"Effective teaching is especially important to those of us in political science because we teach subjects – politics, governance, democracy, authoritarianism – that are vital to everyone in our world, not excepting ourselves and our families. We may be especially aware of the fragility of democracy now, but democratic systems are always fragile. Maintaining them requires work. So it isn’t simply a privilege to teach political science. It’s a necessity. Moreover, teaching it engagingly is a learned skill."
Marjorie R. Hershey | Professor Emeritus, Political Science, Indiana University - Bloomington
How to Teach American Politics (and Other Subjects) Effectively, Second Edition
Marjorie R. Hershey
After spending several decades leading her department's graduate seminar introducing the mechanics of political science education, Dr. Marjorie R. Hershey shares her ideas, experiences, and perspectives.
— Table of Contents —
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………
- Delivering a Lecture
- The First Day of Class
- A Teacher Walked into a Classroom…
- Presenting the Lecture
- Using Active Learning and Discussion in a Large Lecture Course
- Pacing Your Lecture
- Helping Students with Note-Taking
- Lecturing Online
- Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Teaching
- Guest Speakers
- Handing Back Exams and Papers
- Assessing Your Lecture
- How to Get Students to Do the Readings
- Teaching While Female, Young, Black, Latino, LGBT, Nonbinary, or…
- Grading – the Dark Side of Teaching (and Ways to Make it Easier)
- Safety and Civility – In and Outside of Class
- Preventing Uncivil Behavior
- Resolving Student Complaints
- Civility toward Other Class Members
- Keeping Students Safe
- What to Do about Device Use in Class and Non-Attendance
- What to Do about ChatGPT and Other Forms of Artificial Intelligence
- A Note about Partisan or Ideological Bias
- Dealing with Students Outside of Class
What other political science educators are saying about the 2nd Edition...
By compiling the insights of an exceptional career as a dedicated teacher-scholar, Dr. Hershey provides the field with an immensely valuable resource. How I wish it had been available when I first began my own teaching career! It showcases Dr. Hershey's creativity, wisdom, and excellence in the classroom, providing a superb pedagogical model to emulate. But the book also presents approachable, candid, and genuinely hilarious insights that remind its readers that teaching is a lifelong learning experience full of failures, reinventions, and successes. This book will help teachers of all experience levels improve their approach to students, the classroom, and the discipline. I look forward to reading it again before the start of each new school year!
Ian G. Anson
Associate Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
"Of particular concern is training faculty to lead courses in civic engagement or courses that have a civic engagement component. As the undergraduate report makes clear, at a time of crisis in democracy, encouraging students to be engaged in politics and understand democratic values is more necessary than ever. As future teachers, Ph.D. students must be prepared to lead classes that include civic engagement and values-oriented materials."
The Graduate Curriculum
APSA's Rethinking Political Education Task Force Report
More Political Science Education Resources
