Every class deserves its own syllabus, but a lot of the content in a syllabus remains static from one class to the next. I spent much of this afternoon reflecting on the common content and pulling it together into a single document. I call it the "Standard Syllabus" and you can find it by following this link.
There are three components to the syllabus.
The first is a set of pithy comments that address the basic philosophical approach to teaching and assessment.
The second piece is a short essay to help students think about how they actually learn math. Just as problems are broken into two types on the first page (computation and concepts), their main structure for learning is also broken into these two components. Homework builds up the computational skill and classroom time will be spent trying to build up the conceptual framework. I think what I have now is an acceptable form, but it may be changed later.
The third piece is a layout of the expectations that the students should have of me and what they should expect from themselves (it's also what I expect of them). I think it's vital to the students' education that they actually own their own education. They must be responsible for it and I've made that explicit in having the space for them to sign their name. I admit it feels a little contrived, but I will gladly exchange that for being able to make this point absolutely clear to them.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Daily Quizzes
As I've been thinking about my Math 097 class in the Fall, I seem to have broken the class into two components:
I would give this quiz at the end of the class so that they can leave when they finish and not have to sit around and wait. Also, doing it at the end of class instead of before a break means that students who compute more slowly do not have their break time penalized.
I can also see how this can also be an instructive tool. For example:
By giving problems that are suggestively sequential, I can introduce various aspects of arithmetic that will become relevant to their future algebraic manipulations. It could also be used as a starting point for a discussion for the next class period. I'll definitely have to take a closer look at the structure of the textbook to see how effectively such a scheme could be woven into the material.
- The development of computational proficiency
- The understanding of mathematical reasoning
I would give this quiz at the end of the class so that they can leave when they finish and not have to sit around and wait. Also, doing it at the end of class instead of before a break means that students who compute more slowly do not have their break time penalized.
I can also see how this can also be an instructive tool. For example:
- 85 + 74 = ???
- (80 + 5) + (70 + 4) = ???
- (80 + 70) + (5 + 4) = ???
By giving problems that are suggestively sequential, I can introduce various aspects of arithmetic that will become relevant to their future algebraic manipulations. It could also be used as a starting point for a discussion for the next class period. I'll definitely have to take a closer look at the structure of the textbook to see how effectively such a scheme could be woven into the material.
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Campus Interview
This is another post preparing for the job panel. I want to focus this one on the campus interviews. I had two interviews, and they were quite different from each other for a number of reasons.
After trying a couple times to organize my thoughts, I think the best way for me to do this is to set it up like a Q&A session. The topics are so varied that it seems that this is probably the most efficient way to do it.
Q: Where did you interview?
A: I interviewed at Simpson University (Christian college in Redding, CA) and Nevada State College (Henderson, NV).
Q: Was there anything distinct about the Christian college?
A: It was structurally very similar to the other interview. The market is less competitive (because there are fewer qualified applicants -- where "qualified" includes agreeing to a statement of faith). They also asked me some theological questions during the interview that I would not have been asked at a secular college. But otherwise, they were essentially the same.
Q: Where does the campus interview fall in the process?
A: Most of the time, you have a phone interview, first. If they like you enough after that then they'll fly you out for a campus interview. The campus interview seems to be the last step before they make their decision. However, I was called by CSU Fresno to schedule a campus interview without having a phone interview, so this is not universal.
Q: What is the structure of the interview?
A: The details will depend on the campus, but there seem to be a number of common components. They will send you an itinerary with all of this information:
A: One of them lasted all day (9 AM start, and we finished dinner at about 8 PM, but I did have a one hour break before dinner) and the other was just a morning (they picked up from the hotel at 7 AM and we finished before noon).
Q: What was the interview part like?
A: I just remember lots of questions. Some of the things they asked me were my views on how I would teach a certain type of class, what I think is important about teaching, and things like that. If you spend lots of time preparing your teaching statement, you'll likely have asked yourself at least a few of the questions they will ask you. If you can remember, have a cup or bottle of water with you for this part. It serves as a chance to take a quick rest, plus you'll going to be doing lots of talking.
Q: Will there be reimbursements?
A: Yes. You should keep all your receipts for everything on your trip, but you may not need them all (you may get a per diem meal stipend). There will be a form to fill out and send back to them when you're done. If you drive, keep track of the mileage and gas expenses. If you fly, you should be able to include airport parking or shuttle service.
Q: How did you prepare the teaching sample?
A: First, figure out who your audience will be. The full hour talk was given to a number theory class, so I picked a stand-alone number theory topic (continued fractions). The other talk had a designated topic, but was to be given to the interviewing committee plus a few students in the program. Since the school has some emphasis on preparing teachers, I assumed there would be some math education majors in the audience. They won't have as broad of a math background, but they are going to be interested in the presentation. So I planned to ask a few extra questions to the audience than I normally would. Everything else is just a matter of teaching. Be yourself and teach like you would normally teach.
Q: Any bits of random advice?
A: Sure...
After trying a couple times to organize my thoughts, I think the best way for me to do this is to set it up like a Q&A session. The topics are so varied that it seems that this is probably the most efficient way to do it.
Q: Where did you interview?
A: I interviewed at Simpson University (Christian college in Redding, CA) and Nevada State College (Henderson, NV).
Q: Was there anything distinct about the Christian college?
A: It was structurally very similar to the other interview. The market is less competitive (because there are fewer qualified applicants -- where "qualified" includes agreeing to a statement of faith). They also asked me some theological questions during the interview that I would not have been asked at a secular college. But otherwise, they were essentially the same.
Q: Where does the campus interview fall in the process?
A: Most of the time, you have a phone interview, first. If they like you enough after that then they'll fly you out for a campus interview. The campus interview seems to be the last step before they make their decision. However, I was called by CSU Fresno to schedule a campus interview without having a phone interview, so this is not universal.
Q: What is the structure of the interview?
A: The details will depend on the campus, but there seem to be a number of common components. They will send you an itinerary with all of this information:
- Teaching sample: The teaching sample for both interviews was very different. In one, it was a one hour talk where I was able to teach whatever I wanted and the other one was only 20 minutes long and they told me exactly what they wanted from me.
- The interviewing panel ("Bad Cop"): This is the part where they sit you down at a table with 4-5 other faculty and they ask you a bunch of questions.
- Meeting with Human Resources ("Good Cop"): This is where they tell you about your benefits (if you should get employed). These people have very little to do with whether you get employed, so there's nothing to fear here.
- Meeting with the Dean: This is the "vision-building" part of the interview, where you hear about the goals and the direction of the department.
- Campus Tour: It's exactly what you think it is. They take you around to various parts of campus and point out things to you.
- Meal: Most campuses will take you out to lunch or dinner, depending on the time and length of the interview.
A: One of them lasted all day (9 AM start, and we finished dinner at about 8 PM, but I did have a one hour break before dinner) and the other was just a morning (they picked up from the hotel at 7 AM and we finished before noon).
Q: What was the interview part like?
A: I just remember lots of questions. Some of the things they asked me were my views on how I would teach a certain type of class, what I think is important about teaching, and things like that. If you spend lots of time preparing your teaching statement, you'll likely have asked yourself at least a few of the questions they will ask you. If you can remember, have a cup or bottle of water with you for this part. It serves as a chance to take a quick rest, plus you'll going to be doing lots of talking.
Q: Will there be reimbursements?
A: Yes. You should keep all your receipts for everything on your trip, but you may not need them all (you may get a per diem meal stipend). There will be a form to fill out and send back to them when you're done. If you drive, keep track of the mileage and gas expenses. If you fly, you should be able to include airport parking or shuttle service.
Q: How did you prepare the teaching sample?
A: First, figure out who your audience will be. The full hour talk was given to a number theory class, so I picked a stand-alone number theory topic (continued fractions). The other talk had a designated topic, but was to be given to the interviewing committee plus a few students in the program. Since the school has some emphasis on preparing teachers, I assumed there would be some math education majors in the audience. They won't have as broad of a math background, but they are going to be interested in the presentation. So I planned to ask a few extra questions to the audience than I normally would. Everything else is just a matter of teaching. Be yourself and teach like you would normally teach.
Q: Any bits of random advice?
A: Sure...
- Take full advantage of bathroom breaks. Matthew Horton, a former UCSD math grad, gave me this advice when I happened to cross paths with him at the Meetings in New Orleans. They are watching you all the time and constantly building an impression of you, and you can start to feel a bit worn down by it. If there is time for it, take a minute in the bathroom to sit and relax, even if you don't really have business there.
- Make sure you wear comfortable shoes. You don't know how much walking they will have you do.
- Greet people by name if you can remember, otherwise ask them for their name again when you part company.
- This may be somewhat controversial, but don't overdress. I had a chance to talk with the students at one of my interviews, and I asked them about the other people who interviewed. One of their comments was that the other guy wore a suit, and that made him seem very formal. I wore khaki pants with a shirt and tie to both interviews. But then again, I got a job at a school where there were lots of southern Californians. I don't know if it would have gone over as well if I had interviewed at a school in the Northeast.
My Experience on the Teaching Market
This is the third of what will end up being either four or five posts in preparing myself for the "Finding Jobs in Academia" panel (tomorrow). This one is just going to be a simple timeline of events as I applied for jobs. I might come back later to fill in some details.
- Spring Quarter Before Applying for jobs - Started to ask questions
- What are the mechanics of applying for jobs?
- Deadlines: The first applications are due in early November
- Letters of recommendation: Give your letter-writers a full month to write the letter and remind them often. Letters are put on file the faculty support person. Just tell them where to send them and it is done for you at the department's expense.
- Teaching statement: See my other post about this one.
- Research statement: This is less important for a teaching job, but it must still be passable. Your advisor would be more helpful than me.
- What sort of job do I want? (This was easy for me -- I would much rather teach than do research, and if I could avoid mandatory research it would be even better.)
- Where am I willing to go? What sorts of situations may influence my decisions? (If I had a choice between a teaching job at a 4-year university in the middle of Arkansas or a teaching job at a community college in California, which one would I take? What if the California job paid less? Other issues to consider include family and dating relationships.)
- Summer Before Applying for Jobs
- Started writing drafts of my teaching statement
- Devoted extra time to my dissertation work so that I would be able to focus on the job application process.
- Continued to reflect on the questions above -- I think it's important to be reflecting on what you're doing (or about to do) at all times. It helps to gain perspective and insight.
- Worked on an informational webpage for prospective employers. I wanted a place where I would have more room to provide information without cluttering up the application itself. I don't know whether this had any benefit, but I feel like it didn't hurt anything.
- Late September - Early October (Beginning of the Fall Quarter)
- Secured four letter writers (I only needed three for most of my applications)
- Wrote up a generic cover letter to serve as a starting point for writing cover letters for specific schools
- Looked online for job postings
- Organized the information in a spreadsheet
- Researched the institutions
- Signed up for the Employment Center at the AMS-MAA National Conference (A resource I ended up not using very much... but that's another story)
- Late October - Early November (Middle of the Fall Quarter)
- Wrote Cover Letters
- Sent out my first batch of applications
- Updated the spreadsheet of job postings
- Late November
- Wrote more Cover Letters
- Sent out two more batches of applications
- Followed up on the first batch of applications
- Updated the spreadsheet of job postings
- December
- Followed up on the second and third batches of applications
- Wait and pray...
- Early January
- Attended the Meetings
- Semi-participated in the Employment Center
- Attended Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Talks
- Attended MAA mini-course in directing undergraduate research
- Got a two phone interviews
- Got a few rejection letters
- Late January
- Got a lot of rejection letters
- Prepared for on-campus interviews
- Mostly preparing two teaching talks
- Some time spent researching the institutions
- Early February
- Went for on campus interviews (I'll try to do this in a separate post)
- Started to schedule another on campus interview
- Late February
- Received an offer from my first choice and took it
- Canceled the third campus interview
Monday, May 7, 2007
Before You Apply...
This post is another set of reflections regarding the job application process in preparation for my participation on the "Finding Jobs in Academia" panel. The focus on this one is addressing the things that you can do to prepare yourself for a good teaching job (and increasing your marketability in such a position) before you start applying to places.
Beginning (as always) with the basic principles, if you are applying for a teaching position then you must show that teaching is important to you. The impression that I have at this time is that places that are looking for teachers are looking for very strong teachers, and that the market is full of them, and the market is getting stronger as more emphasis is being placed on university teaching. Therefore, you must be enter the market as strong teacher and you must be committed to (or at least appear to be committed to) becoming a better teacher if you want to have a good chance at getting one of these jobs. The focus of this entire post is to present things that can demonstrate that you have an active interest in teaching.
First, attend conferences and look for teaching-related talks and mini-courses. Unfortunately, I did not do this until it was too late. I think if I had a less substantial teaching background, I might have needed some extra boosts to my vita to increase my chances of getting a job. I attended the New Orleans Conference this January and attended several talks in the "Scholarship of Teaching and Learning," which is an excellent way to discover and develop your perspective on teaching which is useful when writing your teaching statement. You should also look at the math education talks to try to attend one that discusses pedagogy. Also, UCSD sponsors the MDTP conference every year, which is a short afternoon conference on campus. Guershon Harel has given the main talk in the last couple years and seems likely to continue, and he has some wonderful insights into how students think about math.
Second, look to the Center for Teaching Development for workshops and other opportunities to increase your teaching ability. There are lots of resources there that remain untapped by most graduate students (to their loss). I didn't really pay much attention to the email advertisements sent out by the CTD until after I got involved with them through being a Summer Graduate Teaching Fellow. They have a Preparing Profession Faculty Program which gives you a much better insight into what employers will be looking for you to do. There's also a TA Development Program that enhances your skills as a TA. All of this can go into your vita.
Third, look for chances to teach. I mentioned that I was a Summer Graduate Teaching Fellow, which is a program sponsored through the Center for Teaching Development by the
Department of Academic Affairs. This gave me some experience with writing a syllabus and some of the other administrative duties of a professor that you do not get as a graduate student. Also, check with the Senior TA to see if there are opportunities to teach during the academic year. You can also get a job at one of the many local community colleges. Finally, spend time as a tutor. If you are a freelance tutor, you may not be able to document it as well to make an impressive mark on your vita (but it won't hurt). On the other hand, if you are part of the OASIS program, your experiences are likely to be viewed with higher legitimacy (this last sentence is somewhat speculative, but I believe it's very likely to be true).
Fourth, actively evaluate your own teaching. One of the stated goals of this blog was "to build up a good habit of professional reflection to become better at what I'm being paid to do." You don't necessarily have to do an online journal, but you should have some sort of chronicle of your teaching experience (this is called a "teaching portfolio"). You can ask the Senior TA to help you by observing your sections or helping you find someone who can (alternatively, the CTD has a similar program). Be aware that some colleges will ask you to submit a teaching portfolio as part your application. It will be quite apparent to those colleges if you put one together in a couple weeks as opposed to one that has been in development for well over a year.
Again, the emphasis of this post is to help point out ways that you can demonstrate that you have an active interest in teaching. These are just some ideas. I'm sure there are more out there that I've missed.
Beginning (as always) with the basic principles, if you are applying for a teaching position then you must show that teaching is important to you. The impression that I have at this time is that places that are looking for teachers are looking for very strong teachers, and that the market is full of them, and the market is getting stronger as more emphasis is being placed on university teaching. Therefore, you must be enter the market as strong teacher and you must be committed to (or at least appear to be committed to) becoming a better teacher if you want to have a good chance at getting one of these jobs. The focus of this entire post is to present things that can demonstrate that you have an active interest in teaching.
First, attend conferences and look for teaching-related talks and mini-courses. Unfortunately, I did not do this until it was too late. I think if I had a less substantial teaching background, I might have needed some extra boosts to my vita to increase my chances of getting a job. I attended the New Orleans Conference this January and attended several talks in the "Scholarship of Teaching and Learning," which is an excellent way to discover and develop your perspective on teaching which is useful when writing your teaching statement. You should also look at the math education talks to try to attend one that discusses pedagogy. Also, UCSD sponsors the MDTP conference every year, which is a short afternoon conference on campus. Guershon Harel has given the main talk in the last couple years and seems likely to continue, and he has some wonderful insights into how students think about math.
Second, look to the Center for Teaching Development for workshops and other opportunities to increase your teaching ability. There are lots of resources there that remain untapped by most graduate students (to their loss). I didn't really pay much attention to the email advertisements sent out by the CTD until after I got involved with them through being a Summer Graduate Teaching Fellow. They have a Preparing Profession Faculty Program which gives you a much better insight into what employers will be looking for you to do. There's also a TA Development Program that enhances your skills as a TA. All of this can go into your vita.
Third, look for chances to teach. I mentioned that I was a Summer Graduate Teaching Fellow, which is a program sponsored through the Center for Teaching Development by the
Department of Academic Affairs. This gave me some experience with writing a syllabus and some of the other administrative duties of a professor that you do not get as a graduate student. Also, check with the Senior TA to see if there are opportunities to teach during the academic year. You can also get a job at one of the many local community colleges. Finally, spend time as a tutor. If you are a freelance tutor, you may not be able to document it as well to make an impressive mark on your vita (but it won't hurt). On the other hand, if you are part of the OASIS program, your experiences are likely to be viewed with higher legitimacy (this last sentence is somewhat speculative, but I believe it's very likely to be true).
Fourth, actively evaluate your own teaching. One of the stated goals of this blog was "to build up a good habit of professional reflection to become better at what I'm being paid to do." You don't necessarily have to do an online journal, but you should have some sort of chronicle of your teaching experience (this is called a "teaching portfolio"). You can ask the Senior TA to help you by observing your sections or helping you find someone who can (alternatively, the CTD has a similar program). Be aware that some colleges will ask you to submit a teaching portfolio as part your application. It will be quite apparent to those colleges if you put one together in a couple weeks as opposed to one that has been in development for well over a year.
Again, the emphasis of this post is to help point out ways that you can demonstrate that you have an active interest in teaching. These are just some ideas. I'm sure there are more out there that I've missed.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Writing a Good Teaching Statement
I was asked by the department if I would be willing to be part of a panel addressing the issue of "Finding Jobs in Academia." In particular, since I got a teaching job they are interested in me giving my perspective (as limited as it may be) on getting a teaching job. I'll have about 10 minutes to talk openly about my experience (same with the other panel members), then the floor will be open for questions. In preparation for the questions, I'm going to spend some time thinking about various parts of the application/interview process and try to make my thoughts more concise.
I've decided to start with the teaching statement because this is probably the most distinctive part of the application. All of the other pieces (CV, research statement, cover letter, transcripts, ...) have a very standard form and do not allow much freedom for unique expression. The freedom you have in writing your teaching statement gives you a chance to stand out from everyone else. However, this same freedom means you don't have boundaries to let you know when you've gotten off track.
Before I even talk about the teaching statement itself, I should point out some of the guiding principles I used when forming my teaching statement:
As part of preparing to write a teaching statement, I searched the web for advice. There are lots of pages that offer such advice, but some of it is contradictory. For example,
The process of formulating thoughts for your teaching statement begins by asking questions. In fact, it's probably fair to say that a teaching statement answers the question,"What does 'teaching' mean to you?" Of course, such a vague question doesn't offer much guidance, so here are some other questions to prompt your thinking:
You can also find questions on webpages that offer advice (see below) and formulate your own by reading comments on your teaching evaluations.
You're not going to fit all of your thoughts on teaching into your teaching statement. So after you've written up a few different responses to these questions (or other ones that you find), read them through carefully and try to determine which one is most representative of your thoughts towards teaching and which one presents you in the strongest light (whatever that means -- this is a personal interpretation). Feel free to give drafts to a few people who know you to see if they think it accurately reflects who you are. Remember that this is the only chance in your application that you have to let your personality show.
Once you figure out what works best with you, the hard work is done. Now it's time for the tedious part: refining your statement. This is where your too-long sentences get hacked up and your word choice is scrutinized for clarity. Ask some friends to proofread your statement. Consider their comments carefully, make some adjustments, and then ask some more friends to proofread it. Do this until you get sick of it. Do it once more, then you're done.
---
There are lots of links for more advice on writing teaching statements. Here are a few:
I also want to recommend reading the book "What the Best College Teachers Do" by Ken Bain. There are lots of ideas that you can incorporate into your teaching, which will translate into ideas you can incorporate into your teaching statement. (Don't put the cart before the horse!)
I've decided to start with the teaching statement because this is probably the most distinctive part of the application. All of the other pieces (CV, research statement, cover letter, transcripts, ...) have a very standard form and do not allow much freedom for unique expression. The freedom you have in writing your teaching statement gives you a chance to stand out from everyone else. However, this same freedom means you don't have boundaries to let you know when you've gotten off track.
Before I even talk about the teaching statement itself, I should point out some of the guiding principles I used when forming my teaching statement:
- Be yourself - I find that I don't express myself as well when I try to write in a very formal manner. It is both more comfortable and more effective for me to write as if I were speaking. This causes some sentences to run a little too long sometimes, or perhaps the word choice may be somewhat awkward, but those things will get sorted out during the proof-reading process.
- Balance specific details with pedagogical positions - I think part of a good teaching statement is telling a good story about how you teach. I think it's helpful to talk about specific interactions with students students, topics, or incidents because it highlights something unique to you. However, experiences alone are not sufficient. You should also spend some time to discuss why the story matters. For example, a story that demonstrates good rapport with students is helpful because it shows that the students a more comfortable environment to ask questions. Or alternatively, even though the students were disappointed that you didn't show all the details, you wanted to emphasize the main ideas and deemphasize the algebra.
- Be honest - I think it's relatively easy to see through people who aren't being honest about themselves. If you are applying for a teaching position and there's something about your teaching statement seems off, you're not likely to get an interview.
As part of preparing to write a teaching statement, I searched the web for advice. There are lots of pages that offer such advice, but some of it is contradictory. For example,
- Do not read any other teaching statements before you write your own. This will prevent you from expressing yourself in a unique way.
- Read lots of other teaching statements for inspiration.
The process of formulating thoughts for your teaching statement begins by asking questions. In fact, it's probably fair to say that a teaching statement answers the question,"What does 'teaching' mean to you?" Of course, such a vague question doesn't offer much guidance, so here are some other questions to prompt your thinking:
- What does it mean for students to "think mathematically"? How do you encourage students to "think mathematically"?
- What is your view on the student-TA relationship? (How should you think of your students/how should they think of you?) What do you do to develop this type of relationship?
- What is your biggest teaching mistake? What did you learn from this mistake?
- What is your biggest pedagogical complaint about being a TA at UCSD? (This could be about the course content or a professor's teaching style... just don't name names.) What pedagogical principles did it break?
You can also find questions on webpages that offer advice (see below) and formulate your own by reading comments on your teaching evaluations.
You're not going to fit all of your thoughts on teaching into your teaching statement. So after you've written up a few different responses to these questions (or other ones that you find), read them through carefully and try to determine which one is most representative of your thoughts towards teaching and which one presents you in the strongest light (whatever that means -- this is a personal interpretation). Feel free to give drafts to a few people who know you to see if they think it accurately reflects who you are. Remember that this is the only chance in your application that you have to let your personality show.
Once you figure out what works best with you, the hard work is done. Now it's time for the tedious part: refining your statement. This is where your too-long sentences get hacked up and your word choice is scrutinized for clarity. Ask some friends to proofread your statement. Consider their comments carefully, make some adjustments, and then ask some more friends to proofread it. Do this until you get sick of it. Do it once more, then you're done.
---
There are lots of links for more advice on writing teaching statements. Here are a few:
I also want to recommend reading the book "What the Best College Teachers Do" by Ken Bain. There are lots of ideas that you can incorporate into your teaching, which will translate into ideas you can incorporate into your teaching statement. (Don't put the cart before the horse!)
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