boston university center for excellence and innovation in teaching preparing doctoral students to...

Boston University Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching

Preparing Doctoral Students to Teach

Janelle HeinekeDirector, Center For Excellence and Innovation in Teaching


This varies by program. Could be to prepare students for:

• Pure research roles.• Advanced practice.• Careers in academia.

BU Doctoral Programs: Primary Goal


• To be successful in academia, graduates must be prepared to be:• Excellent researchers.• Strong teachers.• Good colleagues

• In their own schools/universities.• In their professional fields.

• Our programs focus on the content – which focuses on preparation for the research role.

• We also need to prepare students for the other dimensions – including teaching.

Preparing for Academic Careers


Around BU

School Department ProgramCAS* Biology Required learn-to-teach workshop

• Taken concurrently with first semester of teaching.• Nine meetings over eight weeks, including completion of five short

papers and an evaluation of a classroom teaching. CAS* English Required one day workshop for new TFs

• Full semester course in pedagogy with Writing Program Director.

CAS* History of Art and Architecture

• TFs register for GRS AH 699 “Teaching Art History.” • Instructors meet at least once a week with TFs. • Doctoral candidates who are not TFs receive no formal training

ENG One day Graduate Teaching Fellow training. SAR Required 4-credit course (HP 790: Teaching Skills)

Optional 2-credit practicum with classroom involvement SED Training handled by faculty in mentorship model.STH CEIT orientation and STH orientation.

Two required 2-credit courses: Junior teaching internship and Senior teaching internship.Required colloquia: two 7-hour sessions on pedagogy.


Semester 1• Interview a strong teacher in your department.• Ask about:

• What is challenging.• What is rewarding, • How the instructor became so strong in the classroom.• Tips he/she may offer about teaching.

• Write a summary of what you learned.

Semester 2• Observe a teacher in your department in the classroom. • Write a summary of what you observed about the process.

Preparing for Academic Careers: One Model (SMG)


Semester 3 or 4• Take the role of Teaching Assistant. • Arrange with the instructor of record to have you present some topic

or lead a discussion at least once during the semester. • Write a summary of:

• How you prepared.• How the sessions went.• What you learned. OR

• Interview a strong instructor outside your department. • Prepare a summary of what you learned.



Semester 4 • Participate in the doctoral seminar on dissemination of knowledge,

which will include some content on teaching.


Session Topic1 Professional Societies and Journals2 Presenting at professional meetings and conferences 3 Writing for scholarly publication.

4,5 Defining yourself as an academic; writing a journal article 6 Good writing and … not so good writing 7 Navigating the journal review process

Strategies for publishing· Targeting journals· Meeting submission criteria

8, 9 Principles of adult learning Teaching styles: lecture; lecture/discussion; case method; simulation.

10, 11 Teaching Fundamentals12, 13 Presentations

14 Using technology to enhance learning


Years 3 and 4• Teach a course or discussion section as instructor of record. • Arrange to have at least one session videotaped. Review with

instructor as a follow-up to the doctoral seminar. • Redo videotaping and feedback until the video is ready to post as

part of the e-Portfolio.



Throughout the ProgramMaintain an e-Portfolio tracking your scholarly work and teaching as part of your package to provide to prospective employers.



Overview of Teaching Content


Know thyself. What’s important to you?

• At work?

• Research?

• Teaching?

• Making things happen?

• In other aspects of your life?

If you know yourself, you can find the position that fits you in a school that emphasizes what you care about.

Finding Balance: First Step


Research/scholarly activity:

• How this is defined varies.

• Journal publications.

• Books, chapters, other publications.

• Presentations.

• Involvement in professional societies.

• Both quantity and quality matter.

• Seems to be increasingly important in all schools.

Finding Balance: Second Step


Teaching:

• Student evaluation of teaching.

• Variety of courses taught.

• Contribution to course development/pedagogy.

• Student advising.

May also include:

• Casewriting.

• Materials development.

Finding Balance: Second Step (continued)


Service:• To the institution.

• Contribution to department’s/school’s/ university’s activities.

• Committee work.• Program development/management.

• To the Profession.• Involvement in professional societies.• Journal reviewing/editorships.

• To the community.




Research

Teaching

Service

Casewriting,Textbook

contribution

Course Design,Program

Leadership

Involvement in,Leadership of

Professional Societies


There will always be more to do than you can get done.

• More to learn.• More to write.• More students to help.• More events to attend.

Remember what matters to you and keep it in focus!

Finding Balance: Be True to Yourself


• Some people are born teachers, most are not.

• Everyone can be better! Even if you’re a terrific teacher, the needs of students change over time, so you need to continuously adapt and improve.

What It Takes to Be a Good Teacher


• Be yourself.

• Adapt your style to your audience.

• Adapt teaching “tricks” from others –

don’t “adopt” them wholesale.

Teach in Character


• Of students and their opinions.

• Of student diversity.

• Of the faculty team.

• Of program goals.

Be Respectful


• Prepare lecture notes, case plan, game process.

• Prepare for common questions.

• Keep notes in good order.

• Use a class agenda.

• Hand out as many materials/assignments as possible at the start of the term.

• Prepare for different “paths” through the material.

Be Organized


We learn and remember after one month...

• 14% of what we hear.

• 22% of what we see.

• 30% of what we watch others do – demonstrations.

• 42% of sensory redundancy - classroom rituals that repeat seeing, hearing, and doing important skills or concepts.

• 72% of “movies of the mind” - learning that is linked to remembered or imagined life experiences of the learner.

• 83% of performance of a life-challenging activity - first-time or demanding action that applies the new learning.

• 92% of what we teach others! Gary Phillips, Vancouver B.C., Canada

Teach, Don’t Tell


• Set high expectations.

• Be friendly, but be clear about who’s in charge.

• Be clear about your grading criteria.

• Think about your goals and plan/implement tactics in the first class (particularly for class participation.

• “Cold calling.”

• Depth of analysis behind responses.

• Be tougher with grading early; it’s easier to curve up than down!

Set the Tone Early


• Offer reasonable office hours.

• Use technology.

• E-mail.

• Course support software.

• Solicit feedback early in the term.

• Use a method that provides actionable information (SSC).

• Be clear about what you are willing – and not willing – to change.

Be Accessible and Responsive


• Plan assignments to make it possible for students with strengths in different areas to be successful (papers, exams, class participation) - and to minimize the risk of cheating.

• Grade thoughtfully - and make it a policy not to change grades.

• Remember students are taking other classes, too!

• Don’t burden students with busywork.

Be Fair


• “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them.”

• Use class agenda.

• Summarize at end of class (you or student).

• Connect to other classes.

• Connect to “real world.”

Reinforce!


• Connect to the “real world.”

• Consider the age of materials; if age doesn’t matter, discuss it in class!

Think About Relevance


• Observe other teachers.

• Have other teachers observe you.

• Reflect on what makes a class great – or mediocre.

• Listen to your students.

• Take the time to develop good materials – so you can use them again and again.

• “Mix it up” in the classroom. Change the pace. Change the pedagogy.

• Be aware of the rhythms of the semester.

• Give your students your best.

Some Tips:

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