1. Reflections on Teaching in the Georgetown Tax LLM
Stafford Smiley
Georgetown University
Law Center
February 2015

2. Name Plates for Students
* Crutch for the mentally challenged teacher
* Actually personalize each student
* Remind you to create an “hospitable
learning environment”

3. Background of Students
* Majority of Tax LLM students come straight
from JD program
* Majority of Tax LLM students are
full time students
* They already “think like lawyers”
* They need to be cured of that habit

4. Basic Choice of Teaching Style
* This doesn’t have to be The Paper Chase
* You don’t have to be Prof. Kingsley

5. Basic Choice of Teaching Style
* Lecture style is ok for Tax LLM students
* Just don’t hide behind lectern
* Encourage questions even if
you DON’T cold call

6. Basic Choice of Teaching Style
* Stay on Schedule
* End on Time

7. Preparing Students for Each Class
* To use a textbook, or not?
* Courseware, TWEN and other computer
learning management systems
* Preparatory exercises for each class

8. Controlling Students in Class
* Forbidding the use of computers
* Mandating class attendance
* Making audio tapes readily available
* Dealing with make-up classes

9. The Curse of Powerpoint Slides
* DON’T PUT OUTLINE ON SLIDES
AND THEN READ THE SLIDES
* Students hate this approach
and comment on it constantly
in teacher evaluations

10. BASIC PRINCIPLE
Each year,
Try to Teach Less
but
Teach Better

11. Student Evaluation
* The limits of “issue spotting” exams administered in class
* Alternatives –
* Take home exams
* Property Transactions Nightmare

12. Teacher Evaluation “The instructor taught the class well.”
“I would recommend this professor to
other students.”

13. Teacher Evaluation (cont.)
“Maybe do more problems in class and less repetition of groups of cases that essentially say the same thing.”
“I very much appreciate that all the courses are recorded and like the use of slides in class.”
“I appreciate the slides/handouts being posted.”

14. Teacher Evaluation (cont.)
“I like that the old exams & answers are posted for comparison and learning.”
“I believe the final “project” as opposed to an in class final that I’m honestly going to cram for and then forget a few weeks later is a much better learning approach. I also like that [the] final projects give me something to show for my work.”

15. Teacher Evaluation (cont.)
“I like the collaborative take-home exam experience.”
“I really dislike the group take-home final format.”