Required readings:

Assignments: 

1. Our approaches to teaching are often shaped by our experiences as learners and students. In approximately 400-500 words (~1 single-spaced page), reflect on your own experiences. Consider the following questions and submit your reflection here before class. (Note: Folder is only accessible to enrolled students.)

  • What are the best and/or worst learning experiences you’ve had, either during formal schooling or in other areas of your life? What made these experiences good or bad?
  • How would you describe yourself as a student? How do you learn best? Has your response to these questions changed over time?
  • What advice would you give your younger self at the beginning of their undergraduate career? What do you wish you had known? Are there any unwritten rules/expectations in higher education that you now recognize?
  • When and why did you choose anthropology (or your field) as a field of study?  
  • How have/might your experiences influence the way you now approach teaching?

2. Throughout this course, you will be designing syllabi for two classes: one undergraduate and one graduate. This week, decide what courses you want to design. For EACH course:

  • Create a document where you can begin building a syllabus. (Note: These syllabi will receive ongoing feedback throughout the quarter, so a google doc that is easily shareable and editable is recommended. See this info from UCI for an overview of core components of a syllabus.)
  • Draft a title and initial brief description for each course.
  • Reflect on the course’s intended audience (~1 paragraph). For example: Identify the type of institution where you envision teaching each course (e.g., Ivy League or other elite institution, large research university, state teaching-focused university, community college, small liberal arts college, etc.). Who are the students you would be working with in the course? What significant characteristics of the student population will you consider in your course design? (Note: You do not need to envision the same institutions for both courses–you could develop an undergraduate course for a small liberal arts college and a graduate course for a R1 university like UCI, for example.)

Recommended Resources: