by Claire Duquennois, Agricultural and Resource Economics Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2017 The first meeting of section is extremely important as it sets the tone for the rest of the semester. Despite this, it can easily turn into a hodge-podge of administrative activities that can leave students disinterested. Going over…
by Carli Cutchin, Comparative Literature Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2017 Thesis statements are the bread and butter of a good college essay – or so conventional pedagogical wisdom would say. As a Reading and Composition instructor, I would see students struggle time and again when asked to write a thesis.
by Vanessa Brutsche, French Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2017 One of the skills that I target in my Reading and Composition courses is the ability to read beyond basic content (plot and characters), and to move fluidly between the abstract and concrete levels of a text’s meaning. In literature-based courses,…
How are the roles of GSIs and faculty different? Does students’ laptop use in class affect their learning? What are the best conditions for students to learn in GSI-led sections and labs? Silvia Bunge introduces research on student perceptions of GSIs, factors that influence learning, and recommendations for GSIs in…
The sole elevator in Sproul Hall will undergo renovation and be unavailable from January 1 to March 31, 2019. During this period, the GSI Teaching & Resource Center will be accessible only via the stairs. If you are unable to use the stairs to access our…
In any given semester, about 2,000 GSIs are working with Berkeley students in studios, labs, and discussion sections. The work of GSIs on campus is essential to both the GSIs’ professional development and the education of Berkeley students. Peg Skorpinski photo. GSIs develop significant professional skills through teaching on campus.
by Yi-Chuan Lu, Physics Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2016 Physics is a subject that describes nature by using precise mathematical language. When we teach physics, it is inevitable to prove equations in addition to explaining the physical phenomena, but it is also the time when students get frustrated. For example,…
by Alexandria Yuan, Business Administration (Home Department: Goldman School of Public Policy) Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2016 The Problem: There are two things that I have to actively fight in the classroom: complacency, and its closely related cousin, a kind of superficial motivation for students to participate in class simply…
by Mercedes Taylor, Chemistry Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2016 The student pulled her test tube out of the ice bucket for the tenth time, then slumped in despair at the sight of the clear liquid. She shoved the sample back into the ice and put her head in her hands.
by Christiane Stachl, Chemistry Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2016 I was a graduate student instructor for Chemistry 4A in fall 2015, and I have to say that the general chemistry courses at Berkeley are anything but a joke. For example, Chem 4A is intended for chemistry majors with a strong…