Kevin M. Johnston Director, MSU Teaching Assistant Programs kmj@msu Jan Allen, Ph.D.

1. Kevin M. Johnston Director, MSU Teaching Assistant Programs kmj@msu.edu Jan Allen, Ph.D. Assoc. Dean, The Graduate School Northwestern University Writing To Speak: Using Teaching Philosophy Development to Improve Intra-Departmental Communication Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

2. Good Morning!As you take a seat, you might consider setting up the following arrangements at your table. Of course, you’ll have to introduce yourselves to get the information you need! Seating Suggestions If possible, create table groupings following these guidelines: • Faculty / Teaching Assistants • Interdisciplinary Tables • Faculty with >10 years teaching experience/Faculty with <10 years • Someone with whom you’ve always wanted to talk, but haven’t yet had the chance

3. “Why do I have to change the way I learn just to fit the way you teach?” (An undergraduate student, UT- Knoxville College of Human Ecology, 2000.) Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

4. As a Student, What Do You Want Out Of Your Education? Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

5. What Do (or, does it seem) Your Faculty Want Out of You? Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

6. Has Learning Ever Felt Like This? Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

7. Or, does it seem sometimes that your students react like this to your teaching? Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

8. Quick Thinking Exercise! In one minute, write as many descriptive terms as you can think of to finish the following statements. • A Teacher is a ___________________ . • A Student is a ___________________ . Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

9. “Finding” Your OwnTeaching Philosophy • Workshop Format • Workshop Goals Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

10. What is a Philosophy? Inquiry? Search? Pursuit of Wisdom? Contextual Interpretive Means? • A System of Motivating Concepts or Principles • A Basic Theory or Viewpoint • A System of Beliefs/Values by Which One Lives/Acts Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

11. Organizing/Presenting Your Information 2 (of many) Ideas of Basic Principles of Instruction • “Powerful Principles of Instruction” - Steve Yelon, MSU Professor Emeritus • “First-Order Principles for College Teachers” - Robert Boice, Ph. D. Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

12. Powerful Principles of Instruction (Condensed) - Yelon 1996 • Meaningfulness/Prerequisites (Context) • Open Communication (Relationship) • Organized, Essential Ideas (Main Points) • Learning Aids (Technology) • Active Practice (Work with Information) • Safe Spaces/Encouraging Places (Comfort) • Consistency (Dependability) Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

13. First – Order Principles (summary)- Robert Boice, Ph.D. 1996 • Set a good classroom environment/Avoid negative thinking • Wait/Have Patience/Stop • Begin before feeling ready • Surrender commitment to content coverage • Welcome change • Let Others do some of the work Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

14. What do these 2 Lists Share? • Environmental Concerns • Preparation Concerns • Pacing Concerns • Relational Concerns • Content Concerns Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

15. How is WHAT you do, or HOW you do it, a reflection of WHOyou are as a teacher?Is Teaching is doing…(Or is it…being?) Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

16. How Do You See Yourself As A Teacher? – WRITE IT OUT! • Create Meaningful Reflective Statements about your Teaching, one step at a time • Answer Fundamental Questions when Writing Your Philosophy: What? How? Why? Who? • Creating a Written Dialogue with Yourself Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

17. How Do You See Yourself as a Student? As a Teacher? Or, from a teacher’s perspective answer: • Write a “Want Ad” for a student. (50 words) • My students are… • As a teacher, my students think I am…

18. “Successful Teaching” for me is/means achieving WHAT…. • In Terms of CONTENT? • In Terms of STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES? • In Terms of STUDENTS’ VALUES? • In TERMS of PROVOKING EXPERIENCE? Nuhfer, Krest, Handelsman, 2003 Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

19. Teaching Philosophy Questions (cont.) • “What is good teaching?” • “Howdo my students/patients/ colleagues best learn from me?” • “Why is my teaching approach significant?” • “Who am I as a teacher?” Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

20. Philosophies Change As You Grow Professionally • Teaching Philosophies are Organic • How Can I Use What I’ve Created? • In The Classroom? • In Job Applications/Interviews? • As A Means for Personal Growth? • For Spurring Further Dialogue? Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

21. Teaching Philosophy Statements Are these as simple as they look? • “I believe in creating an atmosphere in which students can learn.” Steve Yelon • “I believe in providing students with chances to develop skills that they can use to teach themselves.” Kevin M. Johnston Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

22. Oh, by the way… Are teaching philosophies “over rated?” Daniel Pratt (Under review, Academe). Personal philosophies of teaching: A false promise? Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

23. “A synthesis of research on graduate education for future faculty…” (using Golde & Dore; Lovitts; NAGPS; Nerad; Nyquist, Sprague, et. al.) – Wullf, D., & Austin, A. (2002). (Book forthcoming Fall 2003)

24. Teaching Philosophies Should Be HONEST Expressions - L. Dee Fink • “Articulate what you REALLY believe, not what sounds good publicly.” • Work backwards from your technique to “find” deeper meaning behind your actions Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing

25. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Mohandes Gandhi Reflection, Evaluation, Action, Sharing