Arch 300. Seminar in the Teaching of Architecture
Dana Buntrock, Associate Professor
Find me at: or in 358 Wurster (especially on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays).
Class meets: Wurster, 901/Fridays 9-11 a.m.
This university mandated training a few years ago (so these courses are very much in their infancy). That mandate was remarkably flexible, only calling for the class to:
• address the practical and theoretical knowledge needed by new GSIs in the specific discipline;
• have a syllabus that specifies topics week by week, identifies readings, and describes the basis for evaluation
• have a meaningful number of units and student contact hours (2-4 units);
• have a course reader or textbooks;
• have specific assignments for which GSIs are accountable and on which GSIs will be graded.
The second influence is what you and I bring to the class. In this outline, I suggest the issues and resources I bring to the class, and in our first meeting I would like to tease out some awareness of yours.
Most of you do not know me, since I have been away from campus for 18 months. In a nutshell, here are a few things that might be relevant:
• As an undergraduate in the 1970s, I experienced strong resistance to women joining the profession, had more than one prof ask me to sleep with him (when I was not yet 20), and saw how differences in sexuality and cultural background both enriched and divided my department.
• Computers have been a part of my life since 1984 or ’85, and I took my first course combining on-line and conventional teaching in 1986.
• I started teaching – as a graduate student teaching assistant – in 1987, working closely with a single, extremely enthusiastic mentor for much of my time in grad school. The experience made me choose teaching as a career, and even with some burps along the way, I have been in classrooms for 17 years on three continents, teaching throughout the U.S., but also in Japan and Australia.
• While in grad school, a classmate I was close to was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward. I was very much drawn into the resulting reactions in the school and gained a great deal of insight into administration and also problems faced by international students in the U.S. (though we have new ones I may not even yet be aware of now).
• The first semester I was hired as a professor began with a three-day pre-semester workshop. Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon kicked off with a talk on writing a syllabus. Every new teacher in the room ran home that night and wrote one, because it had not occurred to ANY of us to do so. Carnegie Mellon, where this occurred, also offered many great workshops on issues like grading and running discussions, and Herb Simon always sat at the biggest table in the Faculty Lounge, open to a nice chat about anything with anyone. Instead of office hours, I would like to do something similar, as I note later. (I have come to realize this also accounts for how I USE a syllabus in planning.)
• I have taught classes ranging from half a dozen students to over a hundred; have taught alone, working with GSI teams, and team-teaching with as many as three other older and more experienced colleagues. Most of these have been really enriching experiences; one actually drove me to leave a department.
• I have caught my share of plagiarists, not because I am looking for them, but because I am a close reader. I found a book for young adults published by Ten Speed Press that recycled the words of a college text written by another author, had a student plagiarize one of my closest friends (who often asks me to do the final corrections on his short pieces in English), and once had a class where 7 out of 21 students plagiarized papers. My GSI for that class, incidentally, matched more than half the sources and also pulled down the socks of a student she suspected of cheating in a quiz – thankfully, finding ample reason for her concerns.
• I am a newbie here. This is the first time I teach this class and the first time I have taught specifically on the subject.
Probably not a complete list, but it will get us started.
Take a minute while we are getting started and sketch out your own list. We will use these in discussion during the first class.
Your responsibilities in this class.
• Attend all class sessions. One unexcused absence is understandable, but beyond that I need to know what is happening and reserve the right to remove you from the class. Excessive tardiness will also need to be discussed.
• Read the readings appropriate to each session before class meets; review the web site on bSpace in a timely manner (at least once a week, and best shortly before class).
• Engage in seminars, contributing in a manner respectful to all.
• Respond to all assignments on time. I use a 10% penalty per day to encourage you to do so.
• Embrace academic integrity. In particular, I find students sometimes need to be reminded that plagiarism is unethical. If it is not your original work, cite your source – an honorable way to show that you do the research necessary to be a scholar. If you have any questions, the Student Guide to Academic Integrity is included in the readings for February 29.
Course structure and required readings
Specific readings for each week are listed in the long course outline, along with topics planned for each class, materials due that day and suggested readings that will enhance discussion.
Each class will begin with discussion based on experiences of the past week and the three regularly e-mailed resources listed below.
Required weekly resources:
• Sign up for Rick Reis’ “Tomorrow’s Professor” newslist, which generally will send something out on Thursday and Monday. Please read both readings before our Tuesday class.
See <>.
• In addition, please sign up for the daily e-mail from InsideHigherEd.com, which will cover a range of academic issues in half a dozen headlines. Use your own judgment, but when topics relevant to the class come up, I would ask that you follow the link to the related article. (We may also send a round-up e-mail out each Monday, drawing your attention to specific URLs if there is too much diversity in how people pursue the information available.) See < >.
• Similarly, check the front page of the Chronicle of Higher Education web site each week for headlines and follow through on the headlines as appropriate. Print issues and new headlines are published on Monday; you can read the newspaper on-line without a subscription, using your university proxy at <>. (For information on setting proxies, go to < >.)
Please also register for the weekly mailing of the Chronicle Review at <>. This tends to be where thoughts on teaching are concentrated.
All of these have much additional information archived on-line, some included as relevant reading assignments on specific topics. I encourage you to explore these.
Not sure they were really reading the above. Would like to instill the habit – wonder if it would make sense to have them comment on the forums page of bSpace?
Also – require question related to the reading. Mail by period 6-8 hours before, lecturer to compile into hand-out with all questions in full and include in class discussion. You could ladder – have a pre-class team organize a set of questions (maybe suggesting they have breakfast or lunch together to go over?). Set topics in some cases, let others be more open-ended (e.g., when multiple readings, assign specific sets to group, leader/lecturer does all). Peer reviews also generated by the teams. Group numbers open – 2-4 people. Suggest those sharing courses consider.
Also, please check out the GSI Center Workshops at <>!
Grading
There are two sets of graded activities in this class. First, you will develop a teaching statement by March 14, tol be used by two classmates for an assessment of your work in the class you currently teach. You will also review statements written by two classmates and write an evaluation of the statement and of your peers’ classroom performance. These reviews will happen between March 14 and April 1. (If any of you are NOT currently GSIs this term, please see me about arranging an alternate assignment.)
In addition, you will be required to write two book reviews, based on one of the recommended books on the list I supply here or on one that I approve. Please closely review the longer description of the assignment. For those of you who would like to front-end this work, book reviews will be accepted early; over-achievers can submit multiple reviews, taking the two highest grades, BUT one book review is due no later than the date on the schedule for Book Review 1 (Feb. 22) and the second no later than the date for Book Review 2 (May 2). NO Book Reviews will be accepted after May 2.
Only one book review – length closer to 6-12 pages, single-spaced. Based on workload issues raised with chairs. These may need follow-up to be treated seriously.
Grading is based on:
Your teaching statement 15% of grade
Your assessment of peers, written 10% each, total 20% of grade
Oral presentation, in a four-way meeting with me5% of grade
Book review 125% of grade
Book review 225% of grade
Class participation 10% of grade
Criteria for grading written and oral assignments are included with assignment descriptions.
Class participation is graded taking into account the following:
• Insightful contributions to class discussion.
• Clear intellectual development over the course of the term.
• Use of outside resources and own materials in discussion and assignments.
• Regular and timely attendance, maintaining a conscious and committed involvement in class.
bSpace
I am just getting up to speed on bSpace, but found CourseInfo very helpful and expect to use bSpace in this class. We will further discuss this on the first day of class.
Office hours
Thursdays from 12:30-1:30. I would like to discuss whether you would be interested in doing this as an informal lunch event at the Faculty Club. In addition, I am always happy to meet at other times if my office hours are inconvenient.
Schedule
A more complete description of the goals of each class, including recommended and required readings, follows.
Review and think about how to integrate fun. Discuss in very early class. Find reading.
Ideally, before our first day of class you attended the GSI workshop, January 18.
Friday, Jan 25 first day of class. / Topic(s)You. You and your prof. You and your teaching colleagues. / Assignments
In-class: outline who you are as GSI (not graded).
By February 8: complete on-line ethics “quiz”
Feb. 1 / You and your students.
Feb 8 / Encouraging active learning. / Due: Print ethics certificate and bring to class (not graded, but this can affect employment).
Feb 15 / Planning each class.
Teaching tricks.
Feb 22 / Grading and evaluations. / Due: Book Review of one book (from list supplied or other approved text).
Feb 29 / Plagiarism and other problems.
March 7 / Critical thinking in class and out.
March 14 / Class sizes and structures. / Due: teaching statement, to be used as a basis for peer review.
March 21 No class meeting / Peer evaluations this week.
March 24- 28 Spring break
April 4 / More on diversity.
April 11 / Problems peculiar to the professions and the arts. / Peer evaluation reports due; one copy to me and one to the person evaluated.
April 18 / All kinds of odd birds: models for teaching. Building a teaching philosophy.
April 25 / Building a teaching portfolio.
Opportunities in architecture.
May 2 / Informal overview discussion.
This is our last class. / Due: Book Review of one book (from list supplied or other approved text).
NO FINAL EXAM.
Jan. 25. You. You and your prof. You and your teaching colleagues.
Things to cover in class:
• Identifying your responsibilities as a GSI (your role, levels of planning and autonomy, setting standards for grading and behavior, punctuality, organizing office hours)
• Special roles or responsibilities (head GSI, etc.)
• What to do when it ain’t you (students asking for access to the class, etc.)
• Making sure you have what you need
(textbooks, equipment or software, key to your office, copy code numbers, supplies in the office)
• Time management (how hard-and-fast is that schedule?, using a teaching log to track your time, set up a spreadsheet, check religious dates not on our calendar)
• Working with staff (scheduler, Joe, AVRL, etc.)
• remind students that they can try to get a room change if the space is a bad match.
Assignment: Do on-line ethics course and bring certificate in by February 8. See <>.
Topic for discussion: Handling conflicts. For example, “The revised Graduate Council Policy on Appointments and Mentoring of GSIs states that instructors are required to meet regularly with GSIs.” Many faculty, especially those who also have heavy commitments outside academe, may not follow through on this. What are the issues embedded in this conflict?
E-mail taken from Teach-Net for second discussion:
Hi all,
… I have a GSI this term who is both my GSI and is also in the ___ 301 (pedagogy) seminar I'm running. Talk about attitude. In GSI meetings, he either sits and says nothing but with that look on his face of "%$#@ this is a TOTAL WASTE of my time", or he picks fights with me. Last night I sent a draft of today's midterm questions to the GSIs, and he sent back an email to the GSI-&-me list that was a long dense paragraph that essentially said "this exam is a piece of c**p." Three other GSIs quickly followed up his email with "I think the exam is excellent as is." The cranky GSI sent an email after his email to the GSI-&-me list: "oh, oops, sorry, I should have sent that just to you and not to the entire list." I wrote back this morning with "It's ok. I think it's useful for you to see other people's reactions."
So here's my question. Do I just let this go? Or do I at some point pull this GSI aside and have a conversation with him? In 301, I tell the GSIs that they will occasionally have a student who is angry and ticked off . . . and it's not about you. Any number of outside-of-class issues can put us in a bad mood, and we'll take it out on someone else. So I know that (intellectually). It's not about me.
But I'm starting to get really annoyed. Respect? Is he communicating this attitude to his students?
Ok, so what would you do? Gender dynamics probably matter here...
Further (recommended) readings:
• Teaching Guide for Graduate Student Instructors
“Getting Started”
N.B. Some of this really is not under your control (e.g., initiating meetings of faculty and students), so read it with an openness to how each teaching team applies the suggestions.
“The First Day of Class” <
• Tools for Teaching “The First Day of Class” <
A request: At the end of this semester, we will do a formal, boilerplate evaluation of the course. However, I would also ask that you consider jotting a few notes each week during this course, and sending me a longer evaluation based on the topics we have discussed in class. These evaluations are best read after handing in grades, but not so long after the class that they lose their force. If you would send me any comments between May 19 and June 1, addressed to me c/o 232 Wurster Hall, Department of Architecture, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1800, I would appreciate it! (FYI, you will be able to use Telebears to make certain I have completed my grading.)
Feb. 1. You and your students
Required reading before class meets (some related to the topic for Jan. 22/overlapping with Jan 18 workshop):
• Teaching Guide for Graduate Student Instructors
“Time and Record Management” <
• Setting boundaries: <
• Tools for Teaching “Motivating Students” <
• Be early. <
Topics to cover in class:
• Extra care in handling work and tracking grades (Don’t lose that homework!, parallel grading books or other ways to do a recount, collecting materials for back-up and your teaching portfolio)
• Communicating clear standards (Avoid favorites, handling LDs and special students, temptations that undermine academic honesty, what to do when you don’t know)
• Fast feedback (short but quick positive reinforcement, standardized forms for grading)
• Setting boundaries with students while remaining supportive
(Handling office hours, appointment requests, e-mail and emotional issues)
• Getting to know a group (Using Courseweb or other way to match names and faces, arriving early, ice breakers, a few minutes at the end of class)
• Take time to prepare – but not too much (thinking ahead, working out ways to address sticky problems)
• Acceptance allows you to remain positive (they are not all “A” students, 18 isn’t 22)
• Advocating student issues to your prof.