Gathering concepts and techniques borrowed from outstanding college
professors,
The Joy of Teaching provides helpful guidance
for new instructors developing and teaching their first college
courses.
Award-winning professor Peter Filene proposes that teaching should
not be like a baseball game in which the instructor pitches ideas
to students to see whether they hit or strike out. Ideally, he
says, teaching should resemble a game of Frisbee in which the
teacher invites students to catch ideas and pass them on.
Rather than prescribe any single model for success, Filene lays out
the advantages and disadvantages of various pedagogical strategies,
inviting new teachers to make choices based on their own
personalities, values, and goals. Filene tackles everything from
syllabus writing and lecture planning to class discussions,
grading, and teacher-student interactions outside the classroom.
The book's down-to-earth, accessible style makes it appropriate for
new teachers in all fields. Instructors in the humanities, the
social sciences, and the natural sciences will all welcome its
invaluable tips for successful teaching and learning.