Goals for Future Teaching & Learning
In the years ahead, I will continue to incorporate Chickering and Gamson's (1987) seven principles of effective undergraduate teaching as a means for developing positive teacher-student relations. Specifically, I will continue focusing on the following goals:
Goal 1: Foster contact between students and faculty
Goal 1: Foster contact between students and faculty
- It is important to get to know students at a more personal level because past experience shows that when students feel comfortable with the professor, they are more likely to seek assistance and ask questions. I will continue answering students’ email messages within 24 hours, arrive to class early, and engage students in conversations about non-academic related topics. Although I try to use nonverbal and verbal immediacy behaviors so as to seem approachable, some students in the past have told me that I am intimidating. To combat this perception, I will continue to work on connecting with students by using my own experiences to initiate conversations and appear approachable.
- Students learn best when they can discuss, both orally and through writing, what they are learning. I will continue to meet this principle of undergraduate learning by using structured exercises, challenging discussion prompts, and assigning team projects that include peer feedback. Some students have reported that a discussion may feel forced and ill-prepared students are unable to contribute to the applied learning activities. To overcome this obstacle, I will continue providing the discussion questions ahead of time so that students have time to prepare. I will also create assignments in which students are required to identify course concepts in real life, write a summary that connects the example to key terms, and share the example with the class.
- A second area of active learning that I plan to complete is overseeing an independent study. I have had some students express interest in applying for graduate school programs in communication studies/rhetoric. I would like to work with these students on a long-term original research project on a topic related to their final paper from Rhetoric and Criticism. The goal, then, is for the student to have a solid writing sample and conference submission.
- Teaching expectations have a profound impact on students' academic performance.Students need appropriate feedback on performance to benefit from the course and succeed on future assignments; therefore, I will continue providing prompt feedback that helps students assess their level of existing knowledge and competence. I will make sure the feedback includes areas for which they are succeeding and correct students in a constructive way. When I do the latter, I will incorporate face saving techniques that coincide with Politeness Theory. Doing so will help foster students' abilities to do well and can handle difficult assignments.
- Throughout my feedback, I will ask students to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and work with them to create tools that help them assess themselves.
- Expectations instructors have for students can influence their desires to succeed in a course. Consequently, it is important that I monitor my verbal interactions with students in class so as to ensure that I communicate high expectations to students who appear to be lower-achieving. For instance, I will make a conscious effort to call on students equitably by giving all students a chance to participate. Some students may not actively participate in class discussion because they do not understand the content. I will offer hints and clues, such as referencing page numbers or defining terms, to help students meet expectations related to class participation. Taking this action will also help students gain self-confidence in their abilities and possibly decrease behavioral issues. I will follow Boynton and Boynton's (2005) suggestion to use a checklist that includes the students' names so that I can monitor equitable response opportunities. This technique will enable me to assess student understanding and provide immediate feedback.
- When needed, I will also give feedback related to in-class behavior. This includes thanking a student who completes assigned readings and contributes to class discussion and correcting students who engage in disruptive behavior so they reflect on what they did. When dealing with a student who is disruptive, I will use a stern yet respectful communication style while summarizing what happened and explaining the class policy that they broke. When the student corrects the behavior, I will touch base with the person and let the student know that I appreciate the person's desire to perform better in the class.
- I work with some advisees who struggle with their communication courses yet flourish in classes outside the department; therefore, I will also offer feedback to my advisees by helping them decide what courses, internships, and career paths they should pursue.
- The teaching evaluations that I create and distribute indicate that "communicates high expectations" is one of my strengths as an educator. In fact, one student wrote on an end-of-term evaluation that high expectations lead to higher results and others have written that I have high expectations of them but give them the tools they need to achieve those expectations. I will continue maintaining high expectations for my students, and I will take action to help students I identify as struggling to achieve high marks. I will ask to meet with these students so that we can discuss their study skills, approach to time management, and inform them of campus and instructional resources that are available to help them succeed.
- Boynton and Boynton (2005) encourage educators to develop classroom pride. I will do this by sharing student work that exceeds expectations. This is an effective means for letting students know that I value their work. When students achieve expectations, I will positively reinforce them verbally by telling them that I recognize their abilities to critically analyze a real life example using a course concept or thoroughly answer discussion questions that ask them to reflect on challenging readings. I will also use the feedback column in the OnCourse gradebook as a way to show students that I recognize their improvement and effort to meet my high expectations.
- My ultimate goal of improving and enlightening students’ worldviews are met through the use of various instructional mediums. For example, I incorporate OnCourse, social media, videos, and news media sources into my lesson plans as a way to reach my diverse audience.
References
Boynton, M. & Boynton, C. (2005). Educator's guide to preventing and solving discipline problems. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. Washington Center News. Retrieved from http://www.lonestar.edu/multimedia/sevenprinciples.pdf
Boynton, M. & Boynton, C. (2005). Educator's guide to preventing and solving discipline problems. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. Washington Center News. Retrieved from http://www.lonestar.edu/multimedia/sevenprinciples.pdf