Discussion Questions for Sept 6

• Should a teacher plan on sticking to the format they are best at (lecture, discussion, etc.) or should the format depend on the material being covered?
• Chapter 1 states that when one starts a new teaching position, he or she should introduce themselves to the faculty members to get feedback. What if you feel that the faculty are not welcoming of you and make you feel like an outsider? What if the faculty are not friendly and do not want to help you? What would you do? Do the other faculty members play a significant role in your satisfaction with your job?
• How likely are you to stick to the month to month schedule that the book advised? Do you think it would take more or less time to do certain things such as preparing the lecture?
• McKeachie briefly discusses understanding the culture of a campus when making a teaching plan, but how much consideration should you give the campus culture when planning? What if, as we touched on on Thursday, the prevailing student culture clashes with your teaching goals?
• With the idea of writing goals, I like the idea of facilitating the desire to learn in students. However, how does one know the level of motivation present in an introductory class? There is probably a mix of students who don't want to be there - just a GE class that was open, those who are somewhat interested - sounded like an interesting topic to them, and those who are taking their first class in their major. Does this make it more difficult, or should you aim for the middle?

• What factors are the most important for a teacher to consider when planning out relevant course objectives? 
• What is the best way to facilitate learning? Is it difficult tests, organized lectures, engaging activities or massive amounts of reading and regurgitation?
• On page 5, McKeachie cites a study that states research and teaching are not necessarily in conflict. As a future teacher/researcher do you find this to be accurate? Does anyone have examples of professors who were able to successfully balance the two despite personal or university interests?
• In almost all textbooks there is a section at the end of each chapter that has a selection of questions for students. I have never had a professor utilize these questions for homework (it seems a shame because a lot of the questions seem thought provoking). Is this because of the time committment in having to grade the questions? Or perhaps is it just something that motivated students do on their own?
• Should teachers be required to attend training courses every year, like counselors and PhD's, to keep up to date on the newest changes in their field?