UW-Madison 2017

1. My Teaching Journey:
There and Back Again
A Professor’s Tale for the
Spring New Educators Orientation
Laura Albert McLay
Associate Professor
Industrial and Systems Engineering
laura@engr.wisc.edu
@lauramclay
https://punkrockor.com

2. Overview
I am going to talk about my journey from a painfully shy TA to a professor
who is comfortable in the classroom and when talking to the media about
research on the evening news.
Topics include
• What I wish I knew when I was starting to teach
• Tips for managing student expectations
• Active learning techniques
• Time management

3. Don’t worry!
I’ll leave time for questions

4. What I wish I knew when I was
starting to teach

5. It takes 5-10 years to be a great teacher
Goal: work on making a few improvements each semester

6. There are many ways to be an effective
instructor
And introverts can be good at teaching!
Find a way that works for you and feels authentic to you

7. Teaching involves a lot of storytelling

8. Student evaluations are not strongly correlated
with the quality of your teaching or learning
• It is a popularity contest
• They are affected by things outside
your control
• Students generally prefer “easy”
classes
• There are biases
http://benschmidt.org/profGender/

9. Let some things go
…and go easy on yourself

10. Managing expectations is key

11. Ways to manage expectations
• Set up expectations on the first day and in the syllabus
• Tell students if it is a hard class
• Warn students when something hard or unexpected is coming up
• Do not make sudden turns during the semester
• Ample warning makes for fewer unpleasant surprises
• Use the first few minutes of each class to remind students what you
did last time and tell them the goal for class and for the semester
• Remind students along the way how far you’ve come
• Remind students that you are it in together
• Hand out grading rubrics before presentations or project reports are
due

12. Here is an example I use to encourage students to
not check their cell phones during class

13. Active learning techniques and
easy ways to teach with
technology

14. Embrace awkward silences

15. In class examples give you the a lot of
bang for your buck
Side benefits:
• You figure out what the students do not know
• You get to know the students
• The activities mimic exam questions so students can prep for exams (and
you manage expectations!)

16. Easy and effective ideas that
have worked for me
• Mostly lecture the first time I teach a course
• Transition more of the material to active learning every semester
• Homework 0 for reviewing background material instead of boring lectures
covering background material
• Record audio for instructions, explanations, recap of a lecture, etc.
• Record video (screenshot) of lecture recap/software demo
• Jing, Camtasia, etc.
• Take screenshots for step by step instructions of how to do something using
the course software
• Handouts!
• Google docs for shared data and collaboration
• In-class polls / voting with hands, clickers, or cell phones
• Examples where students generate data (dice, M&Ms, etc.)
• Ask students to come up with examples of when they would apply a method
or theory

17. Share fun articles and news with students
Example:
https://punkrockor.com/2015/11/11/engineering-
systems-critical-infrastructure-and-logistics/

18. Show a short video during class

19. What not to do the first time*
• Flip the classroom
• Course blog, where students write and comment
• Elaborate semester-long project done collaboratively with students
• Have students develop and present material
• Anything that is not the norm or that could backfire
WHY??
• More work (a 60-90 minute MOOC lecture requires TWO FULL DAYS of prep)
• Harder to manage expectations
• Must front load the course prep
• You can do these things next time. Remember that it takes 5-10 years to be a
great teacher?
* Unless you are given a template and mentoring for doing so

20. Time management tips

21. There are two basic rules for time
management: Do less or do it faster
• There are no real tricks
• Learn how to say no

22. Make time for the important but not urgent
things (your research!)
• “Big Rocks First” management strategy
• Get things done before deadlines
• Get sleep so you can focus on important tasks
• You won’t magically have more time in the future—don’t
keep putting things on your schedule for next week
IMPORTANT NOT IMPORTANT
URGENT URGENT/
IMPORTANT
URGENT/
NOT IMPORTANT
NOT URGENT NOT URGENT/
IMPORTANT
NOT URGENT/
NOT IMPORTANT

23. Parkinson’s Law: Work expands to fill the time
available
Protip: set deadlines and give tasks less time
Corollary: you should have a life!
My friend, that is a pint!

24. Time management tips from a friend
• You have already had 15-20 years of education, during
which you have had plenty of examples of good and
bad teaching to learn from. Emulate the good things.
• Avoid email from students except at set times
• Only handle it (email, etc.) once
• Overprepare for exams
• Return all assignments in a week
• Make the classroom a “safe place” for asking questions
(don’t be intimidating, embrace awkward pauses)
• Keep a calendar
• Accept that you’d like to spend more time on teaching
but you have to set reasonable limits

25. You will get some well-meaning
but bad advice along the way

26. “There is only one way to be a good
instructor and it’s my way!”
Better answer: there are many good ways to be an instructor. Your idea
is good, but I’d prefer a menu of ideas and choose what work for me.

27. “Just be yourself”
But this is me!
Better answer: It took me awhile to be comfortable in front of a large
classroom. That is normal.

28. “Just relax and it will all fall into place”
This is code for: don’t be introverted!
Better answers about how to relax:
• Fake it until you make it!
• Chat with students before class
• Smile to every student who asks you a question
• Emulate people that you aspire to teach like who are like you

29. Relax anyway!
(Bilbo is always more relaxed after class)

30. I eventually found my groove in
the classroom and even learned
how to talk to the media!

31. In the news!
31https://punkrockor.com/in-the-news/

32. CONFESSION!
It took me awhile to do
some things effectively
• Not feel like a fraud in front of the classroom
• Answer questions in a way that wasn’t over the students’ heads
• Not get defensive in class when someone did something rude
• Be relaxed and confident when dealing with demanding students
• Be comfortable enough to tell a joke in front of a class and own it
• Learn that cute cat pictures will get students to pay attention J

33. Takeaways for starting your teaching journey
1. There are many ways to be a good instructor
2. Manage expectations!
• Start with the syllabus and course policies
• Convey expectations / where you are going every class
• Big impact on the classroom with little effort
3. Prioritize!
• Try things that are easy to prep with a high payoff
• Set limits and make time for research
• Save some teaching ideas for next time
4. If you’re not a natural at speaking in front of a
large group of people
• Fake it until you make it
5. Be patient and understanding with yourself
…

34. 6. What worked for me may not be true for you

35. You’ll survive, I promise!

36. For more reading
• http://punkrockor.com/2014/04/18/time-management-tips-for-assistant-
professors-and-everyone/
• https://punkrockor.com/2014/01/27/how-college-is-like-choosing-between-
going-to-the-movies-and-watching-netflix/
• https://punkrockor.com/2016/04/21/what-i-do-for-diversity-and-inclusion-
in-the-classroom/
• https://punkrockor.com/2016/04/29/teaching-hack-student-moderators-for-
in-class-presentations/
• https://punkrockor.com/2012/02/29/the-flipped-classroom/
• https://punkrockor.com/2015/11/11/engineering-systems-critical-
infrastructure-and-logistics/

37. Thank you for listening!
Go to punkrockOR.com for slides of this presentation