Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1040675
TEACHINGTIPS Hello! I am so happy to be sharing some teaching tips! I know we all have them and it is so great to share! Today I am sharing tips reflecting my teaching philosophy. I just love teaching! It is such an honor and privilege to be able to help another on their life journey! It is a gift I take very seriously. I try to start each work session with this positive attitude. Even when I am irritated, I try my best to lead with compassion and kindness. When I have a student problem I try even harder to approach the situation with a compassionate curiosity to understand, see what there is to learn from this situation, and then be of service. I also try to take a non-judgmental stance whenever possible and try not to take things personally. This philosophy translates to helping students recognize they are not supposed to know everything and that I am here to teach/help them. I like to give students specifics about this at the outset, so they can prepare for how my feedback will look, and to help clear up any possible negative inferences they could make as I evaluate their work. In my first call with students I tell them my style of pointing out problems and giving advice about how to fix them – so there may be more red marks and comments that way – and I remind them to not take such comments personally, they are meant to be helpful. I ask students to try and internalize my editing tips/comments so, over time, scholarly writing will become easier. I try to have a helpful, non-judgmental attitude in these calls and even say things like, "I have no recollection of the academic writing challenges each student has, so just make use of the feedback. I won't know you had such challenges in the end. I am here to help." I also tell them that my feedback is not meant to be critical in anyway, and to let me know if it ever comes Jill Blackwell, PhD Full-Time Faculty, Department of Psychology across that way. I really mean this. I am truly interested in helping my students grow, I don't expect them to be perfect, I honestly believe each and every one can get to the finish line, and I stick with these beliefs throughout their educational journey. When I am returning a document that has comments, I insert a nice comment like "hello/how are you?" at the beginning. I think this is helpful for connecting and maybe creating a more receptive attitude. I also like to point out positives as well as things to work on. I might say something like "your creative writing skills are very nice – that is surely a strength of yours. However, academic writing is a new, challenging skill and I am here to help you." Students say they like this and appreciate the permission to not be perfect. For some, it changes the whole landscape. When a student is really struggling, I might send an example of what we need for a document or dissertation chapter. It is challenging because we need to meet students where they are. People are different and our students have different skills and styles. If I try one form of encouragement and that doesn't work, I try another. I use the same strategy for my instruction. Overall, I stay positive and hopeful, and communicate this when students get stuck or are feeling discouraged. I am a firm advocate of the power of belief. As a teacher, it is essential for me to believe my students can grow and accomplish their dreams. I communicate this as often as I can. I am grateful to be able to teach others, teach at NCU, and to share my teaching philosophy with our amazing group! Thank you :)