Preparing before class

Following are three checklists to help you prepare for teaching a class:

Materials

Ensure you have access to all the teaching materials you need to be successful

Examples of this could include a copy of the textbook(s) for the course, access to the Moodle page, the course pack or course reserves on Moodle, weekly slides or materials, etc.

If applicable, familiarize yourself with any course materials necessary to run any tutorials or labs that you are responsible for.  You may wish to ask the instructor for a dedicated section on Moodle if you share documents in your class (ex. Slides, handouts, Moodle activities, solutions).

Get to know the learning space

Visit the room before the first day of class if possible and test the technology that you need (e.g., computer and projector).
If you need help setting up any technology in the room, reach out to IITS.

Think through any physical materials you may need

For example: dry-erase markers, adaptors for your laptop to connect to A/V, a timekeeper. For labs, ensure you are trained on the safety procedures and policies in your department.

Get to know your students

Review names

If your class list is fairly consistent, it is good practice to learn your students’ names to foster a classroom community. You can pass out name cards and markers in the first class for everyone to write their names and pronouns. Name cards help everyone remember each other’s names. You may also be able to download your class list through the SIS system on my Faculty Centre with photos.

Plan your lesson

Review the course outline

Make sure you understand the weekly schedule and bring any questions to the instructor. You want to have a good idea of what was covered in class by the instructor if your tutorial or lab follows their lecture.

This could include keeping up with the slides, materials posted on Moodle, attending the lecture if it’s within your ability and time to do so). In some cases, your tutorial or lab will precede the lecture, in which you should check in with your instructor on how this should be handled.

Highlight the learning outcomes

The learning outcomes describe what learning goals students are intended to achieve after successfully completing the course. They are usually formulated as ‘condition + verb + learning statement’, as per this example, “By the end of this lesson/module, students should be able to describe the methods scientists use to explore and evaluate natural phenomena.”

The outcomes should be measurable and observable. Plan for how you will be able to evaluate student progress and learning throughout the class. Usually, this is accomplished with a pre-assessment (i.e., what do the students already know?) and post-assessment (i.e., how do I know if students get it?).

Use instructional techniques & activities

There are many other ways to teach besides traditional lecturing. Research has shown that active and collaborative learning promote higher engagement and deeper learning in students (Deslauriers et al., 2019; Freeman et al., 2014). Try to vary the engagement methods and configurations throughout your lesson. In the following chapter, we provide various sample lesson plans and instructional techniques to give you a sense of the flow and timing of a lesson.