Below is a list of notes and tips for new instructors in the OSU Paradigms courses.


=== Resources for Instructors ===
  * The [[..courses:start|wiki]] is a great resource for the content, instructional methods, and activities used in the Paradigms.
  * There is a version-controlled archive of homework questions (and solutions) in LaTeX format including most of the homework questions used during previous terms.
  * There are copies of the syllabus used by previous instructors available, formatted as spreadsheets.
  * Former Paradigms instructors often maintain 3-ring binders with additional course notes and information about specific activity implementation from previous years.
  * The OSU Department of Physics maintains the syllabus for several different Paradigms courses (see, for example, [[http://physics.oregonstate.edu/syllabus/ph422|PH422]]).
  * If you wish to use the [[http://physics.oregonstate.edu/~emighp/COURSES/ph422/|standard template]] for course webpage and schedule, the Director of the Paradigms Program can give you an example schedule and instructions for loading it to the departmental website.

=== Guidelines for Teaching ===
  * If this is your first time teaching a Paradigm, you are expected to teach it the way it was taught the previous year, before making any substantial changes.
  * If you want to make changes during your second year of teaching a Paradigm, consult the upper-division curriculum committee to help your changes fit within the overall structure of the Paradigms.
  * You should be offered the chance to "shadow" a Paradigm the year prior to teaching that Paradigm for the first time.
  * During activities, you should regularly assign different groups to the students, randomly mixing them up from day to day.

=== TAs and LAs ===
  * The Paradigms Director will appoint teaching assistants (TAs) and learning assistants (LAs) to facilitate in-class activities and grade homework assignments.
  * Instructors should meet regularly with TAs and LAs to coordinate each class period.
  * It is valuable for the TAs and LAs to be knowledgeable about the technology in the classroom, so the instructor can focus on the content if the technology misbehaves.
  * Complaints about TAs and LAs should be taken to the Paradigms Director.
  * TAs, LAs, and the instructor should hold office hours in room 304F.

=== Homework and Exams ===
  * HW assignments for the Paradigms should be due on the same days of the week throughout the term to allow students to have a consistent schedule.  Currently, they are due on Wednesday and Friday.
  * HW assignments should be due at 4 PM so that the graders are able to scan student work before the office closes.
  * The first Paradigm of each term has its exam on the Monday following the end of that Paradigm.  Other junior-level courses should avoid scheduling exams for the same week.