|
Doctoral Student Teaching Opportunities
The Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning (TSUSP) encourages
doctoral students in the program to work with their advisers to seek teaching
opportunities at Portland
State or elsewhere.
Teaching experience is highly regarded by universities as part of the
preparation for careers in academia. However, preparation for teaching new
courses is quite labor-intensive and can thereby distract students from
completing their degrees. For this reason, doctoral students are expected to
complete their field area exams before taking on such responsibilities.
The Ph.D. Student Handbook, revised May 2007, provides
the following guidance on how to prepare for teaching:
Guidelines for student teaching (Section IV, L. 5):
The School encourages Ph.D. students to acquire training in classroom
teaching as part of their educational experience and in preparation for a
career in academia. It is required that USP doctoral students will have
successfully completed their field area exams before taking on independent teaching
responsibilities within the School. The School expects that teaching
responsibilities will be at the undergraduate level only. Knowledge of the
subject matter, a record of excellence in the doctoral program, and the support
of the adviser are the principal criteria on which existing teaching
opportunities will be awarded.
Graduate Research
Assistants are sometimes asked to assist with classes. This must be part of the agreement with the
faculty member supervising the GRA. In
such cases, the faculty member is responsible for teaching the class. Doctoral
students may take on particular responsibilities, such as grading and other
forms of evaluation or occasional guest lecturing, only within an undergraduate
class setting.
Teaching involves first and foremost advanced critical knowledge
of the subject, preferably from interdisciplinary perspectives. It also
involves:
● skills in lecturing and conducting discursive exchanges
● course and syllabus preparation
● continuous research
● methodological techniques pertinent to the topic
● understanding of basic pedagogical concepts and
different learning styles
● awareness of ethical issues and standards
● knowledge about grading
● familiarity with class evaluation criteria and
● the ability to create a classroom atmosphere that
induces curiosity, inquiry, intellectual
excitement, and
student and instructor interaction.
The teaching experience also helps doctoral students to learn
the ins and outs of university culture and how to negotiate one’s place in that
environment.
Much of the information about teaching opportunities is spread
by word of mouth and informal networking. But students should also work with
their advisers to locate suitable teaching openings, both as teaching
assistants and individually taught sections. TSUSP has been attracting a growing number of undergraduate students to
its Community Development major, which is driving demand for more sections of
existing classes and for new classes. Apart from the classes offered in TSUSP,
other departments may have a need for faculty with specializations in urban
studies or planning. University Studies is another program that may be
attractive to doctoral students. Summer school is yet another option. Although
the School insists on exam completion as a condition only for TSUSP taught
courses, doctoral students are urged to reach this stage before taking on
teaching responsibilities outside the School.
In either case, the School also encourages those with
teaching interests to avail of the resources at the Center for Academic
Excellence, which offers a number or workshops for teacher training as well as a 1-credit seminar (IST 510 – GA
Professional Development) that can help in preparing the student to teach a
course or to assist with teaching. The
CAE also provides assistance with online teaching, assessment of
instruction, community-university partnerships, and general resources on
teaching and learning. The CAE may
offer additional tips on upcoming teaching opportunities. There are
myriad resources available online and in CAE’s office (Cramer 303).
See: http://www.pdx.edu/cae/teaching_learning_resources.html
and http://www.pdx.edu/cae/support.html.
Teaching is a profound and rewarding experience. But it
also requires a high level of preparation, maturity, and accountability. TSUSP
has a strong reputation in teaching and research, so it is expected that
students carrying teaching loads will honor and preserve that reputation and
tradition.
|