Faculty Training - Tips & Tricks (Really Just Two Tips...)

[lturner2]

When I first began the task of Faculty Training, I was still at my alma mater - standing before those who had taught me, along with many who didn't know me, only that I had a BA that wouldn't hold a candle to their multiple PhD's. That was daunting and it was difficult to muster up the confidence in myself. Then I started asking for feedback and would spend a great deal of time in other trainings (even if I didn't need them and wasn't required to attend) and I started to adopt techniques that boosted my presentation skills. Now, that can all boil down to Public Speaking techniques, and indeed that was necessary, but there are sill many other smaller efforts that can go a long way to make your presentations enjoyable (even if they're not mandated to attend  )

Now, I typically write two things on the white board before I begin speaking;

* Field Trips

* Show & Tell

Those are the days I remember as a kid in school.

I'm old school, as I've said many time. Truthfully, about the only thing I remember are those teachers who really wanted to be teachers - and to my adolescent experience I sensed that they cared about me, my future, and my success. Those are the ones who stood out and meant the most to me, regardless of what they taught.

And now I think, what have I learned from those teachers that can help me pass along this enthusiasm to instructors, who will then (hopefully) pass it along to their students?

I have to believe in my product. I have to believe in its ability to help instructors help their students succeed. If that mentality is passed down, and if students believe that their instructors really are looking at ways of helping them and challenging them...oh imagine the SLO's...