• Instruction
• Building Instructor/Student Rapport
• Classroom Management
• Presentation
• Using Groups in Class
• Teaching a Large Class
• Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

• Spend time preparing for class. Write down notes and answers to problems, try any activities or computer simulations yourself before class, and have a back up plan in case something goes wrong.
• Start class with an overview of the day’s activities. Remind students what they learned last time.
• Highlight important points and repeat key ideas.
• Use a variety of teaching methods—lecture, demonstrations, group work, problem solving, presentations, and hands-on activities.
• Encourage questions on the material.
• After asking a question, truly pause and give students a chance to think and answer the question (try counting silently to ten). Avoid answering your own questions.
• Simplify your language—remember students are not familiar with our terminology. Remind them frequently of key terms (example: Rather than “We use x-bar to estimate mu,” say “We use the sample average x-bar to estimate the population average mu.”)
• Use analogies and examples frequently. Relate new ideas to familiar ideas.
• Use active learning, and get students involved in class.
• Seek feedback from students about your methods.
• End class by reiterating the main idea(s) of the day.
• Remember that studies have shown the three most important things to increase student learning and satisfaction are student-student interaction, teacher-student interaction, and time spent working on the material.

• Learn student names.
• Try to learn more about your students—what do they like to do for fun, what are they studying, what types of careers are they interested in? What do they hope to gain from the class? (This can be accomplished with index cards on the first day of class.) You can also tell them about your interests and goals.
• Get to class a few minutes early and spend some time talking informally with the students.
• Encourage questions on the course material.

• Begin and end class on time.
• Close the hallway doors if there is a great deal of noise.
• Discourage side conversations between students about non-class related topics while you or a student is speaking.
• Discourage student computer use while you are talking. (Two things instructors commonly do to deal with such situations a) go stand by the students who are talking, b) ask the students if they have a question. There is software available to lock the computers during class. See Teaching with Technology.

• Speak loudly and clearly, and try to keep a conversational tone.
• Speak confidently, and eliminate filler words such as “like” and “um” from your speech.
• Use audiovisual materials in the classroom, such as the whiteboard, projector, and overhead.
• Print legibly on the board.
• For more tips, see Effective Presentation Skills.

• Group work is effective because it gets students actively involved in class and forces them to take responsibility for their own learning.
• You can assign groups to ensure each group has variety in terms of achievement, background or ability, or you can let students pick their own groups.
• Usually the fastest and most efficient way to form groups is to have students work with those around them.
• Smaller groups of two or three students ensure that everyone participates.
• Encourage students to answer each other’s questions in the groups; you should only answer questions when the entire group is unsure.
• Other than problem solving, here are some ways to incorporate groups into class:
  • Teach for 10-15 minutes and then have students talk with their neighbor about what you just taught. You can ask them to summarize what was said, or resolve any questions.
  • Think-Pair-Share: Pose a question to the class, have each student think about it independently for a minute, then let them discuss it with their neighbor, and then discuss it as a class.
• Circulate around the class, observe the students, and listen to their interactions while they work. This keeps you informed of progress and keeps them on task.

• You can still have students work in groups or pairs to solve problems. They can easily work with the students sitting around them. Flash the lights to get everyone’s attention and bring their attention back to you, the instructor.
• You can still encourage students to ask and answer questions, and make use of feedback items such as the minute paper.
• Try to learn student names if you can. Arrive a few minutes early for class and spend some time talking with students.
• Be sure your fonts and images on slides or overheads are large enough to be seen even from the back row.
• You may want to consider using a microphone to avoid straining your voice and to ensure that all students can hear you.
• Keep teaching assistants updated on how far you’ve gotten in lecture.

Research findings have been fairly consistent regarding good teaching and learning in higher education. Arthur Chickering (in “Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education”) has identified the following seven principles to guide faculty and administrators:

1. Encourage contact between students and faculty. This is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement. Show that you care about your students.
2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students. Encourage students to work in groups and help their peers.
3. Use active learning techniques. Learning is not a spectator sport! Students must be involved in what they are learning and apply it to their daily lives.
4. Give feedback promptly. This includes oral feedback in class, as well as comments on papers that are turned in.
5. Emphasize time on task. Students need to spend time on the course material to learn it.
6. Communicate high expectations. Students who know they are expected to perform well and are encouraged by their teachers often do outperform their peers.
7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning. Not all students are the same, but they should all be given opportunities to demonstrate their talents and learn in ways that make sense to them.

Some ideas above adapted from

• “A Dozen Practical Teaching Ideas” from OSU FTAD.
• “Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching Large Classes” from OSU FTAD.
• “Using Learning Groups in Your Classroom: A Few How-to’s” by Delivee L. Wright. Available at OSU FTAD.
• “Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education” by Arthur Chickering. Available at OSU FTAD.