There is a huge variety of material available on teaching and a number of specific resources are mentioned in each section. TΦ101's two favorite books are:
- Erickson, Brett LaSere, Calvin B. Peters, Diane Weltner Strommer, Teaching First-Year College Students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006. This wonderful book is based on a vast quantity of research, is readable, and has dozens of great ideas.
- Lang, James M. On Course: A Week-By-Week Guide to your First Semester of College Teaching. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2008. This is another outstanding book, organized to follow the process of planning and teaching a course. Although it is entirely based in research and good practice, On Course is a more narrative exposition.
In a way, the difference between the two books is partially stylistic. While the Erikson book is more like a wonderful textbook, reading On Course is more like having a conversation with a brilliant senior mentor who who meets with you each week to discuss teaching and learning problems. Order them both:
Other interesting sources include:
- Books and Journals, detailing a variety of resources and the theory behind them.
- MOOCs (Massively Online Open Courses)are free online courses with a vast amount of useful material. Philosophy courses are included as well.
- Professional Associations for philosophers and teachers of philosophy, both of which have resources for faculty members.
- Websites, Blogs, and Podcasts. There is a growing ocean of useful online material for philosophy professors.
- Internet Encyclopedias. Our field has two very strong encyclopedias (and your students have discovered them already).
- Teaching Center Websites. Many university teaching centers also have websites with a variety of resources for college teachers. While this material is usually not specific to philosophy, it can be extremely helpful.
- Theory and Reflection. These items step back from pratical issues of pedagogy and take a broader perspective.
Author: John Immerwahr
Update: June 16, 2012