good luck wtih everything – the thing i enjoyed the most in classes was learning about my teacher’s personal experiences in the design field! don’t be shy about talking about yourself!!

Das ist auch der Grund warum ich auf diese Frage reagieren möchte, denn jemand der durchs Leben mit so viel Aufmerksamkeit geht, alles wahrnimmt, was designrelevant ist oder sein könnte und auch noch so intelligent und witzig kommentiert, der ist als Lehrer geboren! Und das ist sicherlich bei dir der Fall. Eine meiner immerwährenden Ermahnungen an den Schülern oder Studenten ist und bleibt: Augen auf, nur so kann man Designer werden.

Ich selber habe eher zufällig mit dem Unterrichten angefangen. Habe Industrial Design studiert und lange im Gebiet der Designgeschichte gearbeitet, da speziell über den Grundkurs Bauhaus und HfG. Seit über 20 Jahren arbeite ich am HfG-Archiv Ulm und so fing ich an praktische Farbkurse nach Josef Albers zu geben. Daraufhin habe ich vor sieben Jahren eine Teilzeitstelle am Kolleg für Grafik-Design in Ulm bekommen, wo ich Grafik-Design und Typo Grundlagen unterrichte.

Was ich dazu sagen kann: Das Unterrichten selber war meine beste Schule, die Lust den Anderen etwas zu zeigen und gespannt sein auf was sich daraus entwickelt. Ich bin immer und überall auf der Suche nach Anregungen für meinen Unterricht, so tauchen die Ideen auf, wie von selbst – z.B. auch wenn ich SwissMiss durchforste. Und die Aufgaben bringen ihre Methoden mit sich, das ergibt sich, so auch meine Erfahrung. Ich wünsche Dir sehr viel Freude bei deiner neuen Aufgabe und sicherlich viel Erfolg!

“I Learn and Discover once a day from your visions, You have been a Teacher to me for 3 years now and i don’t plan on graduating this blog of a school any time soon” – Justin Snyder

You have taught me inspiration, thought, rhythm, discussion, intelligent design, web and blog design, writing, and you have taught me something that I had been taught all my life and will never take for granite and that is “sharing” and You as a humble teacher have shared and taught so much with your SWISSmiss blog that you have made me see the clearitey and the understanding in what it is to share with the art community and design community around us, and through this we will learn from each other and push each other to explore beyond what we sometimes will not reach alone!

So when stepping in to your room of students and while planning what code and what step to do next, remember that the inspiration process on top of the technical aspect of designing a website is what will get them to the next level after they have learned the details. And if you can make them understand this, then you will have made an impression that will stick with these students long after there substitute teacher has gone away!

Sorry My comment is so, long. I guess I was just surprised to see your post, but as I have written this comment it has also dawned on me ever so more that “you are asking your own community for advice and opinions” Thus again, a perfect lesson to teach your web-design students. Always feel comfortable in not being content with your work and look for inspiration and knowledge from those around you!

Take Care, good luck swissmiss!

Justin Snyder

I also just rediscovered and amazing article that I’ve linked to in the past, by Allan Chochinov:

http://www.swiss-miss.com/2008/08/1000-words-of-a.html

1. Plan for double the content for your first few classes. For example if you have an hour class plan two hours of content. I’m not saying to add lots of topics but expect that you will run though what you have to say much more quickly than you intended. Chalk the speed up to your nervousness or your better understanding of the subject matter but remember that this is new to most of your students and you’ll need to go into much more depth than you would when explaining it to yourself. I’ve found there’s nothing worse than having half the class time remaing and nothing to say…

2. Find & Plan multiple ways to describe/explain a subject or process. Very few people learn through the same process but its natural to try to teach the same way you personally learn. I’d suggest writing multiple examples and analogies into your class notes so that when the “I don’t get it” arrives you’ll have additional resources without having to ponder it for a while.

3. Be willing to admit when you don’t know something. Say you’ll do some research and find out. Then make sure you follow up and provide the answer either via email or the next class. Your students will respect you more for being able to find/help them find the answer than simply knowing it all.

4. Based on #3 round up a list of resources (I use blogs, forums, twitter users, etc) that provide information on your topic and then introduce your students to these resources. By doing so you are allowing your students to take control of their own learning through content that you deem appropriate instead of forcing them to sift through Google results until they find something that “might” answer their questions.

5. Most importantly, CARE about your students, desire to help them be their best but at the same time remember that you can’t force learning so don’t take it personally if some of your students decide not to engage with you or the subject matter.

Best of luck and I hope you enjoy teaching, I think you’ll be surprised how much more of a benefit teaching will be to your life and career simply because of what it will teach you.

My best advice is to keep it interesting and always expect a thirst for more and many design questions, not always necessarily related to specific subject of the class!

Parsons was one of the greatest experiences I’ve been through, and there is a lot of talent there, which was always very inspiring to the class and the teachers as well i felt – Best of Luck to you!

Being transparent in your teaching will gain the trust of the students and also make all of your goals clear to them. Tell them what you plan to do and why in clear, concise language.

I think constraints are very important in setting up any assignment. The students might feel limited at first, but the tighter the constraints, the easier it is for them to work and the better the result.

I also think it’s important to talk about process. The students need to learn a way to work -how to start, how to become inspired.

lastly, I think it’s important to talk about their preconceptions and then help them to learn how to see in a new way, so that they can overcome those preconceptions.

On the flip side, here is an article that NYT did about many of today’s college students and their sense of “entitlement.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/education/18college.html?_r=3&em

Best to all you teachers as the school year gets closer….

jk

I have worked as a physics teacher for several years and my advice is that………

1. Put yourself in the student position and try to explain to the student as if you are explaining to yourself.

2. Simplicity is a key factor in anything so be simple and clear.

3. Graphs is one of the most important things in any kind of communications betwen humans.

4. Be yourself and noone else.

Thanks.

1) The first day is the most important. Set their expectations to work hard and what the class requires of them. Any hints that you are easy to please will give some students the impression they can slack off with you, and it’s hard to overcome that afterwards. Be inspiring.

2) I make students wait 24 hours before they can discuss their grade with me. This gives them time to cool off and not emotionally react.

3) Critique using flickr groups for visual work. It reduces crit time by *hours* and students learn quickly how to give and articulate good feedback through writing.

Teaching is the best, I’m sure you’ll do great! Congrats!

We all know the weaknesses of critiques. Chatty self-congratulation and mutual admiration. Instructor monologues delivering a public grading. Student self-defense over-explaining what they tried to do at the expense of hearing what they actually did. Other students chirping up carelessly (or cruelly) to demonstrate Participation.

But the tone changes noticeably when we remember what critiques teach us. We’re not there to become critics, although some of us will. We’re there to practise observing work and assessing its strengths and weaknesses. This is the most important skill of a creative practitioner: the ability to judge the progress and accomplishment of a piece of work for ourselves. Because, kids, once you leave the classroom and the shared studio, it’s lonely out there and I’m not in charge, any more, of telling you when it’s good and when it’s bad and when it’s fresh and when it’s done. You are.

Critiques look like they’re about external validation but they’re really about the gradual transfer of authority from the instructor to the artist. I like to tell ‘em so.

What may seem like common knowledge to you (in the curriculum) may be new to them so don’t skip it, if they express knowledge, simply add an experience or two to make the information more real and move on. Over the first few weeks, you should be able to evaluate where each student stands and go from there… it is a challenge but fun.

You are a people person, I am sure you will pick it up quickly and be able to provide each student with whatever he/she may need.

Have Fun! Let me know how it goes xoj

A great quote I read recently: “Teach the students you have, not the ones you wish you had.”

Especially when dealing with technology, the most important thing is to teach a student how to learn, how to figure things out, how to have the right questions…since everything is changing so fast anyway. It’s about teaching a way of thinking and sparking the curiosity above and beyond any concrete content/specific skills.

I’ve been reading a lot this summer, as I’m pursuing a teacher certification. One really good book is by Robert L. Fried called “The Passionate Learner”. He talks about curriculum as relationship, and one of his steps to making sure your evaluations link up to your class goals is: list on a sheet of paper your five top goals for student learning (that they will retain and remember 10 years from now). And he talks about how a course syllabus should clearly outline the performance expectations you have for your students — the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that successful students should gain from your course.

Good luck. These are great comments and insightful for any teacher or wannabe teacher like myself.

Mitch Goldstein: “Exposure….I think it is in the best interest of a teacher to bestow as much exposure to students as possible, even if only tangentially related to the primary subject matter”

Thomas: “if you’re excited, they’ll be excited”

David:”Being the person who helped someone learn something is very gratifying”

And everything ABG said.

Congratulations on your first year of teaching.

A lot of excellent advice above. I would only stress what a few others have said. Do not take your students’ initial lack of engagement personally. A few ways to get them to talk initially is to give them an assignment to share something they like (something relevant to the class, of course). If Parsons has already given you access to Blackboard and your course list, you can e-mail them an introductory assignment before the first day of class.

Second, be very clear about expectations and stay organized. I like to give my students handouts for each assignment with clear instructions and my grading rubric.

Third, do not ever let them get away with using their cell phones in class. Ever. I know it sounds like a simple thing, but I’ve subbed for other faculty who seem to be more lenient about that and it’s disgraceful. I make it clear early on that I won’t tolerate it and it leads to a more civil classroom environment. (Obviously the same rule should apply to email if they’re sitting in front of computers.)

Lastly, I think it’s interesting to mix things up a bit. Consistency is good but they get bored of the same thing each week (as do I). So while we generally have full class discussions, I sometimes split them into groups or pair them up for peer review sessions (to critique each others work). One week I might have them watch and discuss a video in class. Sometimes I decide based on the make-up of my class, so each semester is different.

Good luck! Let me know if you need anything.

Jennifer

I’ve been teaching production and pre-press courses part-time for 15 years, at MacEwan College in Edmonton, Alberta. As you can imagine, my curriculum has seen many changes over that time, in an effort to reflect changes in hw, sw, best practices, process, etc. I offer the following humble thoughts as I reflect on my journey:

1. Give students ownership of their craft.

2. Practice and encourage the process of “design thinking” as often as possible. Be obvious, at first. Help the students to recognize their own.

3. Encourage studio-environment professionalism in your class. Many students, particularly if they’re new, won’t fully understand what this means. Explain some ground rules; edit as needed.

4a. Adult learners often have difficulty asking questions, particularly if they believe it’s a “stupid” question. One of my “Item 3 ground rules” is: There are no stupid questions in this class.

4b. Resist the temptation to ask “does anyone have any questions?”. They almost never do. I’ve found better success with the following: “Now… give me your questions.”

5. Find your inner EduTainer. It’s tough to admit, but I wouldn’t be able to sit still and focus on a four-hour lecture delivered by me. Bring some design “amuse bouche” to every class, and season your lectures according to taste. Encourage students to bring their own. It’s one part show-and-tell, and a digital equivalent of Alan Fletcher’s “The Art of Looking Sideways.”

6. Everyone is there to learn, including you. Some classes will unfold more elegantly than others; learn from what works well, and what doesn’t. Example: In my early years of teaching I audio recorded my lectures, and listened to them at home. This helped me to develop a better pace and rhythm, and reduce my usage of “Ummm” and “like.” Your mileage may vary.

OK, enough. Feel free to message me if you’d like to touch base during the upcoming term. I sense your excitement, and know that your students will do the same!

Namasté and peace-out,

-B.

1) A student with “issues” often has nothing to do with me or the material. If I can find out what it is that they think they need, they often become unstuck. I ask “What is it you need to succeed in this class?” Works every time.
2) Be yourself. If you stumble – it’s ok. Everyone does. A little humility goes a long way.
3) Find out why students are taking your class – write it down or have them write to you. Work to help they achieve whatever goal they’ve set.
4) Have fun. Teaching is a fantastic way for YOU to learn, too.

Vielleicht geht es in der Lehre zuerst einmal um die Hinterfragung von vorhandenen Einstellungen, Vorstellungen und auch Arbeitsweisen. Die Fragen sollen idealerweise initiieren, motivieren und inspirieren. Es geht nicht darum, auf jede Frage eine Antwort parat zu haben. Es geht um den Weg, um den Prozess, der zu Antworten führt. Die Suche nach Antworten regt zum Denken, zum Machen und zu eigenen Erfahrungen an – und die selbstgemachten Erfahrungen sind die wertvollsten.

Viel Glück!
Germar

My father, a teacher for most of his life, always insisted it came down to motivation. “Make a kid curious, and show him where the library is.”

What I liked most was learning about the different resources and inspiration that’s out there for graphic/web/interactive/open source design (your site was one of them last semester in a different class). Also important is seeing examples of real work (successes & failures) and class critique. Most of my classes at that point were print focused so this class was my first intro to interactive web and how design can make an impact on improving communication and user experience.

One thing I must say is that we are really dedicated because our time is so limited in the program and we want to make the most of every class. For most of us, this is either our 2nd career or we already have an undergrad or grad degree under our belt (students are usually over 25 years old). I wish I was taking your class, sounds like it’s going to be a good one! Good luck and remember to just be yourself, based on what I see with your blog, I think you’ll do great.

The best thing you can do is engage your students from day one. Give them some info about you, be personable, approachable, yet not too friendly. Give an exercise where you can measure each of their abilities immediately and this will help you to develop your course from there. Every class and year will be different!

Teaching is very rewarding and I find that you’ll always be following up with former students just to see where they’ve gone and what they’ve done. The best thing that ever happens is when a student comes back to thank you, especially the difficult ones you were hard on. Which leads me to say… don’t be afraid to give challenges!

Best of luck!!!

-Mace

Jean

- it’s normal that not everyone will get the full picture, so instead of teaching, try to inspire (relax, shine, do what you normally do)
- when having fun, you learn more: make it fun
- choose 10 topics and know that you only will have time for 5 (but they will be fun)
- spent as little time as possible at explaining: everytime you give them answers, they will listen, not learn
- standing in a classroom, you are in charge: you may do everything that is needed to (change the setting, get equipment, take several breaks, invite other people, get a cup of coffee, go outside, divide your group into 3.5,…), and doing so you, your students will enjoy YOUR class
- and finally, give yourself time to improve, you will

all the best!
peter
(belgium)

P.S.: Do not worry! I would love to have a teacher like you :) All the best, MsTea from Hungary

There’s always room for improvement, even with things that are great.

BUT – as tough as they were, they were also honest and approachable about any questions or problems I might have.

Best of luck :)