New Faculty: These seminars will focus on issues of particular importance to those in their first year at GSU. Possible topics might include: What special challenges does our student body present? How much time does a new preparation warrant? What is a reasonable balance to strike between teaching and research responsibilities? Two sessions:
Thursday, September 13 & Wednesday, December 5

Large Class Teaching: What are the particular pedagogical issues that arise when we put 60 students in a classroom? 100 students? 200 students? Can there still be meaningful discussions with such numbers? What are the classroom management issues that are unique to classes of that size?
Wednesday, September 19

Grading: The assessment of student learning is an integral aspect of teaching, yet the questions behind that assessment are often overlooked. Why, for instance, do we grade? What are we attempting to accomplish with a grade? Is it strictly a measurement tool, or can it be used as a motivational tool as well? Should it be done on a scale? In what ways do grades reflect teaching?
Wednesday, September 26

Humanities Teaching: Co-sponsored by the Center for Collaborative Research in the Humanities, this seminar will examine issues unique to humanities teaching, starting with the question of whether humanities teaching is unique. What, if anything, sets it apart from teaching in the natural and social sciences? Does a culture dominated by “practical” arts like business and health present particular problems for the teaching of literature, history, or philosophy? What are the challenges for engaging students when there is no obvious or direct answer to questions such as “why do I need to know this?” or “what is this useful for?” Are teachers’ judgments of qualitative student work aided or undermined by rubrics or other means of assessment?

Thursday, October 4.

Attendance: Does taking attendance make you feel like a watchdog? Why do we take attendance in our classroom, anyway? Do you feel stuck between choosing the lesser of two evils: letting students take advantage of a no-attendance policy or being a glorified babysitter?
Thursday, November 15

Cheating: Students cheat, we know that. But why do they do it? Has technology made cheating a more attractive option than it once was? Has it helped – or hindered – efforts to enforce rules of academic dishonesty? How have you handled cheating? How might you have handled it? Are there techniques that can limit cheating? If so, what are they?
Wednesday, October 17

Gender in the Classroom: Does your classroom create an environment of hostility toward woman? Toward men? Are your perceptions of such issues different from the perceptions of your students? What does it mean to have a “gendered” classroom – is yours one? This seminar is co-sponsored by the Women’s Studies Institute.
Wednesday, October 31

The Class from Hell: What do you do when, with eight long weeks to go, you realize that you have the class from hell – one you dread walking into? What did you do? What made it the class from hell? Was it the disruptive student? Was it you?

Wednesday, November 7

Suggestions for the Spring 2008 seminar topics?
Email them to us at CTL@langate.gsu.edu