Dr. Ames’ Teaching Tips

Promote regular attendance
Don’t just learn students’ names; make sure they learn each others’ names
Where appropriate, arrange and require study groups
Integrate campus events into class when practical (require or incentivize attendance at a lecture but then follow up on it in class)
Arrive early to class
Minimize punitive aspects of classroom management and bureaucracy, especially in the first class meeting and on the syllabus
Offer students tips or actual lessons on being a good student: how to take notes, read a difficult assignment, plan for a project
Allow sufficient wait time after posing a question to the class; alternatively, ask students to write a response and then call on a few to read what they’ve written
Structure your syllabus to ensure an early, significant graded assignment so that you and the student know if the student’s work and understanding are not up to expectations
Devote some class time to explaining the relevance and importance of the content and skills taught, especially in required and core classes
Develop techniques that get struggling students to your office; many students in academic difficulty are too embarrassed or intimidated to seek out the help they need
Vary instructional methods within class period

Future Students