When I was in my early grad school career back in the 80s, I was told that I had been awarded a graduate assistantship and would begin teaching when the fall semester began. I’d taken a practicum — which was largely a waste of time — but had no coursework in pedagogy. The Friday before the Monday on which the semester began, I was given a copy of the textbook, told where and when my classes met, and sent off to teach.
What I learned about teaching and learning, I learned from experience (that should delight the constructivist crowd). I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I managed to learn from them. Still, I don’t think the best way to become a teacher is to be tossed into a classroom with very little prep, though it happens all the time (that won’t delight the constructivist crowd).
So based on my experiences as a teacher, here are my tips for new (and perhaps not so new) teachers. This is long, so click the more tag below to read the rest.
Never forget that you don’t teach in a vacuum. Your class isn’t just your class. How well they learn what you’re supposed to teach them will affect how well they learn in other classes down the road — just as classes they had before yours affect how well they learn in your class.
Teach accordingly.
Be skeptical of everything you heard in ed school. It should be obvious, but teaching hand-holding feel-good “let’s all sit in a circle and share!” seminars in that ed school and teaching students actual content are two very different things. Just because your professors offer courses doesn’t mean they know anything about teaching — particularly if their idea of education is turning students into little goose-stepping Maoists. If you’re smart, you figured out in ed school that 95% of what you read and were told was horse manure.
Go find a good, experienced teacher, and ask him for advice. Note that I said good and experienced; not all experienced teachers are good teachers. Who has a reputation for being a good teacher? Whose students get good scores and seem to come out of class having learned a great deal? That’s the person you want to talk to. Ask him if he has any advice for you as a fledgling teacher, and pay attention to what he says, even if it contradicts what Professor Moonbeam told you in ed school. If he’s amenable, use him as a resource and mentor. I really wish I had had somebody like that in the 80s.
Grade as objectively as possible. Despite their popularity, wholly subjective grading criteria such as “participation” are a bad idea. They introduce a subjective and potentially unfair variable into the way you treat your students. Having said that, there are good arguments for giving a participation grade, but if you do, it should be only a very small portion of the grade.
Performance-based grading is the fairest to your students. As much of your grade as possible should be based on objective, measurable criteria.
Of course, some subjects lend themselves less well to objective criteria than others — composition is one excellent example. But there are methods for applying subjective criteria fairly to all students: Rubrics and anchors, for example. So even if you teach a subject whose evaluation is inherently subjective, you can with some extra work evaluate your students fairly.
Assess your students’ performance frequently. Don’t fall into the “It’s just a ten-point quiz” trap. All assessments are important. Assess your students’ performance frequently, with quizzes and exams, and get results back to them as quickly as possible. It’s only fair that your students know how they are doing, after all. And the more you assess your students, the more opportunities they have to improve their performance.
Critique yourself — harshly. Every time you assess your students, you give yourself an opportunity to assess your own performance. It’s unrealistic to expect all of your students to do well, but if the curve on that last exam you gave is low, assume something you’re doing is not working. “Lisa’s just not a good test-taker” may to some extent be true, but for you, it’s nothing more than an excuse. Take responsibility for your job — getting your students to learn the material. If what you’re doing isn’t working, then stop doing it — even if you are ideologically wedded to doing it (hint: education isn’t about you or your ideology).
Classes gel as entities. It’s bizarre, but different classes develop different class “personalities,” and some classes perform better than others — even if you are doing the same thing in all the classes. Some classes are quiet. Some classes are participatory. Some classes are downright rowdy. Some classes have normal curves. Some classes have high curves. Some classes have low curves.
When assessing your own performance, take this into account. If, say, you’re teaching four classes and you’re doing the same thing in all four, and if your students’ scores are good in three of them but not so good in the fourth, you have evidence that what you’re doing is working.
Stick to your topic. This shouldn’t need to be said, but these days, it isn’t said enough. The school isn’t about you, or your ideology, or your idea of “social justice,” or “diversity,” or “conscienceness-raising.” The school is about learning, as in the topic you’re supposed to be teaching. If you’re throwing out gratuitous political comments, you’re wasting time and not doing your job. If you’re trying to think of ways to weave your agenda into your topic, not only are you being a narcissistic jerk, but you know what you’re doing is wrong — otherwise, you wouldn’t be trying to sneak it in.
If you teach math, stick to math. It’s that simple. There’s too little time to get through the material as it is without wasting valuable time just to make you feel better about yourself.
Treat your students with respect.
Students are people, and people respond in kind to the way you treat them. If you treat your students with respect, they will be more likely to treat you and their peers with respect. If you treat them like children, they will behave like children.
This is the way you earn your students’ respect.
Be an authority figure — and set an example. Like it or not, you are an authority figure. With authority comes responsibility, the responsibility to set an example for your students. Hold yourself to the highest ethics and morals, or find another job.
I had a colleague who would come to work drunk, and go to her classes and tell her students about her latest one-night stand. I suppose she mistakenly thought her students would find her “cool” and relevant.” The reality is that students thought she was a drunken whore and an idiot, and viewed her with disdain. When a sorority sponsored a “Most Hated Faculty Member” poll, she won, and couldn’t figure out why. She gave out As like candy. She talked about her sex life every day. Why would the students dislike her?
How clueless is that?
You are your students’ teacher. You are not their friend, or their therapist. Students look to you for guidance, not hugs or gold stars.
That doesn’t mean be a pompous jerk, nor does it mean don’t be friendly with your students. It does mean that you’re not their peer, and they know it. You need to know it as well.
Also — and this really needs to be said — be careful what you say, and where. If you blog, either do so anonymously, or walk on eggshells when you blog. Don’t put up nude pictures of yourself on MySpace (do I really need to say that?) or talk in the halls about evil homosexuals.
It’s not a matter of PCness, or not offending anyone. It’s a matter of decorum and professionalism. Do not curse in front of students. Do not tell rude jokes in front of students. Act like a professional, not a student.
My students have no idea what my politics are. I never bring politics into the classroom, and never discuss politics with current students. Never. I suggest you adopt the same policy. And here’s another suggestion: Teaching your students by example to steal from others is not ethical behavior, nor is it setting a good example.
Your students are paramount. If you place your salary or your television show above your students, you have no business teaching. As long as you represesnt the school in a classroom, your students are your top priority.
Good luck. We need as many good teachers as we can get.
dragonlady474 says:
The best professor I’ve had so far was my Introduction to Criminal Justice professor. He was very strict, but fair. He told us in advance what he expected and how to accomplish it. He made us good. He set the foundation for every CJ class I’ve taken after that. In fact, I credit him with the fact that my final grade in all of my CJ classes has been an A. Very professional, great teacher, great man.
March 7, 2007, 1:48 amSoCalOilMan says:
Here I thought you were an old fart like me and now I find out you’re around 10 years behind me, unless you went into teaching late.
Your guidelines for teaching should be so obvious that they shouldn’t need to be lined out, but I know the difference between how I was taught and how my brother, six years younger, was indoctrinated.
In the mid 60’s I was on the “cutting edge” of “new math” etc., my class was already to far into 2+2=4 (no matter how you felt that day), that they gave up on us and just waited for the next batch to roll though.
I enjoy your site because it gives me hope knowing there is someone teaching that this is what you need to know to go out in the real world and if you don’t like that, change majors, cause the major isn’t going to change for you.
March 7, 2007, 5:24 amdy/dan » Blog Archive » Carnival Numero 109 says:
[…] It’s over at la casa de Science Goddess. ¶ Dig the Tips for New Teachers by Right Wing Prof. I find nothing quite as altruistic as a veteran teacher helping a noob through those wobbly early years. It’s a strong list, though I find the frequent cynicism towards teacher education dispiriting. (So, seriously, everyone’s program pushed sappy social justice and hand-holding cultural sensitivity in lieu of methodology? Really? Without my own program, I wouldn’t be an eighth the teacher I am now. Let’s talk about this sometime.) ¶ Mr. Chips brings a triple feature of Educator’s Gone Wild and then offers “the job gets to some people” as a rationale for all the educator-related debauchery in his area. Seems too cheap, esp. when so many teachers manage the load without (e.g.) dealing crystal meth but, to be fair, this is only my third year. Give me a couple more of this and I’ll be staring back at you from a post office wall. […]
March 7, 2007, 1:58 pmHappyChyck says:
All very excellent points! Some things I’ve had to learn the hard way, but mostly these are also things I preach to newbies, too. It’s all practical stuff here!
March 7, 2007, 9:50 pmBits of Wisdom from the Edusphere « Teaching in the Twenty-First Century says:
[…] This nugget comes to us from Right Wing Nation. I often sit and wonder how my students get to me with the lack of preparation that quickly becomes evident. After reading RWN’s comment, I told myself, I too must reflect and consider whether I am doing ALL I can do. To read the rest of the post click here: Tips for New Teachers. How well they learn what you’re supposed to teach them will affect how well they learn in other classes down the road — just as classes they had before yours affect how well they learn in your class. […]
March 8, 2007, 12:04 amellen says:
I love the column but please don’t demonize liberals…I am a liberal teacher who has very high expectations for my students..and yes, most of what I learned in education school was completely useless……..you are so right about classes developing personalities…I have clearly a high, middle and low class even though it is the same subject….I learned more about teaching content from my own content classes and not the stupid methods class I had to take..overall good job, but we also don’t want goose-stepping flag waving facists as well as Maoists
March 8, 2007, 10:40 pmEllie says:
As a newbie (2nd year) teacher, I found this list to be very helpful. It forced me to do some reflection on things I am doing well and things I am lacking in my classroom. Thanks for the push to critique myself harshly!
March 11, 2007, 11:58 amMiss Profe says:
RWP, you’re on the money, here. There’s nothing with which I disagree.
You offer sage advice not only for the newbies, but also for those who have been in the game awhile and who have lost their way.
March 15, 2007, 11:36 amDr. Homeslice says:
Great post.
March 16, 2007, 7:05 amdispatches from TJICistan » Blog Archive » how (not) to be a good college TA says:
[…] http://rightwingnation.com/index.php/200… […]
March 16, 2007, 8:19 amThe Glittering Eye » Blog Archive » The Council Has Spoken! says:
[…] The Watcher’s Council has announced its picks for the most outstanding posts of the preceding week. The winning Council post was Eternity Road’s post, “Serving While Republicanâ€. Second place honors went to Joshuapundit’s “What Are Europe’s Options?â€. The winning non-Council post was Sigmund, Carl and Alfred’s post, “Tenured Deceitâ€. Second place honors went to Right Wing Nation’s post, “Tips for New Teachers†The complete results are here. I believe another position on the Watcher’s Council has become available. If you have a blog, consider applying. The rules are here. […]
March 16, 2007, 9:47 amFritz says:
I’ll start by saying an excellent post. I agree with everything you have written.
March 16, 2007, 2:56 pmSome items I would add to your list. Never, I repeat never, lie to the class or a student. The quickest way to lose respect is to lie to your students. That means that if something embarrassing happens to you, such as a DUI, don’t deny it. You are far better off simply saying that you do not wish to discuss it, or that it is an inappropriate subject for your class, and getting on with your class. And believe me, the odds are that there will come a time when something embarrassing happens to you that you would rather not discuss in class, so it behooves you to think through how to handle the subject beforehand.
Always listen to your students with an open mind. Sometimes they are right and you are wrong, but if you don’t listen you will never realize that.
Do not be afraid to apologize if you have made a mistake, and be gracious when doing so. That will earn you many points in your students’ minds. Always remember that it is not about your ego, but about teaching, and even though it may hurt your ego to apologize, your students will respect you more for being willing to admit mistakes. Also remember that a gracious apology should not include a long speech about why you made the mistake. Yes, sometimes it is possible to explain why you were in error and by doing so teach your students valuable lessons on what not to do, but do not use such explanations as a way to try to justify your mistakes. Also, if your mistake occurred in class, be sure to apologize in front of the class and not merely taking the student aside and apologizing in private.
Never denigrate people for any reason, particularly political reasons. In fact, unless your class is based on politics, avoid politics completely. I don’t care if you believe, for example, that President Bush is the devil incarnate or that he walks on water, you are bound to anger some of your students no matter which side you take. Your student’s should never be able to figure out your personal politics from your classes even if you teach a class about politics. You are there to teach all students, not be a shill for either political side or viewpoint.
jalindco says:
Not too much danger of creating any flag waving facists these days! Would that you could find a flag to wave at all. I don’t DEMONIZE liberals or liberal teachers, and neither does this site, but think on this: where is the conservative equivalent of Ward Churchill? Where is the conservative equivalent of the ’supply sharing’ that Mamacita blogged about? Or a capitalism/individualism/Randian lesson with Legos? Or Intolerance Days? Seriously.
March 17, 2007, 5:04 pmDavid Fordee says:
Have you ever once thought to yourself that the equivalent of Ward Churchill doesn’t exist because Ward Churchill is not who you think he is… he is not the majority of liberals in America that teach.
Such silliness to believe that. But, if it makes you feel better and more special -so be it.
Why would ANY school want INTOLERANCE days? Are you crazy? Where do you teach anyway? Whitey-Whiteland? C’mon. This is an ever expanding American culture that isn’t WASP anymore. Multiculturalism isn’t a liberal plot to squash your crappy Christian values… it is all about teaching people to get along with others. That my friends is what is most needed in the corporate world today.
March 18, 2007, 11:23 amrightwingprof says:
This is really funny. You should consider going into comedy with material like this.
March 18, 2007, 11:29 amDavid Fordee says:
Exactly what I expected. You are incapable of serious discussion - when someone points out that you are wrong. These right wing blogs really give me a headache.
March 18, 2007, 11:41 amI won’t be back.
rightwingprof says:
Let’s see, you call idiocy like this serious discussion?
Or how about how you then turn around and demonstrate that indeed, “tolerance” has nothing to do with tolerance, but pushing your politics here:
You’re a real Einstein.
March 18, 2007, 12:02 pmRight Wing Nut House » THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN: THE MEA CULPA EDITION says:
[…] 2nd Place: “Tips For New Teachers” by Right Wing Nation […]
March 22, 2007, 9:10 pmRight Wing Nation says:
[…] If you teach in primary or secondary school, at least the first part of this shouldn’t be news, but you’d be surprised how many university faculty discourage questions in one way or another. Some do it by setting up a highly rigid class format. Some do it by maintaining an overly formal, distant relationship with their students (remember, I said professional, not unfriendly or distant). Some mow down students when they ask questions in class. But however they do it, the result is less learning than could have been. […]
March 27, 2007, 5:32 pmRight Wing Nation says:
[…] Look. I’ve said it before–I’ve been saying it for years–none of us teaches in a vacuum. It’s a cascading problem. And though we can all pass the buck, nearly all of us participate in it, because nearly all of us teach with no consideration or thought whatsoever to what the next teacher is going to cover. The result is that high school teachers get students who can’t read or write and in most cases do what they can with them, and then we get undergraduates who can’t read or write and do what we can with them. […]
April 12, 2007, 9:00 am