Thread by @marxmatt

nobody asked but here are some teaching tips:
1/ first day, show up extra early. wander around the room introducing yourself to students before class.
2/ send around a (voluntary) survey asking about their backgrounds/interests/etc. & then work in a couple of those per class, e.g

it's a case on XYZ Pharmaceuticals, so "Pat, you're premed / worked in pharma - what are we missing here?" give them a chance to shine whenever possible.
3/ if you are teaching case method, make everyone aware that class participation is an *inherently unfair* grading method b/c

unlike a test/quiz, they need to be called on (by you) so there's a risk of bias. tell them to alert you immediately if they feel overlooked
4/ track participation by room location / gender / native language / anything else that you think might generate bias

5/ report to the class every few weeks on the balance of participation grading
6/ before each class make a list of 5-6 "quiet" students you want to involve that day
7/ use "warm" calls (quick heads-up before class) instead of cold calls to avoid public humiliation

8/ don't always call on the first hand that goes up. as one student wrote in post-semester feedback, "you never call on me. English is not my first language and I need a few more seconds to translate my thoughts."
9/ do a midway (anonymous) survey asking for feedback better to

find problems then & fix vs. only hearing after the semester is over.

of course this is easier if you have a TA (I don't), but even then it's not that much time once you develop the habit. good luck everyone for a great semester!!

you can tweet about teaching, who knew...so here are some more tips, worth every penny you paid :-)

10/ role-plays are a great way to involve quiet students but are hard to pull off "cold." best to arrange the night before, esp for 3+ ppl roleplays

11/ always useful to give yourself timing reminders (finish topic x after a half hour) but put actual clock time in your syllabus, esp. if teaching multiple sections, so you don't have to do the math in your head. (yes, I'm bad at doing math in my head)

12/ I used to assign case writeups as a motivational tool but have found pre-class polls work better. usually multiple-choice for key decision + short-answer. gr8 way to make sure they read exhibits. usually grade 1/0, unless skip short-answer (=0) or brilliant insight (>1)

13/ start class with poll results. helpful esp. when class is split. comparing with prior years always goes over well
14/ print out poll responses & bring to class. highlight great responses & involve those people. write names in margins of teaching plan so you don't forget

15/ cases come to life when you have protagonists. getting them in person is hard unless you wrote case, BUT
15.1/ some protags are happy to skype in for 20m at the end. almost more fun than having them in person given the element of surprise

15.2/ protag videos (esp of class visits) are surprisingly effective, even youtube videos (but edit down to relevant parts)
16/ if using video be sure to check the audio! nothing kills a video like silence.
17/ if not $-prohibitive, caption your videos

18/ bottom line: you want students to know that you are there to teach *them* and not just to teach "the class"

good luck everyone !