This helps you revise the course the next time you teach it and also see how the students heard what you said.
The first time I taught a class of 300, I remember standing up front, looking out at the students and getting the impression that I was just looking at a billboard with lots of people on it. By the end of the semester, I was able to identify all of the students individually and knew most of their names. Take it easy on yourself and shorten the first day. Make sure you go to the classroom before the semester starts and get used to the environment.
The best way I have found for learning students' names is by handing back their papers directly to the student. In a large class, this only works if there is a seating chart and the students put their row number and seat number on each paper they turn in. You can organize the papers before class to facilitate the return. I start returning papers 5 minutes before the class is to begin.
To make up the seating chart, let students sit where they want a few days, then pass around a chart for them to fill in. I grade using a spreadsheet program. You can add a column for row number and a column for seat number. Then it is easy to sort your spreadsheet to match your seating chart for grade entry and sort it by name for grade reports.
Now the largest class I teach is 65 people. I set the students up in groups at the beginning of the semester and the groups remain the same throughout the semester. The groups have assigned locations in the classroom but the students are free to sit in any chair within their group. For more information on how I do this see: http://academics.rmu.edu/~wheeler/teachingmethods/learninggrougs.htm
Jessey Bernstein wrote:
Hi Tipsters!
I am a 4th year grad student getting ready to teach my first large, in-session class. It will be an Intro Psych class, with about 120 students. I have taught twice before, each time the second half of a summer course (also Intro). But in those classes, there were 10 or less students. I have a feeling this experience is going to be quite different, that I will be in for a number of surprises, teaching a large class, that I wasn't faced with in teaching such small classes.
So, I wonder if some of you could post a few examples of issues that you have faced when teaching small vs large classes. How have your teaching techniques changed, if at all? (Less in-class discussion? More group activities?...) Have there been different administrative problems to face in a large vs small class? Do you have any suggestions for how I can prepare for these things? (I am thinking that I should create some spreadsheets for grade calculation, as doing it by hand is no longer going to be an option...!).
Teaching is fun and meaningful to me, and I want to be able to convey the subject as well as possible to the students. At the same time, I do not want to waste (in my mind) a lot of time on administration -- thus, for example, I want to begin the class being as clear as possible about the consequences for late submissions, missed exams etc. (I've learned a lot about this on TIPS!). It seems that a bit of forethought can save lots of time later. In any case, I am open to ANY suggestions, warnings, tips or hints from you all.
Thanks so much,
Jessey Bernstein, M.A.
Dept of Clinical Psychology
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
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