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Discipline-Specific Guidelines

A Discipline-Specific Teaching Experience is expected to involve three credit hours and must be at the graduate level (i.e., 500, 600, or 700). Students can do one or two, 3-credit teaching experiences to satisfy the Area #3 requirement of the Certificate in College Teaching. Exceptions must be approved by the Certificate in College Teaching committee in advance of the experience.

Purpose

The purpose of the Area #3 component is to facilitate a mentored teaching experience. Area #3 can be completed in a variety of ways but it must involve the following components:

  1. College level teaching
  2. A faculty mentor
  3. Study and reflection on one's teaching that is guided by the mentor
  4. Evaluation by the mentor

Sample Area #3 Description

Below, we provide examples of what might be included in the description required in Area #3:

Course Number and Name.

Example: "PSY 710, Independent Research in Psychology (this is the graduate course for which the student is receiving credit)."

Number of Credits to be Earned for the Course(s)

Example: "3."

Detailed Description of Experience

What you will be doing for the experience?

Example: "I will be supervising a DUOS student, or I will be teaching a section of an undergraduate course, or I will be assisting my teaching mentor with teaching an undergraduate class (my specific duties will include...)."

What you will be doing to academically enhance your experience by working with your mentor/instructor?

Example 1

"I will be reading one or more books or articles about college teaching such as:

  • Tools for Teaching (2nd ed). Davis, B.
  • What the Best College Teachers Do. Bain, K.
  • Thinking about Teaching and Learning. Leamnson, R.Helping Students Learn in a Learner Centered Environment.
  • Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. McKeachie, W.
  • Teaching Your First College Class: A Practical Guide for New Faculty and Graduate Student Instructors. Lieberg, C."
Example 2

"I will be meeting on a regular basis (e.g., every other week) with my mentor to discuss the readings, problems/questions that arise in my teaching, and my written journal or reflections on my teaching, such as:

  • Pre-First week: As you begin to teach, what are your expectations about your class? What are you looking forward to and/or what are you anxious about? What have you done to prepare for class?
  • Mid-term: How is your class going? Is it different from what you expected? What are you learning about how to teach your content? Is the information in the book(s) that you are reading helpful to you? Are you applying ideas from your teaching certificate courses? If you have had difficulties, what changes do you plan to make to address them?
  • Final: What have you learned about teaching this semester? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher?"

How you will be evaluated by your mentor/instructor?

Example: "I will videotape myself teaching after the third week or my mentor will observe my class at least once and my mentor will give me feedback about my teaching. I will receive student feedback via either student course evaluations, or my mentor will interview my DUOS student about my performance as a mentor; my mentor will discuss these student evaluations with me. My mentor will also give me feedback about my written journal/reflections on my teaching."

McGuffey Hall
For More Information, Contact:

Darrel Davis, Ph.D.

210 E. Spring St.
McGuffey 200G
Oxford, OH 45056
513-529-0255