Re: New teacher

[Beth Benoit]

Title: Re: New teacher

Hi Jessey,

Welcome to "our world."  Your enthusiasm shows already, and it will most certainly help you in the long run.

Here are a couple of things I found when teaching large groups (165 was my max):
1.  Forget group activities unless you have any assistants and activities can be done outside of class.  120 students in small groups will be unbelievably chaotic and you'll never get anything done.  
2.  You can still give handouts, and those fun fill-in forms ("Are you a Type A personality?" "Social Readjustment Rating Scale" (for calculating stress), etc.
3.  Expect only a few students, usually sitting in the front, to participate/ask questions.  If there's rowdiness in the back of the room, address it immediately.  Be stern, say the University requires classroom behavior rules be observed, whatever.  If it continues, walk over to the offending students and insist that they meet with you after class.  Do this in front of the room.  You'll make your point.
4.  An attendance suggestion (if you plan to take attendance) which worked well for me:  pass out three or four blue books, starting in different parts of the room - maybe at each end of a few rows.  Students sign in and pass it around.  Tell them to only sign one of the books.  (Sadly, you'll probably have to tell them that.)  You can also cut down a little on friends signing each other in - it's pitifully easy to spot the same handwriting and pen color unless they really make an effort, which they don't seem to.  When you get home you can transfer them to your records.  Get a grading program for your computer.  (See below.)
5.  Alternatively, you can have a seating chart and insist that they conform to it.  I never liked this because students find that someone near them has objectionable body odor, or makes weird noises, or something, and then they "need" to move and you have to change your chart.
6.  If you have the option of using a microphone, take it.  You'll get used to it and the students think it's kind of fun if they ask a question and you do an Oprah thing and hold the microphone to them to ask so the class can hear.
7.  Get a computerized grading program.  WELL worth it.  We've discussed computerized grading programs on TIPS before.  I use "Grade Quick" - it's at least 8 years old and I love it.  I'm sure there must be newer versions. You can enter information by just typing the first couple of letters of a student's name and it skips to that student's records.  Has attendance, grades, weighting of grades, etc.  Also helpful when students quibble about what their grade averages out to.  (See TIPS for last few days...)  Just show them the computerized printout.
8.  If you would like to make an effort to learn names, you might try lining them up alphabetically during the second class and having them each fill out an index card.  Then take their pictures (alphabetically!!) about 5 at a time.  Then cut out the pictures and staple to their index card.  With that many cards it's easiest to punch a hole in the corner of the index card and put the cards on a big keyring, in alphabetical order.  (It looks like a portable Rolodex.)  Students in such a large class are very appreciative and impressed if you try to learn their names.
9. Use as many audio visual "machines" as you can - video, overheads, PowerPoint (hand out printouts at beginning of classes) - anything you have.  The variety helps.
10.  Give out your email address and suggest that students email you with any questions, thoughts, etc.  I've found they don't seem to abuse it and it makes them feel less like a number in the big class.
11.  Insist that the school provide at least two extra assistants on exam days to help you watch for cheating.  Sadly, with that many students, it's quite possibly going to be a problem.  And use computerized bubble forms for tests (Scantron is one brand) if at all possible.   
12.  Don't dread it.  Teaching big classes can be lots of fun if you put in the time to be organized.  And big classes seem to have a lot of enthusiasm.

Best of luck from all of us.  And keep in touch with us...

Beth Benoit
University System of New Hampshire
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