Tips from the AEJMC Teaching Committee

“The Doctors Are In” Slated for Chicago Convention

(Article courtesy of AEJMC News, March 2012 issue)

Whether you are a brand-new instructor or a classroom veteran looking to hone your skills and re-energize your teaching acumen, the Standing Committee on Teaching has something special in store for you this year.

At the AEJMC Conference in Chicago, the committee will unveil the latest edition of its pre-conference workshop for faculty and will again offer its fast-moving and informative “The Doctors Are In” session on issues of interest to classroom teachers.

This will mark the sixth year of the popular “The Doctors Are In” session at AEJMC. The session was conceived in 2006 in San Francisco, and the first roundtables were initiated in 2007 in Washington, D.C. The original idea was to answer questions to those new to academe and give them guidance across a range of topics.

Guidance for Faculty

What we discovered was that many faculty, both rookies and veterans, wanted—or perhaps needed—a safe place to ask questions, share their frustrations, and take home some new ideas that would help them in their classrooms. Our “Doctors Are In” sessions have been a big draw year after year, and this year promises to be better than ever!

Think speed dating, but for ideas: participants move from table to table, with each table responsible for a different topic that keeps teachers, new and experienced, up at night. How do you balance teaching, research and service? How do you maintain some semblance of a life with the ever-increasing demands of the professoriate? And what about long-held dream you’ve had of teaching and researching abroad for a year?

We’ll also tackle some of the more pressing issues as a new academic year dawns. What does a model syllabus look like? How does a writing teacher keep from drowning in grading, yet still work with students to improve their reporting and writing skills?

The pre-conference workshop this year will be shorter, faster and best of all, in the evening of Wednesday, August 8, so you can travel in that day and still make it in time for the session. We’ll gather at 6:00 p.m., introduce ourselves and then immediately begin a fast-paced series of mini-sessions that you can attend on all sorts of subjects ideally designed for new faculty.

The mini-sessions will be run by a team of classroom veterans who have seen, and done, everything from large lectures to small seminars, newsroom classes and graduate courses. The sessions will be fast, intense and informal—and we’ll even feed you! Look for signup information on the Conference Registration Form.

Topics

Just a few of the topics we’ll be tackling this year:

Syllabi and course construction: we’ll provide you with model syllabi and a great way to organize your course so you are confident, from Day One to final exams.
Grading: the bane of any new instructor’s existence is the art and science of grading. There are ways to deliver grades, to balance rigor and humanity, to use grades to motivate rather than punish…we’ll tackle the basics and take all of your questions.
Getting That Tenure File Going: We want to build great teachers who balance research and teaching. We’ll get your progression toward tenure and promotion started by giving you a vital checklist of things to be thinking about, and keeping track of, as you begin the journey.
Setting Professional Boundaries: From Facebook and Twitter to after-hours socializing, the academic life these days is a dizzying race. We’ll tackle the toughest questions in a give-and-take where all of the toughest issues are tackled.

The pre-conference workshop is a must for new teachers, or those seeking a new perspective on teaching. You’ll not only benefit from the session content, but you’ll also benefit from building a network of colleagues from across the country who are in the same place you are professionally, giving you a bunch of new friends to bounce ideas off of and to turn to when you need that all-important mid-term pep talk. For years to come, you’ll turn to your AEJMC contacts for advice and collaboration. The pre-conference workshop is the best first step you can take as you enter the academy. We hope to see you there!

Schedule

Here is the schedule at a glance:
Teaching Committee —
Wed., Aug. 8, 6 to 9:30 p.m. — Workshop
Thurs., Aug. 9, 10 to 11:30 a.m. — Best Practices panel
Fri., Aug. 10, 7 to 9:45 a.m. — Teaching Committee meeting
Fri. Aug. 10, 1:30 to 3 p.m. — “Doctors Are In” session
Sat., Aug. 11, 8:15 to 9:45 a.m. — Faculty Concerns session

By Charles Davis
University of Missouri
AEJMC Teaching Committee