1. Teaching Physics Labs

2. Before Labs Start
Attendance at the TA training session at the beginning of the semester is mandatory.
a copy of your lab syllabus and your class schedule to
A syllabus template is available at: homepage.physics.uiowa.edu/~amoeller/TA_Materials/syllabus_template.docx
Include the title of the lab manual and the lab schedule.
I need your class schedules in order to schedule lab meetings.

3. Before Labs Start, Cont.
Pick up a copy of the lab manual for your course from Jeanne Mullen, 202 VAN
Get a GM2 key from the office, 203 VAN
This key will open most of the lab rooms, as well as a few storage rooms.

4. Lab Meetings
Friday afternoon lab meetings (meetings for a few courses may be on other days) are mandatory.
Will go over the main ideas of the next week’s lab, point out errors in the manual, alert you to things that typically give students trouble, etc.
These meetings are mandatory for experienced TAs as well. Changes to individual experiments are common from year to year.
Discuss problems with previous week’s lab.

5. Lab Reports You must do the lab and fill out the lab report.
They are due in the holder outside of VAN 203 on Mondays at 10:00 am. If you have done the lab yourself, you are much better prepared to teach that lab.
I will be “grading” your lab reports on a 10 point scale. The results will be turned in to the department at the end of the semester.
I consider a score of “8” or better to be acceptable.

6. Teaching Observation
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) requires a teaching observation by the 8th week of classes.
I will be doing this observation.
I will schedule it with you at least a week in advance.
A copy of the evaluation form will be provided to you and to the department.

7. Lab Reports
The students in intro labs fill out worksheets instead of writing full lab reports.
Lab grades are typically high

8. In Lab Lab Group Sizes – 2 or 3, depending on the room.
Don’t read the newspaper or use a laptop computer, cell phone, MP3 player, etc. during lab.
Walk around the room instead. Students will ask you questions if you make yourself available.

9. BE ON
TIME!

10. Punctuality
Being on time does not mean arriving at the scheduled lab time.
Being on time means arriving early enough to START the lab at the scheduled lab time.
Be present and have the lab unlocked 5-10 minutes before lab is scheduled to start.

11. Before You Get To Lab Prepare a lesson plan.
How detailed is up to you, but you should at least have an outline of what you are presenting to the students.
Even if you’ve taught the lab before, you’ll probably regret it if you just wing it.

12. The First Day Take attendance. Go over the syllabus (briefly).
Instead of calling out names and having students raise their hands, have them introduce themselves.
You can hear how they pronounce their names.
I generally request that in addition to their names that they tell me their major and the last math and science classes they’ve taken.
Go over the syllabus (briefly).

13. Introductory Material
Two extremes to avoid:
Tell the students what lab they are doing, and let them start immediately.
Go through every step of the lab in extreme detail, basically doing the entire lab for them in your introductory lecture.
Instead, give an introduction to the lab that is ~15 minutes long.
Go through introductory material that actually explains the physics of what they’re doing.
Give a brief overview of the procedure they will follow.
Mention any common problems that students tend to have with the procedure or equipment.

14. End of Lab
Instead of having the students turn the lab report in at the front of the room, have them leave the report at their bench.
This is the easiest way to assign cleanup points, because if a lab station isn’t cleaned up, you will know who was sitting there.
Avoid letting lab go longer than the allotted 2 hrs. 50 min.
Some students may have another class.

15. Grading
As part of your TA assignment, you will have to do some grading.
If you are only assigned to teach labs, you still have to grade your own lab reports.
Students in intro labs fill out worksheets instead of writing full reports.
Lab scores are typically high (most of your students will probably have average scores above 90% - this is OK).
Some of you will also have grading hours assigned.
You will grade homework assignments and/or exams. Follow the instructions given to you by the faculty member teaching the course.

16. Becoming a Better Teacher
Ask professors and experienced TAs for advice.
Don’t be afraid to take a class or two in the education department.
I highly recommend PSQF:6217 Seminar in College Teaching taught by Mitch Kelley.
The Office of Graduate Teaching Excellence:

17. Discussion
Logger Pro Demo
Lab Tour