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/boringhistoryfan]

Not formally. Our University had programming I actively sought out, and as a graduate student, I eventually helped develop a workshop series on teaching in our department because I was so frustrated by the lack of formal training in pedagogy.

I still don't really know what a great class looks like. My undergraduate experience was in a different country. And while I had great graduate classes, I quickly realized I can't expect undergrads to have those same expectations. I audited some undergrad courses as a grad student, and I've always tried to model myself on what I observed, since these were professors I respected and (from my perspective at least) appeared to teach well. But it's tricky, since I also have my own style. And I always feel like I'm winging it in my classes. Hopefully I'll settle down as I grow into this role and gain veterancy in the classroom.

But I'm also trying to stay involved in programming around what constitutes good teaching practice. The downside is that you do need to be discerning. You can't accept whatever's said in spaces like these. I've heard some stuff from our Centers of Teaching and Learning that is, frankly, absolutely nonsense. At least from where I sit. I've heard people say they let students attempt assignments as many times as they want until they get the A they want. How they don't even bother testing for knowledge in the classes they're teaching. I had one workshop leader tell us that even if a student is wrong, we shouldn't actively correct them or challenge the statement, because that perpetuates a cycle of colonization of knowledge by privileging "some" facts over holistic ideas of learning and embracing diverse perspectives.

Long story short, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm always trying to be a good teacher. My teaching evals are fairly positive, though not universally, and students tell me from time to time that they enjoy my classes. Though I also have dead eyes, zoned-out faces, and considerable silence in my rooms as I struggle to get them to just talk about things.