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Effective and Professional Teaching

Effective and Professional Teaching. Michalis Faloutsos. Some important issues. Being funny The importance of being professional Effective time management. What is funny?. What is funny?. There are some general “rules” …but it is a personal thing

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Effective and Professional Teaching

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  1. Effective and Professional Teaching Michalis Faloutsos

  2. Some important issues • Being funny • The importance of being professional • Effective time management

  3. What is funny?

  4. What is funny? • There are some general “rules” • …but it is a personal thing • However, the line for “offending” is more clear • Avoid risky jokes

  5. An effort for a definition of “funny” • http://rinkworks.com/funny/ • Category #1: Pain Pain is the basis for all humor. If nobody gets hurt, it isn't funny. • Category #2: The Unexpected When something happens that you do not expect to happen, that's funny. • Category #3: Exaggerations, Lies and Other Untruths. Lies are inherently funny. • Category #4: Wordplay - Puns. • Category #4: Impersonations, funny voices, accents.

  6. Teaching and Jokes • Use it to attract attention, wake up audience • Don’t overdo it: jokes should not obscure flow • Keep them focused • Choice: spontaneous vs preplaned • Try to appear natural when you do the joke • Be prepared to “bomb” • Have an exit strategy

  7. Some practical tips • Revisit the flier I gave you • In class, non boring = funny • Small effort on your part - great results • I.e. What is the obsession with Alice and Bob? • Make things interactive: feed off the audience • Have them pick variable names • Use examples they can relate to • Don’t loose your composure: • “Good thing I don’t tell jokes for a living?” • If I could tell good jokes, I would not be a TA • Somehow this was funnier in my head • Ouch! Tough crowd today.

  8. Practical Tips Continued • Good topics to make fun of: • Yourself, by far the best and safest topic • “Accepted” situations: work/debugging/school sucks, beer is good, parents are clueless, profs are wackos • Current events: (avoid politics) athletes, stars etc • Avoid at all costs: • Racial references, unless it is your race • Gender references • Physical appearance references, unless it is our own

  9. Comments?

  10. Being Professional • Being a TA is a job • You are paid to “perform” • You have major impact • You have to act professionally • Work: Punctual, reliable, composed • Communication: polite, serious • Attitude: you get respect by being respectful • Problem resolution: resolve issue at hand • Authority chain: be aware and “respect” hierarchy

  11. Typical problems • Sexual Harassment • Uncooperative attitude • The primadona syndrome • The sarcastic pessimist issue

  12. Effective Time Management • A critical element for success • Difficult to achieve

  13. Selected Tips - I • SPEND TIME PLANNING AND ORGANIZING. • If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. • SET GOALS. • Select a long enough horizon. • Set goals which are specific, measurable, achievable. • Goals should "stretch" but not "break" as you try • USE A TODO LIST. • Writing off loads memory requirements and worry. • Remember to check your list. • PRIORITIZE. Use the 80-20 Rule • 80% of the reward comes from 20% of the effort. • Deadline based vs importance based priorities • http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/homemgt/nf172.htm

  14. Selected Tips - II • AVOID BEING A PERFECTIONIST. • The controlling mother syndrome. • EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED • Account for interruptions and distractions. • DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT. • “Doing the right thing is more important than doing things right” • PRACTICE THE ART OF INTELLIGENT NEGLECT. • Delegate or eliminate • LEARN TO SAY "NO.” • Decline politely to undertake unnecessary things. • REWARD YOUR EFFORT. • Having a tangible goal makes it easier (for some at least).

  15. My practical tips • Be proactive: sometimes this can save you time • Volunteer to present first an easy paper • Make a first pass at a joint work • Organize tea-work minimizing interactions and interdependencies

  16. Presenting yourself professionally electronically • Respecting other people's e-mail addresses • Properly identify yourself and the context • Addressing formally over e-mail: why is “hi” ok? • Thanking people who reply • Acknowledging the receipt of emails • Respect proprietary rights: published =/= yours or free • When asking for help, show you tried • http://www.easytraining.com/networking.htm

  17. Networking via the Net • Have a neat website: promote yourself • Picture, research • Use email to promote yourself • Best: email authors of papers • Be polite, but show keen criticism/understanding • Add comment of your related work • A two-line version, append the abstract • Avoid attaching huge files, add url • Keep checking webpages of important places & people • Technical Reports, timing edge, shows you care

  18. Networking in person • Conferences: the scientific meat market • Take advantage of opportunities: colloquims • Introduce yourself: Be bold but context aware • Ask someone to introduce you • Be aware of “status” and context • Presenting your ideas: • Right: be firm, but polite, leave an exit for the other • Wrong: ack mistake, • If important: explain what led you to it, or your thought • If non-important: don’t dwell

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