I am writing this post as I complete my first quarter of teaching as an Assistant Professor. I taught the core Operations and Supply Chain Management to FT MBAs.1
As I went through this process for the first time, I realized that I needed templates for various files (e.g., syllabus, exams, homework assignments, case writeups, instruction slides, etc.). While there was an abundance of such resources online, it is hard for a single user to try out everything to weed out the bad ones from the good ones. I realized that many new instructors might have similar needs in the various courses they teach. The point of this post is to share what I gathered. I indulged in this costly search, so you don’t have to :).
Here are some of these templates (see Github repo).
Exam/Homework Template (LaTeX): While there are many LaTeX templates for exams, I liked this particular template (borrowed and modified from Philip Hirschhorn; Thank you, Philip!). Two key features are the points per question calculated on the front page, and the bonus questions. Sample
Instruction Slides Template (PowerPoint): If you are not teaching a technical (i.e., notation-intensive) course, and therefore unlikely to use Beamer, I highly recommend PowerPoint. In my template, I try to minimize white space on all edges (top, bottom, left and right) – this is akin to the idea of removing bezels in most modern smartphone screen design. Sample
- Pro-tip (while teaching): I upload two versions of slides for every lecture to the students’ LMS portal (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard) while teaching:
- A “before-class” version, and
- An “after-class” version.
- I intentionally leave whitespaces/blanks to key questions/issues/aspects in the before-class version of the slides. This allows for an engaging discussion with students in the classroom. I then fill these blanks up during instruction2 based on their answers and upload the after-class version.
- Pro-tip (while teaching): I upload two versions of slides for every lecture to the students’ LMS portal (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard) while teaching:
Syllabus Template (LaTeX): Each department/institution has a uniqueset of requirements for a syllabus. I provide a general-purpose template for a syllabus. Please add/remove any required content to the template. Sample
- Pro-tip: I list the schedule-topic correspondence in my syllabus not by date but by a session index (e.g., session 1, 2, etc.).
- This allows me to make minimal adjustments over future terms if the core content remains the same. For instance, I plan to adjust the case studies in my course over the next few years but the key topics remain the same.
My students were amazing and I wish every instructor gets to teach the type of students I taught last quarter.↩︎
I fill the blanks by writing on my slides. I use a Microsoft Surface Book, which, like most touchscreen laptops allows users to write on slides using a stylus. If you are a new instructor and planning on purchasing a laptop for long-term use, I highly recommend a Surface Book. There’s an accompanying warranty of two years (at a small premium) which is also something I recommend.↩︎