Professional Development: Reflect on Your Teaching
Good teachers are reflective teachers. They consider their day-to-day classroom experiences and continually seek improvement. Take brief notes on what seems to work in the classroom and what doesn't--and then consider why an activity or lecture did or didn't work. Have the courage to try something new in class, such as a debate or a group problem-solving assignment, because much of good teaching entails trial and error. Be brave and adventurous!
Gathering feedback from students is also helpful. Do it during the semester rather than waiting until it's too late to make changes. Sure, feedback can bruise the ego, but there's much to be learned from student feedback. How do you obtain it? Use minute papers. At the end of class, ask students to write for about a minute on a topic you assign. You might ask: How's the class going? Anything you want to tell me about or ask regarding instruction? Minute papers are also great ways to learn exactly what students are taking away from class. Ask, "What was the most important thing you learned today? What questions are left unanswered?" and you might be surprised at students' responses. I find that minute papers help me to determine how well students understood the major points and conclusions of a given lecture or activity. If they clearly don't get it, you can explain it in more detail during the next class period. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes to read through a large class's papers, and you'll gather information that will help you be a more effective teacher.
Get Help
Finally, remember that there are places where you can turn for help. Frugoli advises, "Find the people in your department who teach well and pick their brains. When you come up for tenure, or apply for academic positions, they'll remember that you cared about teaching--it still counts for something even at big research universities." Jean-Marie Bruzzese, associate research scientist at New York University Child Study Center, advises that you ask other instructors for copies of their syllabi and gather suggestions on how to structure classes and create course policies. Most universities have centers for teaching effectiveness or instructional development--take advantage of them if you need additional institutional resources. Even if your institution is short of teaching-related resources, there are plenty of books and Web sites that can help you improve your teaching (see the resources listed below). Finally, remember that good teaching develops over many years. Practice moderation in class preparation and teaching activities, and you'll find that balancing teaching and an active research program is challenging, but not impossible.
**This article first appeared in Science's Next Wave
