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[alberio]

So I’ve successfully landed my dream job as a chemistry professor at a small liberal arts college. I had a hard time getting past phone interviews because of VERY little teaching experience. (By the way, I followed up with interviewers and that is what they told me.) My employer has taken a chance on me as a beginning teacher and I don’t want to let them (and myself) down. My research is there and I’ve already secured some start-up funding, but teaching is regarded a higher priority at this college.

I have taken the following step to begin my career:

1. Started early this summer teaching a course outside of my field (astronomy) to show that I have diversity and to gain more experience before the fall.

2. Read books on teaching, namely: Advice for New Faculty Members, by Robert Boice; What the Best College Teachers Do, by Ken Bain.

3. Started a subscription to the Chronicle and joined the forums!

I know that my teaching will mature over time. In fact, I’ve already started the ‘honing’ after a few weeks in a class of my own.

Am I leaving anything out that I could be doing in the beginning of a successful career? What are common mistakes that beginners make that I can avoid?

Any advice will be appreciated. Best regards.

[cc_alan]

So I’ve successfully landed my dream job as a chemistry professor at a small liberal arts college. I had a hard time getting past phone interviews because of VERY little teaching experience. (By the way, I followed up with interviewers and that is what they told me.) My employer has taken a chance on me as a beginning teacher and I don’t want to let them (and myself) down. My research is there and I’ve already secured some start-up funding, but teaching is regarded a higher priority at this college.

I've taught CC chemistry for a few years s I'll toss out some suggestions. I haven't taught classes (as an instructor) beyond the gen chem sequence so keep that in mind. For things like syllabi, ask your chair for copies used in previous quarters. Also look online (use Google) to see what other people are doing and cruise these fora for help on setting policies.

You want to become comfortable with the basic material as soon as possible from the textbook's perspective. I'm not about to write that the text is the only reference to use, but it is the one you've chosen for the students. The goal is combine the book's material with your own previous knowledge in such a way as to enable to students to understand the topics for each section.

Become familiar with the structure of the book and make sure you've got an idea where the main topics are covered. I know this looks silly but it's easy to fall back on your previous knowledge in a topic especially if you understand it very well. Remember that the students will be using the book as a reference and you need to be able to help them to use it.

As you become more comfortable with the material, branch out and use not only other reputable textbooks but journal articles, books (science history, biographies, etc.), and other materials to expand your knowledge.

Students sometimes expect physical science instructors to be "givers of all knowledge" in their field and while you are the hired expert for your college, don't be afraid to admit to your students when you don't know something. Also be prepared to correct yourself when you do something wrong in class. The trick is having these things happen after you've gained their trust. If they trust you, the students will be forgiving of mistakes.

If you aren't a member of the ACS, do it. If the college doesn't have a library sub to JChemEd, consider getting one. Hopefully the college will pay for your fees and the online access to JChemEd is awesome.

While I *hate* being out of the classroom, I make sure to go to an educational conference once a year to see what others are doing.

I suggest that you *don't* tell your students that you have little teaching experience. This can set you up for bad comments on your evals regardless of how well you do.

Good luck!!!!

Alan

[zharkov]

I'd add McKeachie's Teaching Tips and I'm the Teacher, Your the Student by Allitt to your reading list.

Also, realize that the reaction to your chem 101 class will be different depending on whether the students are science majors or are taking it to fullfill some gen ed requirement.  The second group may be a hard sell.

You may also want to buy or borrow (library) a couple of The Teaching Company's lectures, and get a feel for how the best profs go about making their stuff more engaging.

[smart_e_pantz]

Also, realize that the reaction to your chem 101 class will be different depending on whether the students are science majors or are taking it to fullfill some gen ed requirement. 

Actually, I would ask whether or not this is the case and ask if there has been any kind of alteration of courses to suit the needs of these students in the past.

At my SLAC undergrad, we had Biology for non-Science majors.

At my current college, I am teaching Social Science Statistics, but non-SS majors/minors can take the class to fulfill the math requirements.  In my case, it is the majors who are royal pains in the @ss because the Sociology major has turned into a dumping ground for students who can't cut it in other majors (they keep them around to keep taking their $31,000 a year in tuition payments). 

In your case, it will be the non-majors and non-pre-health professions folks that will test your nerves.  So, I would find out ahead of time if you are going to have a large number of them in your classes and plan accordingly.

[cc_alan]

In your case, it will be the non-majors and non-pre-health professions folks that will test your nerves.  So, I would find out ahead of time if you are going to have a large number of them in your classes and plan accordingly.

I have some difficulties with health professionals because of dimensional analysis. They will come in having learned a specific way of doing a certain calculation. For example, if you have an infant in neonatal intensive care, you may be required to give your infant a certain amount of formula/breast milk at each feeding. The staff determines this by weighing the infant before and after feeding and then converting the change to volume. If it's less than the needed amount, the infant gets fed more.

They learn a specific way to do this calculation but they don't often know why (or they've forgotten why). Now, in the job and in this example, it's not critical that they know why this calculation works and they just need to be able to do it. However, dimensional analysis is a way to do calculations by using units. I won't go into detail but it's a very powerful method for doing calculations and one reason we teach it is to help people with analytical problem solving skills. How do you go about solving a problem if you haven't done it before?

Previous knowledge can be a difficult bias to overcome and I get a lot of resistance from certain students like health professionals who feel I'm just making them do busy work when I force them to do calculations using dimensional analysis.

When we work on it, I give them two choices as to why they need to learn it:

1. Dimensional analysis is a very powerful problem solving technique and if you learn it, the skill will help you solve many types of problems. And the thinking process will help with nonnumerical problems, too.

2. If you don't do it, I will penalize your work.

#2 helps with the people who try to give up because they "can't do it".

Alan

[avaya]

I'm pretty new myself, I started my t-t poly sci position 2 years ago (prior to that, I adjuncted while finishing my phd and I was also a TA).

One thing I found useful:

-- in the middle of the semester and the end of the semster, give your students an anonymous, informal survey about the class.  This does not replace the school's official evals, it just gives you a lot more useful info.  I ask them 1) what would you definitely like to see changed about the class 2) what would you definitely like to stay the same about the class 3) would they like more/less/the same amount of group work and 4) any other comments.  Of course someone will say "but it's not anonymous b/c you may guess my handwriting."  I smile and say, "If you are worried about offending me, don't.  I have a tough skin and the only way you are going to offend me is if you make a comment about me personally, such as the fact that my nose is too big."  Everyone laughs.  I found have this extremely useful for a number of reasons.  First, I get some really good feedback and ideas.  I've been having the students do peer evaluations of their classmates' presentations and papers, but it's been a little bumpy.  I got some great ideas on how to improve it from these informal surveys.  Second, the students just like the idea of being able to give feedback, and I think it leads to higher satisfaction with the course.

[dr_evil]

Some good advice from others is already posted, so I won't repeat that.  Another source of advise is the chemical education listserver: http://mailer.uwf.edu/listserv/wa.exe?SUBED1=chemed-l&A=1 to sign up.  If you plan to do any demonstrations in class, I recommend the set of books by Shakhashiri.

Lastly, and perhaps the most important source of advice: ask the experienced faculty.  They will know what the students at that school are like.  They will probably be happy to give you syllabi, old exams, etc. to get started.  It will give you a chance to get to know your colleagues as well.

Congrats on the "dream job."  I'll admit to some jealousy.  Still searching for that dream....

[thundering_m]

Congratulations, on the new job but also for having read
Advice to New Faculty Members: Nihil Nimus (Boice, 1999). It is one of my favorites, presenting as it does his research and thesubsequent 'moderation in all things' model. It serves as agood tutorial for structuring priorities, even though the writing may not be personally compelling. It's greatest value, I think, is his research on the classroom practices of successful v. not successful (i.e., not tenured) faculty--very helpful for avoiding common pitfalls and striving for a successful relationship with students. This is a culminating work, based on his previous Professors as Writers: A Self-help Guide to Productive Writing (Boice, 1990).

FWIW, here are a few more resources the enterprising new faculty could read. Widely recommended amongst the forumites here: Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books (Germano, 2001). I would suggest also reading Getting Published: The Acquisition Process at University Presses (Parsons, 1989) and of course Ms. Mentor's Impeccable Guide for Women in Academia (Toth, 1997).

Finally, I suggest a strategy of cultivating a mentor. Ask if you can observe senior faculty teach. There is no better way to imagine yourself being effective, and when well done it is too complex to analyze in advance. Ask for advice, but in the vein of "What have concluded is most important when teaching?" or "What do you think I should avoid doing?" Communicate respect for their cumulative wisdom, thoughtfully analyze the end of term surveys that students will be filling out. These are far more important (not to say valid or meaningful) than most novice faculty realize. I also suggest reading SoTL literature (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning), especially regarding NSSE (The  National Survey of Student Engagement).

Effective teaching, productive scholarship, and collegial service are not mysterious, really, although the cult of personality may suggest it. Think systemically and developmentally and empirically about your own emerging identity.

[cc_alan]

Finally, I suggest a strategy of cultivating a mentor. Ask if you can observe senior faculty teach. There is no better way to imagine yourself being effective, and when well done it is too complex to analyze in advance. Ask for advice, but in the vein of "What have concluded is most important when teaching?" or "What do you think I should avoid doing?" Communicate respect for their cumulative wisdom, thoughtfully analyze the end of term surveys that students will be filling out. These are far more important (not to say valid or meaningful) than most novice faculty realize. I also suggest reading SoTL literature (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning), especially regarding NSSE (The  National Survey of Student Engagement).

Along these lines, some colleges do a program called Teaching Squares. Groups of four are formed by a facilitator who tries to put together people from different disciplines. Then, each group schedules times to go observe the others a number of times during class times in a non-threatening fashion (it's not like a chair or dean doing a classroom observation for review purposes).

The goal is to see colleagues in different teaching situations. Each group eventually gets together and then discusses the experience. I have yet to do it but the people who have done it say that it's a wonderful experience. It's not only a way to get tips from others by direct observation (what works, what doesn't work) but a way to give ideas to others.

Alan

[figee]

Something I found great this semester, which I've talked about before, is TM's absolutely indispensable email template.  Should still be somewhere on the forums although I forget which thread.  This massively reduced the number of emails I got from students and made those I did get much easier to manage.  Give it to them in the first lecture and you're away.

I also found it necessary to be very clear about how I was to be addressed both in person and by email (sad but true):  Dr figee or fi are fine.  Nothing else.

Fi

[avaya]

Something I found great this semester, which I've talked about before, is TM's absolutely indispensable email template.  Should still be somewhere on the forums although I forget which thread.  This massively reduced the number of emails I got from students and made those I did get much easier to manage.  Give it to them in the first lecture and you're away.

I also found it necessary to be very clear about how I was to be addressed both in person and by email (sad but true):  Dr figee or fi are fine.  Nothing else.

Fi

Wow, this sounds really helpful ... does anyone have it handy?

[figee]

Thanks, Odessa. I couldn't find it myself and was about to reconstruct it.

Here 'tis, Inquisitive. Enjoy.

Re: Dealing with student email
Author: Thundering Marshmallow
Date:   03-05-06 11:56

I am able to address this in the vein of teaching them how they will in turn communicate with others in the profession for which they are preparing. I explain the 'sandwich' convention of greeting, body, and conclusion.

I point out the higher level of thinking required to summarize the point in a subject line that is an informative reference. I give a template that looks like this:

1. The problem: whatever requires a decision (should be in the subject line)

2. The background: whatever connects it to some founding document we have in common, i.e., the course syllabus. (course number should be in subject line, too). Without this I don't give it a high priority because you are making me figure out the context.

3. The options: crucial, and without which I will return it for more information. The student must have done some homework on what is possible, and comment on each one as a possibility.

4. The request: specifically, more information, some interpretation of information, a meeting, a letter,.... something concrete. If it is a complaint or request, what specific action is expected...

5. The deadline... and by when is it needed. If a meeting is requested, give at least two times plus a cell phone and email for confirming the meeting.

6. The relationship: somewhere in this whole missive, it should be clear that I am the professor and you are the student and the reason this conversation is going on is because of it, and that simple courtesy includes acknowledging any personal attention.

This is actually on a document on my desktop that I can easily open, copy, and paste. The result is first of all that I am not frustrated by the emails, but most importantly, by the time the student has assembled all this information, the problem has often sorted itself out and a logical next step has emerged. I encourage them to share that with me, but make it clear that it is an FYI to let me know they were able to use the template to sort things out.

This also has the effect of establishing how seriously I regarding their requests.

BTW, for issues such as being absent or late, there is an even more rigorous template.

Subject line = [last name] + [Course} + [time/date] + [Absent/10 min. late]

Message =
1. Apology
2. Explanation
3. Proposed compensatory action
4. Target date to complete action
5. Courtesy

The compensatory assignment is also standard. They interview approximately half the class via email, synthesizing the responses with their understanding of the assigned readings and syllabus, then send this summary to be via another email before the next class session.

Pretty business like, but they do manage to include quite a bit of personal information.

As soon as I posted that, I knew I was making a job for myself!  The original is quoted above.  Please remember to credit Thundering_Marshmallow...

[avaya]

Thank you figee for digging it up, and TM for creating it!

[oldie]

You are doing great.

Just be very patient, tolerant and forgiving; and yet keep the standards high....that will be the biggest challenge.