As I continue to work on my capstone portfolio project for the Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching, I will update this blog with more artifacts of creation. As it stands I have developed a rough philosophy draft below:
My philosophy of behavior and teaching has evolved through my one classroom experience and the multitudes of ways I’ve seen student develop learning even outside of the classroom. Through my experiences with students in and out of the classroom in the college setting I have develop these guiding principles for my work. Promoting trustworthy and helpful relationships between students and faculty Encouraging self reflection to create value action alignment in learners Establishing an accessible and approachable persona to facilitate student interaction and communication. To make these principles happen I use my knowledge of learning theory, student development, and various instructor practices. Learning theory: Keller’s motivation model frames much of the work I do with students. To create a better more engaging learning experience, you must get buy in from the students. Especially when many traditionally aged first time college learners are not always sure that college is the right step for them, but rather the assumed next step. By framing my content in a way that directly links the material to their goals and self, I can facilitate true engagement and discussion where a student is welcomed to question the material and how it applies to their own life. Student development: By studying Student development I have come to recognize that cognitive, psycho-social, and self progress in different stages and rates for every learner. In order to create content in my classes that is sensitive to the differing needs of my learners I often have them do activities such as ‘pair-share’ as well as making multiple disclaimers about the nature of my course being subjective and only useful if applied to one’s own self exploration and values. Self-authorship is the process in which an individual disengages from what is expected of them and creates decisions and identity based on their own desires and determinations. I believe one of the key things I can do in my courses to encourage them to move along this spectrum is to validate the student as a ‘knower’ as some students might be early on in Perry’s Cognitive stages I have to encourage the students with guidance, and attempt to be as accessible and helpful as possible so they do not feel I am abandoning them or not giving clear direction on how to achieve success in the course. Instructor Practices: An important consideration to create the correct environment in the classroom is being aware of how I show up in the space. I manage my authority by often times creating an air of small talk and openness where I will ask my students how their day is going and be honest about my mindset as well. I take pride in the quick delivery and thoroughness of my feedback and attempt to create more buy-in in the relationship our class has with one another. I always make sure to thank students for contributions as well as being careful not to reprimand a ‘wrong’ or ‘exclusive answer’ by acknowledging their comments and offering an additional perspective to the one that they offered. In order to encourage accessibility and relationship building I make multiple announcements every course about my policy allowing students to make up work if only they communicate in some fashion why they are not going to turn it in on time. Following these principles has allowed me to create space that feels safe, fun, and relevant for student learners. By considering their experience as a holistic person I am able to engage with students on a level that encourages relationship building and communication. Because of these considerations mentioned above, I have had multiple student reviews stating that my desire and attempt to create student success is clear and marked. I will continue to develop new ways to support students in and out of the classroom as they learn and develop throughout their experience in higher education.
