Overview of Teaching at Penn State James Sellers sellersj@math.psu.edu

Overview of Teaching at Overview of Teaching at Penn StatePenn State

James SellersJames Sellers

sellersj@math.psu.edusellersj@math.psu.edu

First Things FirstFirst Things First

• Welcome!

• Who is this guy?

James SellersJames Sellers

• PhD, 1992, Penn State University

• 1992 – 2001: Mathematics Professor, Cedarville University (Ohio)

• 2001 – Present: Director of Undergraduate Mathematics and Associate Professor, Penn State University

James SellersJames Sellers

• Research: number theory (related to partitions), combinatorics

• Teaching (at Cedarville): precalculus, calculus, differential equations, combinatorics, elementary number theory, “math for liberal arts majors”

James SellersJames Sellers

• Teaching (at Penn State): first year seminar, “math for liberal arts majors,” first year calculus, elementary combinatorics, elementary number theory

• Extracurricular: racquetball, basketball, church activities, time with my wife and kids

Your Roles at Penn StateYour Roles at Penn State

• Student– This is familiar territory

• Researcher

• Member of a team – You are a colleague in the department,

especially in your role as teacher

Your Roles at Penn StateYour Roles at Penn State

• Teacher– An integral part of the department!– Our department services the entire university

(engineering, business, liberal arts, etc.)– We offer the second most credit hours on

campus (behind the English Department). – Teaching mathematics is an extremely

important endeavor; it should be viewed as a primary task while you are here.

Your Roles at Penn StateYour Roles at Penn State

• Teacher– There will be many tasks to juggle as you

teach in our department • Much of this semester’s training will focus on this

– We value teaching (awards, recognition, etc.)– We provide a great deal of support (Mentoring

Program, GTA Oversight Committee)

Your Roles at Penn StateYour Roles at Penn State

• Classroom Manager– Next semester, you will probably be in charge

of a classroom full of students. For many of you, this will be a first!

– In a number of our sessions this semester, we will strive to get you ready for this.

A “Top 10” List For Your A “Top 10” List For Your ConsiderationConsideration

• Know your audience and know the goals of your course– Aim the content correctly

• Always go to your class prepared (to teach, to return graded materials, etc.)– This takes time outside of class– Again, we will give you lots of advice this

semester

A “Top 10” List For Your A “Top 10” List For Your ConsiderationConsideration

• Always conduct yourself in a professional manner in class– Never go to class looking or acting like you

just got out of bed – “TA came to class in pajamas”– Remember that students call parents and

parents will get involved. (“I pay lots …”)

A “Top 10” List For Your A “Top 10” List For Your ConsiderationConsideration

• Never demean your students or colleagues– “No such thing as a bad question”– We will talk more about this later this

semester

• Always contact your coordinator or me if you have any questions about your class!

A “Top 10” List For Your A “Top 10” List For Your ConsiderationConsideration

• Always give students the opportunity to see their quizzes, midterms, and final exam after grading

• Remove as much uncertainty as possible– Try to give students as much detailed

information throughout a course as you can– Exception? Don’t give too much information

about specific exam problems during review

A “Top 10” List For Your A “Top 10” List For Your ConsiderationConsideration

• Never ignore student requests for meetings or clarification on grades– Return emails or phone calls!– If you don’t know the answer, direct them to

your course coordinator; just don’t ignore them

A “Top 10” List For Your A “Top 10” List For Your ConsiderationConsideration

• Always strive to find a substitute for a class rather than canceling class (again, student focus on tuition lost, etc.)– Again, you are a member of a team, and

many in the department are willing to help

A “Top 10” List For Your A “Top 10” List For Your ConsiderationConsideration

• And my all-time favorite: Never say “Wow, that was a hard exam” or “Wow, am I glad I did not have to take that exam” to your own class! – This really happened

– This really got the parents calling me

Overview of Teaching at Overview of Teaching at Penn StatePenn State

James SellersJames Sellers

sellersj@math.psu.edusellersj@math.psu.edu