BEFORE THE BEGINNING: The Syllabus
WEEK 1. First Days of Class
WEEK 2. Teaching with Technology
WEEK 3. In the Classroom: Lectures
WEEK 4. In the Classroom: Discussions
WEEK 5. In the Classroom: Teaching with Small Groups
WEEK 6. Assignments and Grading
WEEK 7. Students as Learners
WEEK 8. Students as People
WEEK 9. Academic Honesty
WEEK 10. Finding a Balance Outside the Classroom
WEEK 11. Re-Energizing the Classroom
WEEK 12. Common Problems
WEEK 13. Student Ratings and Evaluations
WEEK 14. Last Days of Class
WEEK 15. Teachers as People
AFTER THE END: Top Ten Resources

You go into teaching with high to inspire students, to motivate them to learn, to help them love your subject. Then you find yourself facing a crowd of expectant faces on the first day of the first semester, and you think “Now what do I do?” Practical and lively, On Course is full of experience-tested, research-based advice for graduate students and new teaching faculty. It provides a range of innovative and traditional strategies that work well without requiring extensive preparation or long grading sessions when you’re trying to meet your own demanding research and service requirements. What do you put on the syllabus? How do you balance lectures with group assignments or discussions—and how do you get a dialogue going when the students won’t participate? What grading system is fairest and most efficient for your class? Should you post lecture notes on a website? How do you prevent cheating, and what do you do if it occurs? How can you help the student with serious personal problems without becoming overly involved? And what do you do about the student who won’t turn off his cell phone? Packed with anecdotes and concrete suggestions, this book will keep both inexperienced and veteran teachers on course as they navigate the calms and storms of classroom life.