How to Teach

cog wheels in the shape of a brain

Help Students Retain, Organize, and Integrate Knowledge

A fundamental goal of education is to promote enduring learning that equips students with the skills, knowledge, and beliefs that can be applied to solve problems in novel settings or explore issues in original ways.

Facilitate Office Hours

The INSPIRE model describes 7 behaviors exhibited by effective tutors. As you plan how you will facilitate your office hours, consider ways to incorporate these aspects into your coaching to support students.

A row of students sitting at desks

First Day of Class

Make sure you start the semester off right. Here are some best practices to revisit, including a planning checklist to consider before class, as well as tips on how to conduct introductions, discuss the subject and goals for student learning, and effectively set expectations.

Teaching an Interdisciplinary Subject

Explore guidelines for preparing your interdisciplinary course, targeting the professional skills tied to student success, and helping students see the connections between what may appear to be disparate topics.

Debate Across the MIT Curriculum

Debate Across the Curriculum is a nationwide initiative that encourages the use of in-class debates in any discipline to advance multiple pedagogical objectives. 

Presentation Tips

In a student-centered classroom, the instructor should not be speaking all of the time. However, when you are speaking, students are counting on you to provide clarity by highlighting key ideas, elaborate on difficult concepts, and provide clear instructions for in-class activities. 

Working with Your TA

Teaching Assistantships are both an invaluable resource for instructors teaching classes of all sizes and a vital experience for students to hone their teaching and management skills.