10 Things I Wish I
Had Known Before I Started Teaching as an Adjunct
Don’t be afraid to supplement
whatever text book you choose. Pick the one you like the best and add
material that reflects what you feel is important for the students to
know and learn.
Create your own e-mail list
early on for your class if your school does not provide one. Stay in
touch during the week. E-mail students about an article about a current
event, role-plays and other assignments.
Get to know the administrative
people well – registrar, deans, photocopy, media personnel.
Carefully document, maintain
and preserve teaching notes. It makes giving the class the following
year or semester infinitely easier.
Plan out examples of actual
cases you have handled to illustrate points. The students find these
examples very effective in helping them understand the material. Of
course, hide identities and other confidential indicators. Alternatively,
use current events in the newspaper as role-plays. Bring in guest mediators
or actors for role-plays.
Use guest lecturers and get
them locked in as early as possible. Students like it and it gives you
a break.
Consider innovative scheduling
that may be more effective for a skills development course. E.g., in
a 14-week course, have 2-3 classes condensed into one continuous Saturday
session. Have the students mediate with each for one class. However,
be sure to check with your dean for compliance with your school’s
class scheduling and supervision requirements, as well as accreditation
standards about times and total number of “contact hours” of course
meetings.
Seek to learn the technique
of good teaching. Sit in on a class of a good professor. Talk to the
other professors who teach ADR.
Take at least one break during
long class sessions to preserve your energy, collect your thoughts and
remain enthusiastic.
Establish high standards
for attendance and readings, especially at the beginning of the term.
It’s easier to scale down than to ratchet up performance demands.
Copyright 2004 Kathleen Scanlon &
Jane Juliano. Teachers are free to copy these materials for educational
use in their courses only, provided that appropriate acknowledgment
of the author is made. For permission to use these materials for any
other purpose, contact the author.