Most graduate students in the Department of Political Science intend to pursue academic careers which, naturally, will entail teaching.  In order to better prepare graduate students for teaching, and particularly for teaching politics, as well as to give them an extra edge in a job market which increasingly values teaching skills, we propose the creation of the Teaching Politics Certificate Program (TPCP).

     This proposal outlines what we have chosen to call the Teaching Politics Certificate (TPC).  It covers  goals, participation, requirements, and foreseeable issues and problems.

    Goals:

• To train graduate students in Political Science in the skills required for effective teaching at the college and university levels.  The program will consider a wide variety of issues ranging from technical matters in designing examinations to the pedagogical questions presented by diverse and changing populations in the classroom
• To expose them to issues specific to teaching politics
• To provide them with a detailed record of their teaching skills and experiences which can be included in job applications
• To augment the Department’s ability to attract quality graduate students

Requirements:  The TPC will be awarded to students fulfilling a series of requirements.  The requirements were developed after consideration of three major factors:

• The set of skills necessary to be an effective teacher
• Resources available within the Department and the University
• Teaching certificate programs offered by other universities and departments (Emory, UT-Austin, Indiana, and Syracuse)

1.  Mentored Teaching:  We see this requirement as the core of the program. During a term in which the student is working as a teaching assistant, the student will be mentored by a member of the faculty. The mentor will serve as a provider of advice, sounding-board, constructive critic, and supporter, not as an instructor.   Mentoring will entail weekly meetings with the mentor to discuss the t.a.’s management of discussions and other aspects of the teaching experience. The mentor will sit in on at least two of the t.a.’s sections in order to provide suggestions for improvement in teaching style and technique.

     Additionally, during the term of mentored teaching, the student will sit in on  a section taught by another student participating in the Program.  Following the visit, the students will meet to discuss their observations and experiences.

     If funding can be secured, we believe it would be worthwhile to experiment with video-taping students teaching sections.

      The student will also prepare and present a lecture to a class of undergraduates under the guidance of the student’s mentor.  The lecture may be presented in any undergraduate class, though it is expected that it will be within the student’s primary field or subfield and possibly in a class taught by the student’s academic advisor.  The mentor will advise the student in preparing the lecture and  sit in on the lecture to provide comments.

      At the end of the term, the mentor will provide written comments on the t.a.’s performance, identifying his or her strengths and weaknesses.

    Selection of mentors and mentees will be negotiated between students and faculty on an individual basis.  Mentors need not be the instructors of the course for which the student is a t.a.  Mentors will receive credit for their work equivalent to supervision of an independent study.

2.  Teaching Workshops:  The student will attend at least six workshops offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).

    The CTL offers workshops on a variety of topics such as classroom authority, grading, guiding discussions, and so forth.  These workshops are open to all graduate students.  They currently take place monthly, though this may soon change to twice-monthly.  The CTL has agreed to this use of their workshops on the expectation that CTP students will constitute on average six participants in any given workshop.

3.  Syllabus Development:  The student will prepare a syllabus with an accompanying rationale for a course in his or her primary field or subfield.  This syllabus will be reviewed by his or her academic supervisor.

4. Teaching Roundtables:  The student will participate in teaching roundtables in the Department during any two consecutive semesters (three per semester) including the semester of mentored teaching.  These roundtables will provide opportunities for all Political Science graduate students to discuss teaching issues, with a focus on teaching politics, in an informal, supportive setting.

    The teaching roundtables will be organized by a student coordinator.  After the program’s initial year, graduates of the TPCP will be eligible to apply for the position of student coordinator. The choice of student coordinator will be made by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of Undergraduate Studies, with some preference given to more senior students.  We are seeking funds to provide the student coordinator with a modest stipend over and above the regular Graduate School stipend.

    The teaching roundtables may draw on readings for discussion or faculty guests.  While we envision them as open discussions responsive to the concerns of students, we suggest the following format:
 

•  Responsibilities, Expectations, & Resources: The first roundtable in each academic year will focus on t.a.’s responsibilities and expectations, and resources available for graduate students at the CTL.  It is expected that the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the staff of the CTL will assist the student coordinator in leading this roundtable.
 
We expect that three roundtables will be devoted specifically to issues of teaching politics.  Possible topics may include:

• The Goals of Teaching Politics:  This roundtable will focus on the ongoing debate on the purposes of a liberal education, but with an emphasis on politics.  What are the various goals of political science education for undergraduates?  Are we preparing them for participation as citizens?  Trying to give them a more cosmopolitan perspective?  Or educating them in the alternative approaches to social science?  This roundtable could focus on discussion of a short reading selection.  There is a long list of provocative readings in this area.
 
• Political Opinions in the Classroom:  How can we encourage open discussion of sensitive issues when students’ opinions vary?  What is the role of debate in the classroom?

• Curriculum Choices:  When constructing syllabi, graduate students, immersed as they are in their professional training, tend to teach what they know rather than respond to undergraduate needs.  The roundtable will focus on strategies for bridging the gap between professional scholarship and undergraduate-level teaching.

• Teaching Students of Different Backgrounds: The demographics of higher education has been changing and continues to do so.  For example, foreign students, older students, students of color and women are present in increasing numbers in college and university classrooms.  What challenges are presented by changes such as these to effective teaching in political science? What opportunities are afforded to enhance the educational experiences in a classroom with students of widely varying backgrounds?

• Curriculum Choices:  When constructing syllabi, graduate students, immersed as they are in their professional training, tend to teach what they know rather than respond to undergraduate needs.  The roundtable will focus on strategies for bridging the gap between professional scholarship and undergraduate-level teaching.

• Open Topics:  Topics for the remaining two roundtables may be chosen by the student coordinator or in response to students’ suggestions.
 

    Upon completion of all requirements, the Director of Graduate Studies will certify completion with his or her signature and the Department of Political Science will present the student with a certificate.