My writing seminar is having a reunion dinner tonight.
Yeah, that’s right. I don’t know about your writing seminar, but mine was a blast. Not only did we learn a lot, not only was the material a ton of fun, but virtually everyone in the class got to know and like one another.
What manner of course was this, you ask? The class was “Introduction to TV Criticism,” and the professor was the brilliant, radiant, and always-entertaining Gail Shister.
Professors of all small courses, not just writing seminars, should strive to achieve the same kind of bonding that Shister managed to foster within our class. As is much-lamented, while Penn is full of the most diverse collection of students you will find anywhere, we spend most of our time around people just like ourselves. Befriending those outside our usual circles is as important as the material we learn in class.
In addition, openness among classmates allows them to participate more freely, and thus better learn the skills taught in the course.
So how did she do it? How can other professors create such a great environment?
First, fun material. Watching Curb Your Enthusiasm or The Colbert Report hardly seems like homework, and assignments based off of these TV shows made learning enjoyable. Obviously, most courses don’t have themes quite so enjoyable, but professors are smart. They can get creative.
Second, field trips. It may sound juvenile, but nothing brings a class together like a shared experience. Midway through the semester our class went to New York to see a taping of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and growth in the class afterwards was exponential.
Third, experts. Shister worked an unprecedented 25 years as The Philadelphia Inquirer’s TV columnist, and she used her clout to bring big names to the class. From Law & Order: Special Victims Unit executive producer Neal Baer, to NBC News president Steve Capus and, most recently, ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson, Shister’s classes have been treated to conversations with major industry movers. All Penn professors are experts, and they should also bring those at the top of their fields to their students.
Finally, effort. All of this happened because Professor Shister cares about her students and wants their academic experiences to be as rewarding as possible. Professors should look at teaching those who will follow in their footsteps as a privilege, rather than a distraction from research.
Taking them out to dinner once in a while doesn’t hurt, either.
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October 12th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Finance 100: A little short on fun material and field trips, perhaps. Our expert did have a few big guest speakers scheduled though… that is, until their respective hedge funds collapsed.
October 12th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
in orgo, we bonded [hehe] over voluntary sunday night classes that everyone ended up going to because our TA was brilliant and we had fun bonding [there's that word again :)] over super hard problems.
October 12th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I second that one, Nick!
October 12th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
There’s maybe two or three people I’d want to reunite with from my writing seminar…and one of them, I went to high school with. If only we all could’ve been as lucky with our writing seminar choices as you
October 12th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
i wish we actually learned some writing in my writing seminar. A tip or two on the organization of a long paper would go a long way, but instead we learned only how to write 3 paragraph “essays”. bah!