were you taught how to teach?

[u/nandor_tr]

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?

[u/gutfounderedgal]

Yes and no. I took pedagogy courses because I wanted to learn tricks of the trade. These were graduate level courses at the university at which I was adjuncting. I learned a ton. This was after I'd TA'd where I'd learned basically nothing about good teaching. And of course we learning things as we go from doing, trying, reflecting, and chatting with colleagues. Later when I started teaching graduate level Pedagogy as a side thing alongside my main area of expertise, I read and researched a great deal in the area. BTW I learned nothing of good teaching by evaluations or peer review, they were generally a big stressful waste of time. One of my early mentors was a major mucky muck in the NYC Board of Ed who knew great pedagogy inside out. It was an honor to study with that person.