A Quick One While (She Or He Or Whoever)’s Away:Guest LecturingJeff Cooper

1/8/06Psychology TA Training

(with apologies to The Who)

Why Guest Lecture?

Generally: someone asked. (Which is way flattering!)

Why Guest Lecture?

Generally: someone asked. (Which is way flattering!)

But also: Tremendous learning experience Develop presentation skills Stored usefulness Scaffold for teaching your own courses

The Satisfying And The Less-So

The Satisfying And The Less-So What class Who What one detail made it memorable?

What Details Stand Out?

The Biggest Suggestion

Best thing you can do: Prepare.

Common sense, but takes endless practice

Three Fronts To Prepare

You don’t know what they know; they don’t know what you know. Content prep

Three Fronts To Prepare

You don’t know what they know; they don’t know what you know. Content prep

You’re doing this for the first time (every time) Presentation prep

Three Fronts To Prepare

You don’t know what they know; they don’t know what you know. Content prep

You’re doing this for the first time (every time) Presentation prep

You’re on their turf Logistics prep

Content Preparation

You’re teaching people, not just a subject

Content Preparation

You’re teaching people, not just a subject Know what they know

Crucial to talk with instructors Connect with earlier classes (but don’t repeat) Lay groundwork for future classes (but avoid

overlap) Topic makes a difference – stats vs. emotion What is the class format? What are they used to? Outlines and a lot of summary is nice.

Presentation Preparation

Convince them you’ve thought about them

Presentation Preparation

Convince them you’ve thought about them Tell them what you know

Have an appropriate length (This is hard. Everything will take longer than you think,

especially discussions or questions. Give yourself enough time.)

Have an appropriate amount of information – on the slides, in multimedia

Standard presentation etiquette is especially important. Things should work the first time.

Logistics Presentation

Pretend like you know what you’re doing

Logistics Presentation

Pretend like you know what you’re doing Be on time, have things ready

Know the usual timing format (any breaks, etc.) Know where you’re going Bring every necessary cable/speakers/etc. Make sure any lab equipment/props are ready Will other instructors be there? Introduction?

Special Topics (or: Getting Crazy) Guest discussion-leading

Especially important to know what they know, and tell them what you know

You should build class around this – not tack it on

Special Topics (or: Getting Crazy) Guest discussion-leading

Especially important to know what they know, and tell them what you know

You should build class around this – not tack it on Lecturing with demonstrations/labs

Having a “toolbox” of directions to go in is helpful

Special Topics (or: Getting Crazy) Guest discussion-leading

Especially important to know what they know, and tell them what you know

You should build class around this – not tack it on Lecturing with demonstrations/labs

Having a “toolbox” of directions to go in is helpful Different formats: case studies, FAQ lectures,

debates, all-video, pre-assignments Can be fun; see what instructors need covered

Help Your Fellow Suckers

As an instructor, you can help a lot: Passing along syllabi Helping guest prepare content Previewing guest content in earlier classes “Debriefing” in later classes Bring extra cables (or send them along) Be there – seeing another teacher’s take is a

great way to improve a course

Only The Tip Of A Large Iceberg These are all basic suggestions Guest lecturing can be a great place to

experiment And a great way to build a base for yourself –

both of content and of teaching skills Let me know any suggestions for a checklist!

Thank You!