Bok Center Helps Train Foreign TFs

For students in many of Harvard's large lecture courses, contact with a teaching fellow may well be the only one-on-one instruction and help they get.

Whether analyzing medieval literature or studying the intricacies of organic chemistry, interaction in section is an invaluable part of a Harvard education.

But when gaps in language and culture interfere with that instruction, the results can be frustrating for both students and TFs.

In response to new Education Policy Committee requirements designed to standardize teaching throughout the College, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning this year implemented a program to help acclimate international TFs to American higher education.

"The undergraduate experience is very different in many ways [from that in foreign countries]," says Virginia M. Maurer, international faculty coordinator in the Bok Center.

"Here in the U.S., especially at Harvard, there are a lot of extracurricular activities," she says. "Studying is not [students'] whole lives."

The Bok Center's new program, called Teaching in English (TIE), is designed to help acclimate international TFs to the "culture of an American classroom," according to James Wilkinson '65, director of the center.

The program grew out of a collaboration between the Bok Center and Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell, with advice from Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education Jeffrey Wolcowitz and Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, according to Wilkinson.

The TIE program is a week-long program held at the Bok Center the week before each semester begins.

During the week, international TFs attend seminars and discussions focused on what is expected of them in a classroom, who they are teaching and how to reach their goals.

"We focus on the cultural differences between teaching here and where they came from," Maurer says.

Central to the week are microteaching sessions where each TF spends five minutes presenting a concept to the rest of the group.

"It's important to give [TFs] practice in discussion-leading," Wilkinson says.

Each of the three times throughout the week that a TF presents a concept, the presentation is taped and discussed later in individual consultations, Maurer says.

It is in these consultations that goals are set and language difficulties are identified that are followed up throughout the semester, she says.

"This really is a week for them to make mistakes," Maurer says. "We are not here to evaluate but to help people to become better teachers. Grad life can be isolating; we are trying to plug them into Harvard."

In addition, eight undergraduates help out at the end of the week to "personalize" the information, "demystify who students are and get rid of stereotypes," Maurer says.

The undergraduates and TFs watch and discuss a tape titled "What Students Want." During the video, about 40 students explain what they expect from their teaching fellows.

The most prevalent themes are a "more interactive classroom," wanting the TF to "really know the material and communicate why the material is important and exciting" and to "care about the students."

During the two semesters which the program has run, it has met with rave reviews from undergraduate students and TFs alike.

Although the Bok Center could not release the names of participating TFs in order to protect their privacy, the TFs' enthusiasm for the program was apparent by the evaluations they filled out at the end of the week.

Across the board, responses to all the questions ranged from fours to fives on a five-point scale. Of the written responses, the microteaching component received the most positive comments.

"It was a very warm and appreciative group," observes Wilkinson. "They were very grateful to everything Virginia [Maurer] did. They seemed energized and inspired."

The undergraduates who participated in the last two days, earning about $70, also say they were impressed with the program.

"As a whole it was pretty successful and important," says Trevor W. Barcelo '97. "I learned a few things, and I am sure they did too."

"It seemed really effective," says Seth Diehl '97. "The TFs were there for a purpose."

Past training

The TIE program was developed in response to a Faculty Council discussion of TF training that began in the fall of 1994.

At that time, many in the faculty were concerned about the quality of training that TFs received.

"I'm not going to sit here smugly and say that everything's fine," Knowles said in March of 1994. "Nothing is ever perfect."

With no uniform requirements, it was left to departments and individual instructors to make their own training decisions. And for the most part, international students who are teaching sections have had to seek out English training on their own.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) subsidized one English course at the Extension School for any graduate student who requested it. In addition, TFs could go to the Bok Center and Bureau of Study Counsel for additional help.

For some time, the Economics Department has had a more formal program, geared toward first-time TFs.

"We have a training program that is jointly run with the Bok Center that all TFs must go through," says Assistant Professor of Economics Andrew P. Metrick, the department's head tutor.

In March 1994, the Faculty Council approved a plan designed to ensure both language proficiency and general teaching skills of all TFs. The plan mandated that departments implement plans to train their TFs this past fall.

Departments were allowed to design their own plans or utilize the resources of the Bok Center.

Designed to improve teaching skills, however, the programs do not necessarily address the problems of language and cultural barriers.

In the Astronomy Department, Chair Robert P. Kirshner '70 says he has tried to deter such problems through informal discussion "language tests" with TFs at departmental parties.

Kirshner acknowledges, though, that professors are sometimes forced to step in when the educational process seems to be impaired.

"It can really be a bit of an issue," Kirshner says. "Most likely they are conscientious people who know they are having a tough time. In some cases I help teach the sections, but by then most of the students have defected from them."

According to Maurer the upshot graduate students who are not native speakers or have not attended English-speaking institutions must have their language skills evaluated.

But Kirshner says international TFs face more than language obstacles in dealing with American college students.

"There are really two problems that need to be worked out: one, language skills, and two, cultural differences," he says. "Not everyone knows the expectation of students."

"I feel it basically helps solve the problem if teaching [is] delayed from the first to the second or third year of graduate school," Kirshner says. "That way, there would be more time to get used to American speech and culture."

Changes

Using the comments from the program evaluations, CUE evaluations, the TFs themselves and past experience in workshops, Maurer hopes to refine the program withThis teaching guide is distributed to international faculty and TFs.

Central to the week are microteaching sessions where each TF spends five minutes presenting a concept to the rest of the group.

"It's important to give [TFs] practice in discussion-leading," Wilkinson says.

Each of the three times throughout the week that a TF presents a concept, the presentation is taped and discussed later in individual consultations, Maurer says.

It is in these consultations that goals are set and language difficulties are identified that are followed up throughout the semester, she says.

"This really is a week for them to make mistakes," Maurer says. "We are not here to evaluate but to help people to become better teachers. Grad life can be isolating; we are trying to plug them into Harvard."

In addition, eight undergraduates help out at the end of the week to "personalize" the information, "demystify who students are and get rid of stereotypes," Maurer says.

The undergraduates and TFs watch and discuss a tape titled "What Students Want." During the video, about 40 students explain what they expect from their teaching fellows.

The most prevalent themes are a "more interactive classroom," wanting the TF to "really know the material and communicate why the material is important and exciting" and to "care about the students."

During the two semesters which the program has run, it has met with rave reviews from undergraduate students and TFs alike.

Although the Bok Center could not release the names of participating TFs in order to protect their privacy, the TFs' enthusiasm for the program was apparent by the evaluations they filled out at the end of the week.

Across the board, responses to all the questions ranged from fours to fives on a five-point scale. Of the written responses, the microteaching component received the most positive comments.

"It was a very warm and appreciative group," observes Wilkinson. "They were very grateful to everything Virginia [Maurer] did. They seemed energized and inspired."

The undergraduates who participated in the last two days, earning about $70, also say they were impressed with the program.

"As a whole it was pretty successful and important," says Trevor W. Barcelo '97. "I learned a few things, and I am sure they did too."

"It seemed really effective," says Seth Diehl '97. "The TFs were there for a purpose."

Past training

The TIE program was developed in response to a Faculty Council discussion of TF training that began in the fall of 1994.

At that time, many in the faculty were concerned about the quality of training that TFs received.

"I'm not going to sit here smugly and say that everything's fine," Knowles said in March of 1994. "Nothing is ever perfect."

With no uniform requirements, it was left to departments and individual instructors to make their own training decisions. And for the most part, international students who are teaching sections have had to seek out English training on their own.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) subsidized one English course at the Extension School for any graduate student who requested it. In addition, TFs could go to the Bok Center and Bureau of Study Counsel for additional help.

For some time, the Economics Department has had a more formal program, geared toward first-time TFs.

"We have a training program that is jointly run with the Bok Center that all TFs must go through," says Assistant Professor of Economics Andrew P. Metrick, the department's head tutor.

In March 1994, the Faculty Council approved a plan designed to ensure both language proficiency and general teaching skills of all TFs. The plan mandated that departments implement plans to train their TFs this past fall.

Departments were allowed to design their own plans or utilize the resources of the Bok Center.

Designed to improve teaching skills, however, the programs do not necessarily address the problems of language and cultural barriers.

In the Astronomy Department, Chair Robert P. Kirshner '70 says he has tried to deter such problems through informal discussion "language tests" with TFs at departmental parties.

Kirshner acknowledges, though, that professors are sometimes forced to step in when the educational process seems to be impaired.

"It can really be a bit of an issue," Kirshner says. "Most likely they are conscientious people who know they are having a tough time. In some cases I help teach the sections, but by then most of the students have defected from them."

According to Maurer the upshot graduate students who are not native speakers or have not attended English-speaking institutions must have their language skills evaluated.

But Kirshner says international TFs face more than language obstacles in dealing with American college students.

"There are really two problems that need to be worked out: one, language skills, and two, cultural differences," he says. "Not everyone knows the expectation of students."

"I feel it basically helps solve the problem if teaching [is] delayed from the first to the second or third year of graduate school," Kirshner says. "That way, there would be more time to get used to American speech and culture."

Changes

Using the comments from the program evaluations, CUE evaluations, the TFs themselves and past experience in workshops, Maurer hopes to refine the program withThis teaching guide is distributed to international faculty and TFs.