The Chicago Handbook for Teachers: A Practical Guide to the College Classroom

by Alan Brinkley, Esam E. El-Fakahany, Betty Dessants

Those who teach college students have extensive training in their disciplines, but unlike their counterparts at the high school or elementary school level, they often have surprisingly little instruction in the craft of teaching itself.  The Chicago Handbook for Teachers, Second Edition, is an extraordinarily helpful guide for anyone facing the daunting challenge of putting together a course and delivering it successfully.

Representing teachers at all stages of their careers, the authors, including distinguished historian Alan Brinkley, offer practical advice for almost any situation a new teacher might face, from preparing a syllabus to managing classroom dynamics. Beginning with a nuts and bolts plan for designing a course, the handbook also explains how to lead a discussion, evaluate your own teaching, give an effective lecture, supervise students' writing and research, create and grade exams, and more.

This new edition is thoroughly revised for contemporary concerns, with updated coverage on the use of electronic resources and on the challenge of creating and sustaining an inclusive classroom. A new chapter on science education and new coverage of the distinctive issues faced by adjunct faculty broaden the book’s audience considerably. The addition of sample teaching materials in the appendixes enhances the practical, hands-on focus of the second edition. Its broad scope and wealth of specific tips will make The Chicago Handbook for Teachers useful both as a comprehensive guide for beginning educators and a reference manual for experienced instructors.

Genres: Nonfiction, Teaching

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Alan Brinkley was an American political historian who has taught for over 20 years at Columbia University. He was the Allan Nevins Professor of History until his death. From 2003 to 2009, he was University Provost.

Reviews

[Teri Temme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Very practical.

[Matt McCullough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book that provides some important ideas for teachers at all levels, but especially in higher ed. Currently, it may seem out of date but there are still some key points that are useful. Definitely a must read for teachers

[Marianne Kupin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was hired to adjunct at CCAC I was thrilled. I was also terrified. I have very little teaching experience at the collegic level so I wasn't sure where, or how, to begin. I happened to run across this book at the library and it has become an invaluable resource. While I'm still nervous about my very first day of teaching, this text has provided me with all the "odds and ends" of teaching; along with all the details to take into consideration. How do you structure a syllabus? What is the best method of teaching: online, lecture, socratic discussions, or a mixture of the three? All of these things, and more, are within this book. If you are new at the world of college teaching and don't know where to turn then this book is for you.

[Guntar Akhmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bagi dosen pemula, buku ini sangat berguna. Jangankan buat pemula deh, buat dosen senior aja buku ini juga masih bisa berikan manfaat. Buku ini mengulas beragam aspek pengajaran secara luas, mulai dari apa yang dilakukan saat tatap muka pertama, bagaimana mengelola diskusi yang mengandung debat, apakah mengajarnya via catatan atau ingatan, gimana ngoreksi dan memberi penilaian pada penugasan, cara mengevaluasi performa diri sendiri dalam mengajar, dst sampai kiat mendayagunakan teknologi untuk pengajaran. Saya suka Afterword di belakang, tentang mengapa kita mengajar; cukup menyentuh dan jadi reminder bagi pengajar.