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发信人: haven (避风港), 信区: AdvancedEdu
标  题: How to be a good TA(6)
发信站: BBS 水木清华站 (Tue May 12 21:49:02 1998)

     5 Leading sections in specific fields

     TAs teach many kinds of courses in which they can use several of
     the skills and strategies discussed above. The sections below
     provide more specific guidelines for teaching different kinds of
     classes.

     5.1 Discussion sections in the Humanities and Social Sciences

     Learning how to orchestrate exciting discussions is the nub of
     figuring out how to teach effectively in the humanities and social
     sciences. There is no single method for sparking dialogue. Actively
     listening to your students may be one of the most important keys to
     leading an effective discussion. Trying to be as attentive as you can
     to both the meaning and the common themes in your students'
     remarks-even if these remarks seem tired or cliched to you-is also
     important. Writing down your students comments as they talk may
     make you a better listener. This practice also encourages students to
     look at their peers and not only at you when they speak. Encourage
     conversation, as opposed to unconnected comments, by linking one
     student's comments to another's.

     Many TAs focus on raising or soliciting questions as a way of
     guiding discussion. Others prepare short written assignments, give
     brief presentations, or ask students to give brief presentations in
     order to get things going. The following is a selection of diverse
     strategies with which you may want to experiment.

          Ask provocative questions. You can simply ask them orally,
          pass them out in written form either prior to or during section,
          or ask students to turn in questions of their own, to start
          discussion.
          Make controversy work for you. Write several controversial
          statements related to the material on the board and ask each
          student to agree or disagree with one of them.
          Ask specific questions. A vague and amorphous question
          such as "What did you all think about the reading?," while
          ostensibly easy to answer, can instead be so daunting as to
          prevent your students from sharpening and articulating their
          thoughts. Try to break large concepts or generalizations
          down to component questions so as not to daunt students by
          large theoretical or monolithic questions. Using key words or
          themes to narrow the questions down will help in this respect.
          At the same time, do not ask many questions so narrow as to
    urally identify this pattern in
     music might cause great frustration for both teacher and student. A
     remedy for such frustration is not easily arrived at, especially since it
     is widely acknowledged that certain individuals may entirely lack the
     ability to develop specialized sensory skills, and therefore to
     accomplish such a task. But more likely than not, a student will
     possess at least some ability to "improve" his innate aptitudes. Since
     one-on-one drilling or tutoring is often the most productive means of
     doing this, teachers for such courses should encourage students
     having difficulties to come to office hours. It is also recommended to
     assess attitude rather than ability alone when grading such students.

     TAs in these courses often have to teach students who are simply
     fulfilling a fine arts requirement and not taking the course seriously.
     Often, a TA's own love and respect for the subject matter can make
     a positive impact on such individuals.

     Arts courses frequently utilize multi-media equipment as well as
     "live" art. Here are some tips to bear in mind

          Make sure you have good command over the working of the
          audio and visual equipment. Make sure slides, CDs, etc. are
          in order. Students can be fairly tolerant when problems arise,
          but usually have little patience with large-scale
          disorganization.
          Try to engage the students in "real art situations" as much as
          possible. For example, if you have the background, play your
          own musical examples on the piano, or invite an amateur
          string quartet to play for a music class. Hold a section at the
          Yale Art Gallery or British Art Museum. Have students
          attend recitals and write concert reviews.
          Be mindful when choosing examples of music or art. Too
          many examples glossed over too quickly or poorly chosen
          examples will usually bore or frustrate students.

     Leading discussions
     Many TAs are surprised to learn that discussions are not only
     possible in art and music courses, but are often an effective tool in
     helping students interpret the subject. While lectures are important,
     especially in establishing factual background (i.e., artist's lives,
     individual styles, and representative works), any sort of less
     definitive topic is probably good fodder for discussion. Some TAs
     find it effective to divide section time between mini-lectures and
     class discussion. Discussions might involve: interpreting documents,
     critiquing artistic discourse, and analyzing philosophical assumptions.

     Finally, it is perhaps too readily assumed that the student has the
     basic willingness to "appreciate" the material at hand. Encouraging
     students to articulate as precisely as possible what they like or
     dislike about piece of art or music will help them to engage the
     subject. And, of course, it is important for a TA to bear in mind that
     to appreciate something does not necessarily mean to like it.

--
世情推物理，人生贵适意，想人间造物搬兴废。吉藏凶，凶藏吉。

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