Faculty Approves TF Training Plan

The Faculty Council yesterday approved a new plan designed to ensure both language proficiency and general teaching skills of all prospective teaching fellows(TFs).

The resolution, which will take effect as early as the fall of 1995, calls for each department to design a plan for its own graduate students.

Departments have the option of designing their own program or using the resources at the Derek C. Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, as well as the English as a Second Language Program of the Division of Continuing Education.

Each department will then submit its plan to Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell for approval.

The plan, proposed by Buell, differs from an earlier version which called for centralized tests and training limited to graduate students whose first language is not English.

"The previous proposal was considered to have two defects," Buell said. "One was that it was too narrowly focused on the language issue alone, and the other was that it was too rigid in developing a central plan for dealing with [the training]."

The plan is strong, Buell said, because it addresses overall teaching skills in addition to language competence.

"It's taking a more comprehensive step toward ensuring that TFs are properly trained and supervised, and in particular that language skills are addressed," he said.

Professor of Sociology and Faculty Council member Theda Skocpol praised the resolution for its broader scope.

"There was something disturbing in singling out one group of people. The issue should be the skills and orientation needed to do the job," Skocpol said.

Faculty, members also praised the new plan for allowing individual departments to design their own procedures, subject to Buell's approval.

"This allows each department to have flexibility to do what they think is necessary and important," Baird Professor of Science Gary J. Feldman said. "And, at the same time, since Dean Buell will review the plans, it guarantees that the departments will meet their responsibilities."

Skocpol also emphasized the need for departmental flexibility in TF training.

"It's very important that this be up to thedepartments because what's taught in departmentsis not the same, and what it means to be a skilledTF is not the same" in different departments,Skocpol said.

Feldman pointed to the need for departments andprofessors to take responsibility for teachingquality in their courses.

"Professors who pay attention to what's goingon in their classrooms are the best answer [toensure TF quality]," Skocpol said.

The new plan also differs form the originalproposal in considering both spoken and writtenEnglish for courses in which written Englishskills are relevant. The original plan onlyfocused on spoken skills.

"In some areas, it might be spoken Englishthat's the issue," Skocpol said. "In others, itmight be written as well. In that sense it's amore comprehensive plan."

But council members were quick to note that theproblem of insufficient language or teachingskills is not prevalent among TFs.

"There's been a lot of publicity lately aboutthe TFs which gives the impression that we have alarge problem with incompetence among the graduatestudents, when in fact the contrary is true,"Feldman said.

Buell said the plan stems from an effort toimprove teaching overall.

"The resolution is absolutely not designed as apunitive stroke against either Harvard's teachingfellows...or against the FAS departments, "hesaid.

"Rather, the idea is to come up with a morecomprehensive and proactive system that ensuresthe best possible start-up and supervision of ournew TFs so as to benefit the overall quality ofinstruction," Buell added.

Buell said he expects only a small number ofTFs to need extensive training. "I'm confident onthe basis of studies we've done and fromcomparative institutional experience that we'reonly talking about a very few cases each year," hesaid.

But even those few cases would merit attention,Skocpol said. "I think that most of our TFs do anoutstanding job", she said. "But where there areproblems, we need to address them, and we have."

Skocpol also emphasized the speed with whichthe plan won council approval. "This was aproposal which went through in two Faculty Councilmeetings, which is lightning fast in terms ofcouncil meetings," she said. "I don't see whyanyone should disagree."

"With all the revisions it's had I think it'sgoing in them right direction," said AssistantProfessor of the Classics Cynthia Damon.

And Feldman said council support was strong. "Idon't think there was any contention at all," hesaid.

Buell expects departments to begin formulatingtheir training proposals soon, he said.

He added that departments will use models fromexisting procedures to develop the trainingprograms.

"What the faculty council is asking should notbe difficult to implement," Buell said

"It's very important that this be up to thedepartments because what's taught in departmentsis not the same, and what it means to be a skilledTF is not the same" in different departments,Skocpol said.

Feldman pointed to the need for departments andprofessors to take responsibility for teachingquality in their courses.

"Professors who pay attention to what's goingon in their classrooms are the best answer [toensure TF quality]," Skocpol said.

The new plan also differs form the originalproposal in considering both spoken and writtenEnglish for courses in which written Englishskills are relevant. The original plan onlyfocused on spoken skills.

"In some areas, it might be spoken Englishthat's the issue," Skocpol said. "In others, itmight be written as well. In that sense it's amore comprehensive plan."

But council members were quick to note that theproblem of insufficient language or teachingskills is not prevalent among TFs.

"There's been a lot of publicity lately aboutthe TFs which gives the impression that we have alarge problem with incompetence among the graduatestudents, when in fact the contrary is true,"Feldman said.

Buell said the plan stems from an effort toimprove teaching overall.

"The resolution is absolutely not designed as apunitive stroke against either Harvard's teachingfellows...or against the FAS departments, "hesaid.

"Rather, the idea is to come up with a morecomprehensive and proactive system that ensuresthe best possible start-up and supervision of ournew TFs so as to benefit the overall quality ofinstruction," Buell added.

Buell said he expects only a small number ofTFs to need extensive training. "I'm confident onthe basis of studies we've done and fromcomparative institutional experience that we'reonly talking about a very few cases each year," hesaid.

But even those few cases would merit attention,Skocpol said. "I think that most of our TFs do anoutstanding job", she said. "But where there areproblems, we need to address them, and we have."

Skocpol also emphasized the speed with whichthe plan won council approval. "This was aproposal which went through in two Faculty Councilmeetings, which is lightning fast in terms ofcouncil meetings," she said. "I don't see whyanyone should disagree."

"With all the revisions it's had I think it'sgoing in them right direction," said AssistantProfessor of the Classics Cynthia Damon.

And Feldman said council support was strong. "Idon't think there was any contention at all," hesaid.

Buell expects departments to begin formulatingtheir training proposals soon, he said.

He added that departments will use models fromexisting procedures to develop the trainingprograms.

"What the faculty council is asking should notbe difficult to implement," Buell said