Short essays on teaching

Many of the short essays listed below are adapted from posting I made in a course weblog (blog) for CS 251 in Fall 2003.

Ten survival tips: A few simple ideas to enable you to make the most of your undergraduate degree.
A selective history of the CS undergraduate curriculum: What I discovered by going through old calendars.
On using old exams: Why it might not be a good idea to look at past exams for the course you're taking.
On the stuff of which dreams are made: What are the anxiety dreams of an instructor like?
On student evaluations of instructors: Students in UW Math/CS courses have the chance to fill out anonymous evaluations in the last few weeks of classes. What good does this do?
On course notes: "Course notes" are packaged and sold at the bookstore. What are they, and why might they not be a good idea?
On adjusting final marks: Describes the process of arriving at final marks.
On anticipating the first lecture: An instructor's point of view when contemplating the first lecture.
On attending lectures: Why it might be a good idea for students to attend lectures.
On instructors: A description of the sorts of people who are instructors for courses.
On the distribution of midterm marks: What does it mean to have a "good distribution" of midterm marks? What are the effects of a "bad distribution"?
On plagiarism: Why it's not a good idea, apart from the penalties involved.
On having pictures of students: How did that instructor know your name?
On how teaching assignments are done: The mysterious process by which your instructor is assigned.
On teaching assistants: About the graduate students who are assigned to assist instructors.
On teaching computer science: Those who can't teach, teach CS?
On the use of technology in the classroom: The point of view of a reluctant user.
On full-time undergraduate tutors: Strengths and weaknesses of this unique UW CS institution.