How I'd teach a class

Lecture

- Make all lecture notes available and discourage note-taking in class
- Have lecture twice a week on UH + an informal optional session (Imamura's E&M stlye)
- Treat lecture like a discussion section during which the formalism is developed by the class. That is, I'm merely leading in the sense of determinig what should be done next, not the usual instructor talks and writes derivations on the chalkboard.
- Make clear what to read before each lecture (kinda like English classes are treated). Encourage coming with questions.
- 5 minute quiz at the beginning of each or every other lecture (to get feedback)

HW

Assign 4 problems every H due following U. Assign 2 problems every U due following H. The idea: to be thinking about subject constantly.

Assigning Grades

Give choice on grading schemes to be picked from individually by each person. Possible grading components:
- HW
- in class midterm
- traditional final (ie as scheduled by registrar)
- take home midterm/final
- Steck style midterm/final (late in the day with "unlimited" time, but to be done in one sitting, possibly 1 open book + notes or something similar)
- final project/paper

People get to mix, match and weigh each grading component as they wish before the fact. Say grading schemes should be picked by week 2 (after they've gotten a chance to see how HW is going to be). This doesn't necessarily guarantee fairness in grading across the board, but it allows for people to be graded in terms of how each performs better. The assumption, of course is that students actually care and aren't just trying to get a grade out of the class.

Book

Require one main (possibly expensive) text book (e.g. Sakurai in QM) and several cheap supplementary books (e.g. Dover QM books) and provide as many free resources as possible (ie free lecture notes, free online books, class reserves, books to be borrowed from me, etc).

Feedback

If I assign a problem it means that I'm willing to do it also and that I'm willing to provide feedback on solutions for people who want it (ie turn in your problems if you want feedback regardless of whether or not you want them graded). Stick to Peter Dolan's philosophy on willingness to look over people's work.

RFC! Constantly request feedback, in written form and with option to remain anonymous. Internet should come in handy for this.

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In between the reading and the problems each week this would make for a pretty time consuming class. The assumption is that people are interested enoguh to work beyond what the university formally defines as credit. I'd make this expectation clear on day 1. If anyone has problem with it, I treat class as regular class for this person ie I pick grading scheme so that only midterm/final determine grade.