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Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Using This Resource

I. Preparing to Teach
Planning a course
--Defining Instructional Objectives
--Teaching and Learning Styles: The   Academic Culture
--Choosing and Using Instructional   Materials
--Writing a Syllabus
--Syllabus Checklist
--Using the Syllabus in Class
--Summary of Course Planning
Addressing Students' Needs
--Importance of Knowing Your   Students
--Planning Considerations
--Getting to Know Your Students
--Students of Different Backgrounds
--Students with Disabilities
--Teaching Strategies: Non-Native   Speakers of English
--Creating a Learning Environment
--Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in   the Classroom
--Common Disruptive Student   Behaviors and Possible Responses
--Dealing with Apathetic Students
--Cultural Differences for International   Instructors
--Summary of Addressing Students’   Needs
Teaching Tips
--Organizing Class
--Ways to Be Accessible Outside the   Classroom
--Six Common Non-Facilitating   Teaching Behaviors
--Wireless in the Classroom: Advice   for Faculty
--Summary of Teaching Tips

II. Teaching Methods
The First Day of Class
--When the Class Meets You
--When You Meet the Class
--Diversity the Instructor Brings to the   Classroom
--Conversing with Students with   Disabilities
--Moving Forward
--Summary of the First Day of Class
Lecturing
--Strategies for Effective Learning
--Advantages and Disadvantages of   the Traditional Lecture Method
--Enhancing Learning in Large   Classes
--Chalkboard Technique
--Writing Assignments in the Lecture
--Engaging Women in Math and   Science Courses
--Formulating Effective Questions
--Summary of Lecturing
Discussion
--Brief Overview
--The “Nuts and Bolts” of Discussion
--Facilitating Discussion of Sensitive   Issues
--Encouraging Student Contributions
--Alternative Instructional Methods
--Potential Problems in Discussions
--Summary of Discussion
Expanding Teaching Strategies
--Practical Examples
--Show and Tell
--Case Studies
--Teaching with Case Studies
--Guided Design Projects
--Brainstorming
Group Work
--General Information about Using   Groups
--Group Work in an Introductory   Science Laboratory
Science Labs
--The Role of the Lab Instructor
--What Do the Students Need to   Know?
--The First Day
--Planning and Running a Laboratory
--Safety Procedures
--Summary of Science Labs
Teaching Outside the Classroom
--Tutoring
--Office Hours
--Teaching Students to Solve   Problems
--Advising and Extracurricular   Activities
--Summary of Teaching Outside the   Classroom
Overcoming Misconceptions
--Societal Attitudes and Science   Anxiety
--Misconceptions as Barriers to   Understanding Science
--Common Difficulties and   Misunderstandings

III. Teaching-as-Research
Assessing Student Performance
--Establishing Objectives for   Assessment
--Assessment Primer
--Formulating Effective Methods of   Assessment
--Helping Students Succeed on   Assignments and Exams
--The Why and How of Tests
--Grading Lab Reports, Problem Sets,   and Exam Questions
--Grading Checklist
--Grading Specific Activities
--Grading Writing
--Summary of Assessing Student   Performance
How to Evaluate Your Own Teaching
--Evaluating Your Own Teaching
--A Note on Teaching-as-Research

IV. Appendices
Inspirational Essays
--Mathematics: The Universal   Language of Science
--Transforming Quizzes into Teaching   and Learning Tools
--Teaching My Students to Fish
--Chemistry: The Other Foreign   Language
--Teaching to Different Modes of   Learning
--Notes from a Career in Teaching
Additional Resources
Websites
Graduate Assistant Handbook Outline
--Department- and Institution-Specific   Information
--18 Questions to Have Answered

Works Cited

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The following guidelines are general suggestions for interacting with people with disabilities. This isn’t assumed to be an exhaustive list, but is rather a way for you to become more comfortable in the courtesies you extend. When talking with people with disabilities, observe who they are and do not refer to them as their disability.

Guidelines for Conversing with People Who Have Mobility Impairments:

• Consider the distance, weather conditions, and surfaces along paths of travel when giving directions.
• Do not lean on wheelchairs.
• When talking with a person in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, place yourself at the user’s eye level.
• Allow a person using a wheelchair or crutches to keep them in reach. Remember that many wheelchair users can transfer to chairs, into automobiles, or into other seating arrangements.
• Ask wheelchair users if they want to be pushed before doing so.

Guidelines for Conversing with People Who Have Visual Impairments:

• When greeting someone with a visual impairment, identify yourself and others who are accompanying you. When you are leaving the space, let the person with a visual impairment know. Being blind doesn’t affect a person's hearing, so use a normal tone of voice.
• Ask before giving help. When offering to assist someone with a visual impairment, allow the person to take your arm. It is helpful to give verbal instructions regarding stairs, changes in levels, and other barriers.
• Do not pet service dogs when they are working unless the owner tells you that the dog is at rest or play. When walking beside the owner, choose the side of the person away from the dog.
• If you believe a person with a visual impairment needs help navigating (e.g., walking down stairs), first, ask if you can be of any assistance. If the individual does ask for assistance, guide his/her hand to the railing of the staircase.

Guidelines for Conversing with People Who Have Hearing Impairments:

• Before addressing people with hearing impairments, you may gently wave your hand in their line of vision or lightly tap their shoulder.
• When establishing whether a person with a hearing impairment can read your lips, look directly at the person and speak clearly, keeping your hands away from your mouth. Don’t over-exaggerate your speech and never yell; this makes lip reading more difficult. It isn’t necessary to slow down your speech unless you're asked to do so.
• Allow a clear view of your face by placing yourself near a light source and by keeping food and gum away from your mouth when speaking.
• If a person doesn’t understand you, rephrase the statement with different words that may be easier to understand when lip reading. Use gestures and body movements to help clarify your words.
• If there continues to be difficulty, try written communication, or arrange for a sign language interpreter for future communication.
• If an interpreter is present, speak directly to the person you are addressing, rather than to the interpreter.

Guidelines for Conversing with People Who Have Communication or Speech Impairments:

• Give your attention to the person who is speaking, even if an interpreter is present.
• Be patient; don't speak for the person. Let the person finish his/her own sentences.
• Be supportive and encouraging by maintaining eye contact and refraining from looking at your watch or tapping your foot.
• Ask questions that only require short answers.
• If you aren’t sure you understood something, repeat what you did understand and wait for further explanation. Pretending to understand is not helpful.

• Speak slowly and clearly. Use gestures and physical movements to assist in being understood.
• Keep a positive tone and positive facial gestures. Do not make movements that may be perceived as threatening.
• Treat people as they are. If they are adults, treat them as such. Don't expect that people with developmental disabilities are like children. It is helpful to ask yourself: “Am I asking a developmentally disabled person to do something that I would ask anyone his/her age to do?”
• Ask before assuming that someone needs or wants assistance.
• Use specific and clear language.
• If a response is delayed, wait; the delay may simply mean the person needs more time to formulate an answer.

Guidelines for Instructors: Students with Visual Impairments

• Read aloud any instructions or material written on the board or on overheads used in the lecture.
• Give directions to the restrooms, laboratory, or classroom clearly, stating the distance.
• Allow students who are visually impaired or blind to make audio recordings of the lecture. The student will notify you in advance of such requests. Tape recorders or other recording devices for student use are available through student services programs.
• Allow students who are visually impaired or blind to bring note takers or Braille equipment with them into the classroom. Again, you will be notified in advance.
• Work with students and your campus office for students with disabilities to get appropriate formats of course materials to students in advance of the class. Electronic versions of documents generally offer the most flexibility, but each student may have unique needs.