the interaction with renewed energy. I would
like to think that this change in my teaching
philosophy has made me a better teacher, and
it has definitely made me more satisfied with my
professional life.
We continue to grow as professors, and for me
the next step is reflecting more on how to be
engaged and present with all types of students
in different courses. I am identifying assignments
that tend to be problematic for students, so that I
can create intelligent agents to help them better
understand the directions and prevent having to
redo the assignment and/or score low on that
assignment. Part of my work as Faculty Laureate
with the CTL this year will be to interview faculty
to understand their experiences and training
needs to implement the Teaching Through
Engagement (TTE) model. We want to help
everyone create a plan that will work for them
and prevent burnout. By the end of the year,
Stephanie Menefee (the other Faculty Laureate)
and I plan to work with the CTL to revamp the
Teaching Through Engagement training. I am
excited to have more of a role in supporting my
colleagues so that it becomes easier for us all to
be engaged and present with our students.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2019, February). Educational
Attainment in the United States: 2018. Retrieved from
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2018/demo/
education-attainment/cps-detailed-tables.html
An important component of NCU's Teaching
Through Engagement (TTE) model is the idea
that when we teach/provide feedback, we
should view it as entering into a dialogue with
our students. Rather than simply imparting
our knowledge, it is important to consider
how much we learn from our students, and
of course, be open to that learning. Chuck's
suggestion that we re-frame this discussion
as a learning tip, rather than a teaching tip,
aligns well with this idea. Furthermore, as
Maria described, many of our students at
NCU have had very different educational,
professional, and life experiences than many
of us, and may not have the chance to earn
a graduate degree at more "traditional"
universities. This not only gives us the
opportunity to help those from traditionally
underrepresented groups have a voice in and
contribute to our professional fields, but it also
gives us the opportunity to learn from a diverse
group of students, which truly enriches our
experiences as faculty.
Mindi Mull, PhD and Siva Perera PhD, LMFT
Associate Directors of Faculty Support
and Development, SSBS
DO YOU HAVE AN APPROACH,
STRATEGY, OR IDEA YOU THINK
OTHERS WOULD FIND USEFUL
OR INTERESTING?
Please share! You can send your
ideas to Mindi (mmull@ncu.edu)
or Siva (sperera@ncu.edu) and
we would be happy to include
them in an upcoming
faculty newsletter. Thanks!
9
Thank you Chuck and Maria for sharing
your importanct insights!
