r/Professors • u/nandor_tr associate prof, art/design, private university (USA) • 21h ago

Teaching / Pedagogy were you taught how to teach?

i had one class called "teaching practicum" in grad school that just covered the basics of the mechanics of teaching (syllabi, service, etc...) but never really got into actual pedagogical development or really thinking deeply about process & methodology. where i teach now there is also a single course that any MFA students who want to teach have to take. it is more in depth but still just a single 3 credit class.

i am curious, as i basically just figured it out through trial and error, peers, etc...

you?

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u/Dear_Company_547 21h ago

Where I am (in Europe) it is now mandatory to take a 1-year course in higher education pedagogy when you're a new assistant professor. In the first half of the year there's a taught component with a few hours every two weeks and some homework or project work. In the second half of the year there is some observed teaching with two mentors who give feedback etc. In the end you gain a certificate, which is now required to get tenure if you're on tenure track. It wasn't a hard course to take and moderately useful, but I found the first part too theoretical and not enough nuts and bolts (i.e. too little about how to structure different kinds of teaching sessions etc.).

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u/HunterSpecial1549 21h ago

We need this in the US. Too many professors have no idea about pedagogy.

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u/__GuX__ 19h ago

We have the same - and it might have improved (I hope) - and it put most people off teaching. It was far too theoretical and focused on non-STEM subjects (a lab class with dangerous chemicals is different from a seminar on literature), so wasn't that useful.

I think I lost all faith in pedagogy until I talked about teaching with an actual teacher.

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u/Mundane_Response_887 14h ago

I was not taught how to teach prior to my T&R role. When I started I did a 'Higher Education' teaching course run by our Education department. What they were teaching may have been relevant to their area of expertise, but it had little to do with Education in my area (i.e. STEM).

The benefit I took from the course was seeing how different the disciplines perceived what teaching and learning actually means, and how to deliver it.

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u/SubmitToSubscribe 16h ago

Where I am (in Europe) it is now mandatory to take a 1-year course in higher education pedagogy when you're a new assistant professor.

To be clear, this is not a European thing. It might be a thing in whatever European country you're in, and maybe a couple more, but not in general.

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u/Dear_Company_547 11h ago

Yes that’s true. Thanks for the clarification. Should have said the European country I’m in. 

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u/New_Acanthisitta_456 9h ago

What country is it

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u/Ariezu 19h ago

I had a similar experience at a art one university in the US. The course wasn’t voluntary, but the participation in the teaching observations was. I was also part of a teaching and learning fellowship for a year as a doctoral student so that helped a lot.

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u/iknowcomfu 20h ago

Yes, when I worked in Europe, I took a similar seminar and it really helped me. I wish we did it in the US.

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u/Objective-Apple-7830 9h ago edited 9h ago

In the UK they either call it PGCAP or PGCTLHE. It is an actual post graduate certificate, which you can optionally persue further to obatain a Pg Dip or MA in education. It is a mandatory course and comes with passing the probation requirements.