   |
| EASIER STRATEGIES |
MODERATE STRATEGIES | ADVANCED STRATEGIES | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYLLABUS | Make participation count.
Announce your expectations for discussion. Let students know they can ask questions as well as give answers. |
||
| DISCUSSION | Change your seat if you find only certain students sit close to you, or use
activities that make students move.
Make eye contact with the class after asking questions. Increase your wait-time for responses. Call on all students equally often. Call on students who indicate interest nonverbally. Call on students by name. Return to students who are interrupted. Focus on students' remarks, not on their manner of presentation. Don't ask female students to give the "woman's point of view" and vice versa for men). |
Respond specifically to student comments.
Help students develop their thoughts. Include activities, such as polls or in-class writing, in which the entire class participates. |
|
| LECTURE | Move around the room if you find that only certain students sit to the
front.
Avoid falsely inclusive or exclusive terms (such as "the mathematician. . . he. . ."). Use examples that include both genders. In predominantly male classes, don't single out female students as if you expect them to have difficulty. |
||
| DYNAMICS | Watch for students who exhibit sudden changes in behavior. Let them know
they can talk to you.
Encourage students to build on arguments, as well as to criticize them. Make sure smaller students can view demonstrations. |
Structure the classroom cooperatively, as well as competitively.
Arrange classroom procedures to mix students along heterogeneous lines. |
|
| STRUCTURE | Assign short, in-class groups along heterogeneous lines to solve problems
or discuss responses to initial questions.
Use these groups to start class discussion. |
Have every student speak sometime in the first few weeks.
Help students see how to work out assignments themselves. Make sure students have sufficient time to practice hands-on skills and become comfortable with equipment. When appropriate, have students exchange names and phone numbers or e-mail addresses (with permission). |
Use cooperative learning projects and classroom techniques.
Rotate duties across small group work to ensure each person is given similar responsibility. Set up an e-mail bulletin board. Have students meet for projects or peer editing outside class. |
| ASSESSMENT | Use various methods to check students' comprehension. | Give students a chance to comment on the course by midterm.
Add questions about participation to the standard evaluation form. |
Take notes or have a colleague take notes to monitor participation
patterns.
Have the TA Development Program videotape your class and consult with you about it. |
|
|