INSTRUCTOR: Steven Hurder
OFFICE: 505 SEO
CONTACT: (312) 413-2154, hurder@uic.edu
OFFICE HOURS: 11 AM-12 noon, MWF in 340 SEO, or by appointment

This two credit hour course assists teaching assistants in improving teaching skills, in addressing problems that may arise in the classroom, and offer insights and mentoring for a successful graduate career.

There will be no textbook for the course. Selected readings will be distributed, and several books will be recommended.

• Surving the First Day

We quote from the University of Washington portfolio site:

"Developing a Teaching Portfolio provides instructors with a powerful means to document their teaching practices, philosophies, and performances. A living document, the teaching portfolio serves as a guidepost showing where a teacher has been and has still yet to go."

"Teaching portfolios can help you reflect on your teaching and examine the development of your teaching over time, and can also be used to represent your teaching to others as you apply for jobs, grants, awards, or promotion and tenure."

Here's how - read on.

There are professional organizations you can join keep up with meetings, activities and the latest news in your field:

• American Mathematics Society (AMS)
  This is the premier mathematics organization in the US, and perhaps the oldest. Its main focus is on mathematics research and teaching at the university level.
• Mathematics Association of America (MAA)
  This is the prinicple organization for math undergraduates and educators, with a focus more on teaching at the college and university level.
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)
  The mission of SIAM is to build cooperation between mathematics and the worlds of science and technology.
• American Statistical Association (ASA)
  The nation's leading professional association for statistics and statisticians.
• American Academy of Actuaries (AAA)
  The public policy, communications, and professionalism organization for all actuaries in the United States.

Note: As a graduate student in the MSCS Department, you are entitled to a free student membership in the AMS and SIAM.

There are lots of articles on the web about teaching mathematics and surviving graduate school.

• Advice for New PhD's
  This is a list of links compiled by the AMS of interesting discussions on careers, so maybe you can have an idea of what your target area of future employment will be like.
• Standard TeX files
  These are some sample tex files that might help you in learning TeX and using it in your teaching.
• Preparing Your Curriculum Vitae
  Here are some sample vitas of former grad students - good for some ideas on starting your CV.
• Beamer Resources
  Look here for some sample beamer files, a guide, and web links.