Preparing to Teach

A significant, but in many ways invisible, component of the teaching process occurs outside the classroom, separate from direct interpersonal interaction with students. This unseen work, however, may be the most critical to success in the classroom.

Preparation takes many forms and covers extensive ground: analyzing the needs and expectations of students, mapping out course goals, selecting instructional strategies to support those goals, deciding how and when to assess student learning outcomes, and creating a dynamic syllabus. In addition, preparation involves certain less tangible aspects of teaching: how to get your course off to a great start from Day One, and how to build rapport with students.