Teaching Trek: Reflections on Participation in the Indo-U.S. Teaching Professorship Program

• Main Author: Catherine Eva Vrentas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 2019-05-01
• Series: Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
• Subjects: International; India; Teaching Professor; Visiting Professor; Educational Manipulatives
• Online Access: http://jmbesubmissions.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/1553

The American Society for Microbiology’s Indo-U.S. Teaching Professorship program provides an opportunity for cross-continental teaching exchanges in the microbial sciences.  In this article, I reflect on my experiences as a 2017 Teaching Professor at a major public university in the city of Delhi, where I developed and delivered a curriculum about prion diseases and a workshop on scientific communication.  Tips for preparation, formative assessments, and portable classroom manipulatives are presented for educators who are interested in participating in similar programs.  International teaching exchanges provide a unique opportunity to develop skills in assessment and adaptability while meeting new colleagues from across the globe.