Indiana University Teaching Handbook

Teaching Methods

Preparing Lab Sections

Adapted with permission from Ronkowski, 1986

The most important thing you can do to ensure that your lab sections run smoothly is to be well prepared. Your preparation, prior to the start of the semester, should include being acquainted with the storeroom of the lab so that time won’t be lost during a lab looking for necessary equipment or materials, and if applicable, knowing the location of the first aid kit, basic first aid rules, and procedures for getting emergency assistance.

Basic weekly planning for your lab section might include the following.

Know exactly what the students are supposed to learn and why they have to learn these things. This will come in handy when your students start to wonder why they’re doing what they’re doing.
Perform the entire experiment in advance. There is no guarantee it’s going to work as advertised in the lab manual. By going through the lab yourself, you’ll be familiar with some of the stumbling blocks that your students may confront and you’ll know the subtler points of the process you are demonstrating. If this isn't possible, at least read through the procedure as though you were doing it. And familiarize yourself with the equipment that your students will be using. Also, obtain some sample data and work the calculations and answer the questions (without using the key).
Read and study the theory on which the experiment(s) are based. Your understanding of the theoretical aspect of the lab should be useful to you in handling most student questions which don’t deal with concrete parts of the experiment(s).
Research the relevance of the experiment, both the technique being taught and the applications of the theory being demonstrated.
Talk to experienced instructors. They will often have very useful tips about things you are teaching.
Decide how to introduce the lab most effectively. Before students start the day’s lab, will they need you to demonstrate the procedures that they’ll be following? Is a handout with written instructions in order? Do you want two students in the class to demonstrate the experiment to the rest of the class? Will a 15-minute lecture about the theory and intent of the lab suffice? What safety information do they need? Your initial introduction to the lab or the day’s first activity can set the tone and motivation for the rest of the lab.
Plan how you will guide students in preparing their lab reports.