Teaching Your First College Class: A Practical Guide for New Faculty and Graduate Student Instructors - Softcover

"In addition to practical tips, the book offers a very basic introduction to the scholarship of teaching... Readers who want a practical resource without the distractions of first-person narrative will find exactly what they are looking for in this books. It will be particularly useful for those who are unfamiliar with the scholarship of teaching and interested in a comprehensive, practical guide to the mechanics and details of their craft."-- (10/01/2009) "Since most graduate programs don't focus their curriculum on what it means to become a worthy teacher in their respective fields, Teaching Your First College Class will prove an indispensable tool to anyone embarking on the task, both graduate instructors and newly-appointed assistant professors. Lieberg dispenses some graceful wisdom on the art of teaching without being overly prescriptive or reducing classroom strategies to easy formulas. This book is dedicated to helping novice teachers cultivate their most authentic voice and creative spirit in the midst of planning for the first day of the first course of the first semester. Whether you are new to the classroom or a veteran who is mentoring first-time teachers, you will find that this book provides a sensible blend of pedagogical history (the origins of 'student-centered classrooms'), practical advice, and pointed anecdotes aimed at helping new teachers spend less time being fearful and more time becoming successful."-- (10/01/2008) "If college teaching for the first time was easy, Lieberg (education, U. of Iowa) would have a lot less to say, but she is fully aware (a wisdom based on experience) that college teaching is not simple, whether as a novice, grad student instructor, or even as a long-tenured veteran. She gives very practical advice on motivating yourself and your students, teaching intentionally, getting ready for the first days and weeks, creating a syllabus, assessing and refreshing, expecting what students expect, preparing and facilitating discussions, planning and initiating assignments, working in groups and making presentations, making assignments that discourage fraud, grading, making the most of your time and thinking about the future. "-- (08/01/2008) "Carolyn Lieberg runs the gamut of teaching topics and situations that first-year instructors will encounter--providing personal insights, useful strategies, and principles of good practice in college teaching--to help new instructors embrace the joys and challenges of college teaching. Both teaching assistants and those who supervise or train teaching assistants will find this an ideal resource they'll refer to again and again. I highly recommend it as an essential textbook for a course on college teaching."-- (05/01/2008) "Carolyn Lieberg has written a smart and sensitive guide for graduate students and new faculty preparing to teach their first college class. An advocate for student-centered approaches to teaching, Lieberg leads newcomers through a rich repertoire of strategies to transform a classroom of individuals into a community of learners. Beautifully written, this is a how-to book with heart. When teachers and students are seen as whole people, the routines of active learning come alive, engaging students with content, with each other, and with skills of conversation and collaboration that will serve them well throughout life."-- (03/01/2008) "Faculty members and graduate students teaching their first college class need mentors. Those fortunate enough to include Carolyn Lieberg, through her book, Teaching Your First College Class, among their mentors will be off to a good start. Her wisdom is offered with warmth and intelligence, and her concern for students' learning shines through on every page."-- (03/01/2008) "Teaching Your First College Class contains a great deal of 'I-wish-I-had-known' wisdom for new and old instructors in higher education. The book is written clearly, with a minimum of jargon, and lays out in an accessible form the best practices for the college teacher. It should be assigned as part of any doctoral program."-- (03/01/2008) "Teaching a college cass is different from any other teaching situation. Teaching Your First College Class: A Practical Guide for New Faculty and Graduate Student Instructors is a guide for fresh professors on how to effectively teach in a college classroom. With proven strategies that work to maintain control and deliver the best educational experience possible Teaching Your First College Class tackles all of the essentials: time management, grading, setting rules with the students, discipline, and more. A great pick for any college educator who is just getting started, and highly recommended for college library education collections."-- (08/01/2008)

This book provides an introduction to the theory of teaching; describes proven strategies and activities for engaging students in their learning; and, offers advice on classroom management, syllabus creation, grading, assessment, and discipline issues, among other topics. It prepares readers for a confident start as teachers, and gives them a firm foundation on which to develop their skills and personal classroom styles. The author breaks teaching down into its component elements and tasks to enable graduate student instructors to identify their particular responsibilities, and learn about what works and does not. They will also benefit from reading the book as a whole as it sets their work in the context of course objectives and learning theory. For new faculty this engaging book provides a solid basis from which to develop their skills and personal styles as teachers; and offers guidance on documenting their classroom success for the purposes of promotion and tenure. For graduate student instructors, the book is a companion that will give them confidence and pleasure in teaching, and stand them in good stead if they decide on a in any future career in academe.