Inspiring Teacher

I was part of a  group project to develop a workshop for college faculty to learn about technology to enhance their instructional practices. There was a lot of interest in the project but it just wasn't coming together the way we wanted it to. Our mentor listened to our description of the project and the problems we seemed to be facing.

She asked a few good thought provoking questions and got our creative thinking going. Then she asked if we could work in the students' perspective - Chickering & Gamson's Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. That was the nudge we needed. By rearranging the material to focus on these seven principles, the workshop can together. It as been offered a number of times and has been very successful.

Chickering & Gamson's Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

1. encourage student-faculty contact
2. encourage cooperation among students
3. encourage active/engaged learning
4. give prompt feedback
5. emphasize time on task
6. communicate high expectations
7. respect diverse talents and ways of learning

The "guide on the side" approach to instructing works really well for me - both as an instructor and as a learner. I am grateful to Letha for her insight and demonstration of this practice.
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