Consulting
Departmental Consultations
The Center for Teaching offers workshops that can be adapted to departmental needs and schedules. We provide packets of resources for participants. Popular workshop topics include:
- Tips for New Teachers - Get a course and your teaching career off to a good start
- Leading a Discussion - Actively engage students in the classroom by asking good questions, effectively presenting information, authentically assessing learning, reflecting on teaching, and creating a community of learners
- Syllabus Construction - Consider topics beyond the course calendar including ground rules, course goals and objectives, and incorporation of the rhythms of the semester
- Teaching Portfolio - Create an accurate and effective portfolio of your teaching through documentation and reflection
- Service Learning - Enhance student learning by incorporating service learning into courses.
- Helping Students Write - Help students improve their writing without overburdening your teaching hours
- Dealing with Challenging Students - Create ground rules, rouse quiet students, and tactfully guide students
Individual Consultations
- Center staff members consult with individual faculty and TAs on teaching issues of all kinds, including help with presentation skills, ideas for engaging the class, and dealing with challenging students. Staff members can assist teachers in thinking through curricular changes, syllabus revisions, the creation of assignments and exam questions, and student evaluations. Consultations are generally scheduled but for simple questions, we can confer by e-mail or telephone.
- A staff member can observe a class and then meet with you to discuss teaching strategies.
- Instructors can request one of our staff members videotape a class session. You will receive a DVD of the session to watch at your leisure.
- Through a Classroom Assessment by Student Interview (CLASI) students reflect on your course and offer anonymous feedback. A member of our staff interviews students in your absence. Students gather in small groups and answer the following questions:
- What does your teacher do that helps you learn?
- What does your teacher do that gets in the way of your learning?
- What suggestions do you have for your teacher?
- What could you yourself do as a student to improve your learning?
The process takes about 25 minutes in-class time. You and the Center for Teaching staff member will meet to review the findings and discuss how best to interpret and use the information.