Teaching Nonmajors

P. Sven Arvidson is Visiting Associate Professor of Philosophy and Senior Faculty Fellow in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Seattle University. He is the author of The Sphere of Attention: Context and Margin and the coeditor (with Robbie Davis-Floyd) of Intuition: The Inside Story: Interdisciplinary Perspectives.

"…a versatile tool for professors at a liberal arts college … This text provides solid guidelines to equip a professor for a successful and less stressful academic year." — Teaching History"…concise, organized for ease of use, and makes a smart pocket reference guide … In short, it is terribly valuable, especially for those who wish to better their craft of being a liberal arts professor." — Teaching Sociology"This book deals thoughtfully, unhysterically, and nonpolemically with a subject that most professors would rather avoid but that we should be more concerned about: classroom teaching. The author's advice is sound and thorough. Professors at every level can benefit from his ideas. I may steal a few myself." — Norman Weiner, State University of New York at Oswego

• Preface 1. Give Better LecturesDo What You Naturally Do Best—Passion WinsDo the UnexpectedKnow Your StuffCare for Question and AnswerAvoid Lecture TrapsExploit Analogies and DiagramsGive Students the NotesThe Challenge of PowerPointBriefly Debrief Yourself 2. Break Up LecturesUse Relevant Class DiscussionPropsSongsIn-Class Reading and WritingVisual ArtworkFilms (Not Movies!)Personal ExperienceComfort Breaks 3. The Best Discussions and Student PresentationsArranging a DiscussionDiscussion GoalsDiscussion StructuresDebriefingStudent Presentations 4. The Art of AssignmentsAssign Readings SmartlyGet Students to ReadExamsPapersGradingDistinction and Continuity in Assignments 5. Sensible PoliciesThink Deeply about a Good SyllabusAttendance and LatenessCommunicationPlagiarism 6. Professor and Student ProblemsTeaching Disinterested StudentsThe Aggressive Passive-Aggressive StudentThe InterrupterThe HijackerThe Painfully Shy StudentSpecial Needs Students Are Not Problem Students 7. Understand and Improve Student RatingsRead and Understand the FormEach Student Is a VoterInteract with Student Ratings Criteria in Mind Administer Student Ratings AppropriatelyUse a Secondary FormEgo Fluctuation, Knowing the Standard, and Online Ratings 8. ConclusionIndex