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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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Recognize any biases or stereotypes you may have absorbed.

Do you interact with students in ways that manifest double standards? For example, do you discourage women students from undertaking projects that require quantitative work? Do you undervalue comments made by speakers whose English is accented differently from your own? Do you assume that most African American, Chicano/Latino, or Native American students on your campus are enrolled under special admissions programs? Do you assume that most students of color are majoring in ethnic studies?

Be careful about the comments made during class lectures, discussions, recitation sessions, etc. Be aware of the fact that comments that are not fully explained may inadvertently invoke stereotypes or promote inaccurate conclusions. Similarly, skewed examples of religious, historical, or other events have the potential to lead students to believe that inaccuracies are truths. 

Treat each student as an individual, and respect each student for whom he or she is.

Each of us has some characteristics in common with others of our gender, race, place of origin, and cultural group, but these are outweighed by the many differences among members of any group. We tend to recognize this point about groups we belong to (“Don’t put me in the same category as all those other New Yorkers/Californians/ Texans you know”), but sometimes fail to recognize it about others. However, any group label subsumes a wide variety of individuals – people of different social and economic backgrounds, historical and generational experience, and levels of consciousness.

Try not to project your experiences with, feelings about, or expectations of an entire group onto any one student. Keep in mind, though, that group identity can be very important for some students. College may be their first opportunity to experience affirmation of their national, ethnic, racial, or cultural identity, and they may feel both empowered and enhanced by joining monoethnic organizations or groups (Institute for the Study of Social Change, 1991).

Rectify any language patterns or case examples that exclude or demean any groups.

Do you:

• Use terms of equal weight when referring to parallel groups: men and women rather than men and ladies?
• Use both he and she during lectures, discussions, and in writing, and encourage your students to do the same?
• Recognize that your students may come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds?
• Refrain from remarks that make assumptions about your students’ experiences, such as “Now, when your parents were in college…?”
• Refrain from remarks that make assumptions about the nature of your students’ families, such as “Are you going to visit your parents over spring break?”
• Avoid comments about students’ social activities that tacitly assume that all students are heterosexual?
• Try to draw case studies, examples, and anecdotes from a variety of cultural and social contexts?

Do your best to be sensitive to terminology.

In general, you should consider whether using age, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation is necessary or relevant to your point — it rarely is. Terminology changes over time, as ethnic and cultural groups continue to define their identity, their history, and their relationship to the dominant culture. To find out what terms are used and accepted on your campus, you could raise the question with your students, consult the listing of campus-wide student groups, or speak with your faculty affirmative action officer.

In the 1960s, for example, the term “Negro” gave way to “Black” and “Afro-American.” In the 1990s, the term “African American” gained general acceptance. Most Americans of Mexican ancestry prefer “Chicano” or “Latino” or “Mexican American” to “Hispanic.” Asian Americans may be offended by the term “Oriental,” which connotes British imperialism; and many individuals want to be identified not by a continent but by the nationality of their ancestors, for example, “Thai American” or “Japanese American.” In California, “Pacific Islander” and “South Asian” are currently preferred by students whose forebears are from those regions.

The term “sexual orientation” is preferred to “sexual preference.” In addition, use the adjectives “lesbian” or “gay” to describe someone, instead of referring to them as “homosexual,” and refer to a lesbian or gay couple as “partners” or “spouses,” rather than “husband and wife.”

Get a sense of how students feel about the cultural climate in your classroom.

Let students know that you want to hear from them if any aspect of the course is making them uncomfortable. During the term, invite them to write you a note (signed or unsigned) or to answer one or more of the following questions on mid-semester course evaluation forms (adapted by Davis from Cones, Janha, & Noonan, 1983):

• Does the course instructor treat students equally and evenhandedly?
• How comfortable do you feel participating in this class? What makes it easy or difficult for you?
• In what ways, if any, does your ethnicity, race, or gender affect your interactions with the teacher in this class? With fellow students?

Become more informed about the history and culture of groups other than your own.

Avoid offending out of ignorance. Strive for some measure of “cultural competence.” Know what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior and speech in cultures different from your own (Institute for the Study of Social Change, 1991). Border and Chism (1992) provide a reading list, organized by ethnic groups, on multicultural teaching in colleges and universities. Beyond professional books and articles, read fiction or nonfiction works by authors from different ethnic groups. Attend lectures, take courses, or team-teach with specialists in ethnic studies or women’s studies. Sponsor mono- or multicultural student organizations. Attend campus-wide activities celebrating diversity or events important to various ethnic and cultural groups. If you are unfamiliar with your own culture, you may want to learn more about its history as well.

Convey the same level of respect and confidence in the abilities of all your students.

Research studies show that many instructors unconsciously base their expectations of student performance on such factors as gender, language proficiency, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, prior achievement, and appearance (Green, 1989). Research has also shown that an instructor’s expectations can become self-fulfilling prophecies: students who sense that more is expected of them tend to outperform students who believe that less is expected of them – regardless of the students’ actual abilities (Green, 1989; Pemberton, 1988). Tell all your students that you expect them to work hard in class, that you want them to be challenged by the material, and that you hold high standards for their academic achievement. And then practice what you have said: expect your students to work hard, be challenged, and achieve high standards (Green, 1989; Pemberton, 1988).

Don’t try to “protect” any group of students.

Don’t refrain from criticizing the performance of individual students in your class on account of their ethnicity or gender. If you attempt to favor or protect a given group of students by demanding less of them, you are likely to produce the opposite effect: such treatment undermines students’ self-esteem and their view of their abilities and competence (Hall & Sandler, 1982). For example, one faculty member mistakenly believed she was being considerate to the students of color in her class by giving them extra time to complete assignments. She failed to realize that this action would cause hurt feelings on all sides: the students she was hoping to help felt patronized and the rest of the class resented the preferential treatment.

Be evenhanded in how you acknowledge students’ good work.

Let students know that their work is meritorious, and praise their accomplishments. But be sure to recognize the achievements of all students. For example, one Chicana student complained about her professor repeatedly singling out her papers as exemplary, although other students in the class were also doing well. The professor’s lavish public praise, though well intended, made this student feel both uncomfortable and anxious about maintaining her high level of achievement.

Recognize the complexity of diversity.

At one time the key issue at many colleges was how to recruit and retain African American students and faculty. Today, demographics require a broader multicultural perspective and efforts to include many underrepresented groups. Although what we know about different ethnic groups is uneven, avoid generalizing from studies on African American students.

Introduce discussions of diversity at department meetings.

Concerned faculty can ask that the agenda of department meetings include topics such as classroom climate, course content and course requirements, graduation and placement rates, extracurricular activities, orientation for new students, and relations with the English as a second language (ESL) program.