What Would I Do? Reflections on CLT Workshop
In October 2019, the Centre for Learning and Teaching held a workshop entitled What Would I Do? The workshop brought together a panel of three award-winning Dalhousie faculty members: Dr. Raghav Sampangi (Faculty of Computer Science), Dr. Matthew Schnurr (International Development Studies), and Dr. Sara Kirk (Health Promotion). Several themes emerged, which graduate students and new faculty may find useful in starting their teaching journeys.
Set the Stage
The panelists talked about creating classroom environments that are stimulating, motivating, and participatory for students. For example, Kirk strives to be collaborative and interactive in her approach to teaching. Her goal is to encourage independent learners who understand the importance of critical thinking and evidence-informed decision-making. Schnurr believes the classroom is a place for deep learning. Classrooms should give students the opportunity to examine critically the relationships between power and privilege as they play out in our disciplines and in our world.
Clear Communication and Expectations
Classroom boundaries can be managed through clear communication and expectations. Faculty should set the stage by explaining to students why the curriculum has been chosen and by providing clear objectives for the course and its assignments. Rubrics will help students know how they will be graded and to avoid any surprises. For feedback, Kirk suggests using the “What went well…” and “Even better if…” technique, which tells students what they did well and what they need to do to improve their work. Schnurr suggests clear grading expectations and good feedback save time in the long run.
When asking students to work in groups, clear expectations from the beginning minimizes later conflicts, and students should be reminded that collaboration is part of the everyday working world, so it’s important to practice it.
Balance
It’s not necessary to plan every second of every class period. New faculty and graduate students should let their knowledge, skills, and expertise guide their teaching. Schnurr recommends faculty take risks and pursue innovative classroom practices. And in an effort to improve time management, they should seek out opportunities that complement their ongoing administrative and research duties.
Be Supportive
Life happens. While faculty don’t need to know all the details of their students’ lives, they should keep in mind that students have other academic, family, and job commitments. Schnurr suggests faculty can support students by setting professional boundaries and being clear in their communications with them.
Being supportive also means being an ally and creating safe learning experiences. Sampangi suggests if faculty witness something inappropriate in the classroom, they should address it immediately and safely by quickly assessing the situation, considering the circumstances (e.g., timing, environment, etc.), and developing an appropriate action plan.
Being a Mentor/Having a Mentor
Teaching is a complex process involving relationships with many different actors: students, TAs, guest speakers, other faculty members, and more. One key relationship is that of mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students. Schnurr urges faculty to invest time with teaching assistants, especially when training them to teach in the university context.
As teachers, faculty also need mentors. Sampangi, a proponent of lifelong learning, considers every interaction a life lesson, and teaching is an opportunity to learn more about a discipline, about teaching, about oneself.
Finally, no one should teach in isolation or expect to be 100% perfect. Instead, faculty should be open to consulting with colleagues, asking for peer observations, and receiving feedback. After all, teaching is a shared experience, and faculty can help each other through difficult times.