Notes From a Career in Teaching

An interesting brief article on teaching. For those who dont want to read the article here are the main points:

Teach according to your personality: Teaching is a performance sport only you can figure it out.

Hand out complete instructions the first day: The students are then responsible for following them.

Vary your teaching methods: Variation is the spice of life. Being boring is not acceptable (but you can’t please them all).

Don’t take attendance: Students are responsible for learning.

Take a hard line on late and incomplete work: The students are responsible.

Give students options for assignments and exams: Stimulate creativity.

Require clear and coherent written work: The students must be able to communicate.

Combat plagiarism: Dont forgive, dont forget.

Get out of the way: The teacher sets up the environment. Learning is the students work.

The Chronicle: 9/9/2005: Notes From a Career in Teaching