syllabus • Needs to be fully prepared day 1 ! • MUST have accurate information • Phone numbers, emails, univ. /dept. policies, etc. • Spend time on discussing the course syllabus • Do not take anything for granted • A COMPLETE syllabus is one of the strongest and loudest communicators about you and the course you are about to teach! Watson 2013 She is SERIOUS !!! 5

6. 4. Introduce the Textbooks • Have textbooks with you • Do you want them to bring books to class? • Why did you choose the text • What you like/dislike about the text • Be clear on what you mean by “prepared” for class • Ought students skim chapter for class or READ chapter? • Strategies for reading text effectively? Watson 2013

7. 5. Assess student readiness • Syllabus Quiz • Checks student can navigate Webcampus • Download the syllabus quiz • Upload responses • 1- Minute Paper • Have students write what their expectation(s) for class are? • What background they have in the topic? • What are their “preferred” learning styles? • What are their concerns coming into the semester? • Paper provides feedback on the above AND you get a beginning sense of how they write… Watson 2013

8. 6. Adjourn Formally • What are your expectations for the next class meeting? • Restate your excitement for the class! • Are you available following class to answer questions? • Adjourn a little early first day… ONLY.  Watson 2013

9. Conclusion of first class, students ought to have… • 1. A sense of where they are going and how they will get there. • 2. A feeling that that other classmates are not strangers, there is an emerging sense of a learning community. • 3. A feeling that you care about their learning. • 4. A sense of how you will conduct class, i.e., your style. • 5. A feeling that class will be valuable, challenging and enjoyable. Watson 2013

10. Resources • McKeachie’s Teaching Tips (2011): Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. Houghton-Mifflin Pub. • Bean, J. (1996). Engaging Ideas: The Professors Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. Jossey-Bass Pub. • Palmer, P. (2007). The Courage to Teach. Jossey-Bass Pub. • Ory, J.C., & Ryan, K.E. (1993). Tips for Improving Testing and Grading. Sage Pub. • Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher, (1995). Jossey-Bass Pub. • Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, (1993). Jossey-Bass Pub. • Thinking and Active Learning in the Classroom, (2001). Jossey-Bass Pub. • What’s the Use of Lectures, (2000). Jossey-Bass Pub. • Developing Reflective Judgment, (1994). Jossey-Bass Pub. Watson 2013

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