GTA Training 2011 Managing Seminars Dr Anna Goatman Lecturer in Marketing and former GTA

Why am I here? To share my experiences of seminar teaching To give you some hints and tips To give you confidence To bridge the gap between the lecturer perspective and the GTA perspective To improve the seminar experience for students and GTAs

My experience Started teaching seminars in 2004 –Taught throughout my PhD –Taught on around 5 different courses (levels 1, 2, 3 and PGT) To date, I have taught several hundred seminars to several thousand students Offered a full-time academic job on the basis of my seminar teaching Still teach seminars now (some on the same course I started teaching on in 2004)

What are seminars for?

What makes a good seminar?

What do you think students like about seminars? What do you think students dislike about seminars?

Before the first seminar Talk to the course leader about what they expect you to deliver If you are part of a GTA team for course, have a team meeting at the beginning of the semester Read the full course outline Request access to Blackboard Possibly attend the lecture(s) Possibly sit in on somebody else's seminar

Get the right atmosphere Body language What you wear Room layout

The first seminar Let them know a bit about you –Your academic background –What your outside interests are

A bit about me

Find out a bit about them –Which programmes are they on? –Do you have any exchange students? –Do they know each other? Use name cards Establish the ground rules –Expectations of them –What they can expect from you

Tactics for getting them talking Highlight that the seminar is a forum for discussion –Explain that it’s OK to be wrong, but not to be silent Have a brief starter activity (5 minutes) to get everyone involved Divide the seminar into smaller groups to discuss different questions.

Encourage debate Think about different ways of asking the same question Break questions down into smaller parts Encourage the students to ask questions –Of you –Of each other Play devil’s advocate Have a vote

Dealing with dominant students Formalised group feedback Ask questions to specific individuals –Pull names out of a hat –Pick at random from the register Ensure that different students present each week

Tactics for getting them working Make the feedback process formal –Flip charts –Acetate sheets –White boards –Mini PowerPoint presentations Move around the room Introduce some controlled competition Offer small prizes –Sweets/ chocolates usually do the trick

Things to avoid Just repeating what they’ve done in the lecture Giving a mini lecture Filling in all of the silences yourself

Dealing with unprepared students Set/ reinforce the ground rules in the first seminar –Is the reading compulsory? Discuss in advance how the course co-ordinator wants you to deal with unprepared students. –Are you expected/ allowed to throw them out?

What are you going to do with - Students who are late? Students who are rude? Students whose phones go off? Students who don’t participate? Students who won’t participate?

The feedback loop Keep the channels of communication open –with the course co-ordinator Raise any problems Offer feedback on how things are going Make suggestions –with the students Check how things are going Ask for comments

Things I wish I’d known “ It’s not me, it’s you” –Sometimes the students want to be there –… and sometimes they don’t You know more than you think you do –But sometimes the students know more than you You can’t plan for every eventuality –But how you deal with the unexpected matters You are not their personal tutor/ academic advisor

Seeing the whole picture Have a clear introduction, explain the format of the session to the students Manage the tasks and stay aware of the time Have a brief plenary to check what they have learned

Why teach seminars? Seminar teaching is a fulfilling, enriching experience –But it can also be frustrating Seminars are an integral part of university teaching and learning –Seminar leaders are part of a teaching team that includes lecturers, professors and administrative staff It keeps you in touch It’s an opportunity to discuss ideas

…and finally Keep in mind what the seminar is supposed to achieve Students should feel comfortable, but not be complacent Reflect on, and learn from, your experience Teaching is a privilege, not a right –Don’t tell them that you’re only doing it because you get paid Enjoy the experience – it might just get you a job