Imagine yourself in front of a classroom on the first day of your career as a college instructor. You pass your new set of students a fresh copy of the syllabus that you spent hours perfecting over the summer. You introduce yourself and begin getting to know your students. You make them laugh by telling stories of yourself and by asking about their summers. By the end of the class, the students are intrigued and the classroom is alive with an active discussion. In comparison to what could happen on your first day as a college teacher, an hour filled with the silence of a half-sleeping classroom, where students are listing to their iPods and texting on their cell phones, the situation laid out above is a new teacher s dream. With the help of How to Be Successful in Your First Year of Teaching College, you can achieve not only your perfect first day, but a successful and productive first year as well. You will learn to take control of your classroom and provide students with a fun and effective setting in which they can actively succeed in your class and beyond. This new, extensively researched book will begin by offering information on how to find the perfect college teaching position. You will be provided with valuable information on the different types of academic positions available, from teaching assistant to tenure and on how to search for these positions. You will learn about how the position you chose will affect your family and personal life, what to look for in a benefits package, and what benefits different types of colleges can provide. Important information that you need to know before accepting a position will be provided to you. A complete overview of understanding faculty contracts and faculty unions is included as well as an introduction to the academic environment that will surround you as you begin your new career as a college instructor. Once you have accepted your new position, How to Be Successful in Your First Year of Teaching College will prepare you for that first day of class. You will learn how to structure your course, select textbooks, design and implement your syllabus, establish classroom policies, and interpret university policies on grading, student evaluation, plagiarism, and other grievances. Most new college instructors spend months worrying about how to break the ice during the first week of class. Helpful ideas for winning over your new students are provided as well as tips for making lasting first impressions. First-year teachers will benefit from the discussion on the three stages of teaching a lesson as well as tips for keeping students interested during lectures, the pros and cons of using discussion groups in the classroom, and how to use small groups as an alternative approach to traditional instruction. Most importantly, a complete chapter has been included on relating and getting to know your new set of students. College students in the 21st century are a diverse group. It is important to understand what life is like for today s college student and how these students think and learn in order to effectively do your job. Even more complicated can be trying to keep up with the fast paced technology that students today are accustomed to. An important chapter on teaching in the digital age will provide valuable information on online courses, using technology in the classroom, and e-mail protocol. In the appendices, new college instructors will find a complete overview of academic terminology and a sample syllabi, lecture outline, and course design. Helpful case studies by second-year and veteran college instructors provide insider strategies and proven techniques for surviving your first year as a college instructor. How to Be Successful in Your First Year of Teaching College will be a book that you refer to over and over again throughout your freshman year
