Teaching to Teach

Research universities are stepping up their efforts to prepare future faculty Learning to teach is becoming part of the graduate school curriculum at a number of major research universities. Teaching's importance has often gotten a good deal of lip service at such institutions, but now graduate students can formally get instruction in teaching from mentors, attend seminars on pedagogy, and teach at small colleges that have partner relationships with research- oriented universities. Some of th

Written byHarvey Black

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Research universities are stepping up their efforts to prepare future faculty

Learning to teach is becoming part of the graduate school curriculum at a number of major research universities. Teaching's importance has often gotten a good deal of lip service at such institutions, but now graduate students can formally get instruction in teaching from mentors, attend seminars on pedagogy, and teach at small colleges that have partner relationships with research- oriented universities.

Some of these programs are very much home-grown, driven by the efforts of dedicated faculty. For instance, three University of Wisconsin faculty members in life sciences-- Robert Goodman and Jo Handelsman, both professors of plant pathology, and Alan Attie, professor of biochemistry--began the Wisconsin Teaching Scholars in the Life Sciences Program two years ago. Another such program, at North Carolina State University, grew out of the efforts of Karen Johnston, professor of physics.

The Preparing Future Faculty program ...

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