The topic of preparing faculty for college teaching mentioned in the well-written "Teaching to Teach" (H. Black, The Scientist, 12[21]:12-13, Oct. 26, 1998) is not a newly recognized concern as implied in the article. Organizations such as the Society for College Science Teaching (SCST) have been addressing it for many years. SCST members have written monographs, conducted research, and presented sessions at a host of meetings on topics related to improving college science teaching. In the past, graduate students and new faculty were instilled with the notion that undergraduate teaching was a necessary evil that went with doing research. Tenure and promotion incentives devalued the role of quality undergraduate teaching in favor of grant acquisition and publication. This in turn kept SCST and related organizations in obscurity compared to specialty-area professional organizations.
The growing emphasis on undergraduate education necessitates that graduate students and faculty seek out organizations...
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