In the UCLA Physics and Astronomy Department, we require all incoming first year students to take a course called Physics 495 - Teaching College Physics. This course is meant to give new graduate students a crash course in teaching before their first days in front of a class of students. We are currently in the process of overhauling the class and creating a new syllabus from scratch. The goal is to implement interactive teaching techniques that promote active learning, discussion, and debate. We hope that the first year grads taking the class will pass that experience down to the undergraduate students they end up teaching.
