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REL 6940 - Teaching Religious Studies PDF Print E-mail

Teaching Religious Studies: REL 6940

Lesley A. Northup
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The juvenile sea squirt wanders through the ocean
searching for a suitable rock or hunk of coral to cling to and makes its home for life. When it finds its spot and takes root, it doesn't need its brain anymore, so it eats it.
It's rather like getting tenure.
--Michael Scriven

AUG 20-21 TA Seminar via Academy for the Art of Teaching (free)
This two-day introduction for teaching assistants is required for all students. It is required for the TA teaching certificate, which you may choose to pursue. It is also an excellent CV bullet. 

CALENDAR

 

AUG 25  Introductory matters: texts, interests, assignments; TA cert

SEP 2    Religious Studies as a Field Click here for reading 1,2, 3

SEP 9    Professionalization and CVs Click here for reading 1

SEP 16  Developing a teaching philosophy

SEP 23  The intro course; Read Juergensmeyer Click here for reading 1, 2,

SEP 30  Texts: Critique of texts due
OCT 7    Effective assignments
OCT 14  Learning outcomes and assessment Click here for reading 1, 2
OCT 21  Plagiarism and cheating Click here for reading 1, 2

OCT 28  Video and other material  

NOV 4   The syllabus Click here for reading 1

NOV 18  Discussion of syllabus:  Syllabus due 

NOV 25    Online teaching Click here for reading 1

DEC 2    Teaching styles and strategies. Reports on style due. 

            Click here for reading 1, 2, 3

DEC 9   Cases, diversity, and knotty problem. All other reports due.

EXERCISES

Textbooks:

choosing appropriate

texts





 

 (1) Review at least 4 available textbooks for the type
of class you would teach as an intro course (World
Religions, Intro to Rel.) I will make some available;
all faculty members have some of these and would
probably lend them.  You can find those used this
semester in the bookstore, or check online.This will
give you an idea of the texts most popular with
instructors at the moment.
(2) Review and critique different available introductory
texts. Which do you like, and would you use, and why?
Which do you think would not be effective? Why not?


Teaching style:

conducting a class;

teaching philosophy


 

 Observe at least three instructors of REL2011
(preferably, at least twice). Extensively critique
teaching style and approach: physical and personal
manner; mix of lecture/discussion/video/ other;
involvement of students; organization; syllabus;
textbooks; etc. Are they effective? Why or why not?
What could be improved? What would you emulate?
What would you avoid? Why? What did you learn
from this exercise?

Syllabus:

developing a syllabus;

intro course content;

approach






 

 (1) Review syllabuses of faculty members for
REL 2011. Critique, compare, and contrast. What
did you like, dislike, have problems with? Which
features would you use yourself, and why? Write
a short informal report of 3-4 pp.
(2) Devise your own syllabus for an introductory
religious studies course. Remember to define your
audience first-- what type of student body do you
project for this course?
(3) Write up a rationale for the syllabus--i.e.,
what you did and why you did it. Would you use the
World Religions or Intro to Religion approach?
(See Juergensmeyer.) Why did you choose this
approach? What is in/not in your syllabus, and why?

Teaching:

teaching in REL2011

under supervision












 

 (1) Arrange to teach a class--preferably two--
with the professor of your choice (mutual agreement
is necessary here.) Plan with the professor the subject
matter, style of presentation (lecture? leading discussion?
etc.), the time and day, and so forth. Make an effort
to integrate your class with the rest of the course as
taught by the professor.
(2) Ask the professor to critique your performance
in a brief written memo. You can prepare a form,
if you wish, posing useful questions for him or her to
answer. Solicit student evaluations if you wish. Ask
a classmate to go along, if possible, and also provide
a critique. In short, get as many critiques, with detailed
constructive criticism, as you can.
(3) Write a brief self-critique. What would you do
better? What did you do well? What areas do you think
need more attention?
(4) Bring your critiques in for seminar discussion
and hand in for grade.

   

LINKS