Understanding the University Context
WORKSHOP "Understanding the University Context: Teaching as a Part of Faculty Life"
By Rique Campa, Melissa McDaniels and Judith Stoddart
Certification in College Teaching Institute
May 14th, 2015, MSU Union Ballroom
Description of the competency/workshop
A Foreign Language educator should be aware of the University, faculty and students’ expectations he is working with to adapt his teaching goals and methods.
The workshop “Understanding the University Context: Teaching as a Part of Faculty Life” presented the different types of universities that one can apply for in the U.S. After working in groups on one of the institutions, we discussed particularities for each one of them.
Description and rationale
The document “Types of higher education institutions in the United States” presented by Rique Campa, Melissa Mc Daniels and Judith Stoddart during their workshop classifies the 6 types of institutions that we can encounter in the U.S. (Research University, Comprehensive University, Liberal Arts Colleges, Community College, Minority-serving Institution and For-profit Institution) with both descriptions and examples. This document helps in understanding the different University contexts available to teachers and students.
In order for my students to better understand the departmental expectations, I created a Power point to present our Syllabus highlights (slides 8-22) the first day of class. Because the Romance and Classical Studies department is part of a Research University (MSU), the philosophy and methodology used in the language program is strongly informed by L2 Acquisition research. Students need to understand our philosophy (no explicit grammar but instead a focus on communication) and class format set by the Director of the French basic language program because better awareness of departmental expectations will lead to students being more successful both with day to day tasks and long-term linguistic development.
Interpretation/Reflection on workshop
What skills and techniques did I learn that will help me become a better educator?
First, I learned that teaching is context sensitive. Given that MSU is a Research University, the focus for faculty is therefore on Research and publications. Innovating and pushing things forward are part of the University’s philosophy.
For the future, I learned that I need to take into consideration the type of institution I want to work for and see how its values and expectations align with mine. Also, knowing how I will be evaluated as a teacher and what students’ expectations are will be useful. Because most departments have their goals online, it is important to take time to look at them before applying for a position and preparing for interviews.
Finally, I learned how to create a teaching philosophy that not only reflects my own teaching but incorporates current research in the field. This will be beneficial in enhancing my prospects when applying for teaching positions.
What things am I still uncertain about regarding this topic that I need to investigate further in the future?
First, I need to think about how my teaching style and practices could match the different institutional and student expectations.
Second, when I apply for a position, I will need to truly look at which type of institution would be a better fit. However, I may need more experience in diverse institutions to make my choice.
Third, I wonder how my teaching philosophy is going to evolve over time.
How can I apply materials from this session to my own class to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning?
The different assumptions I have can be translated and illustrated directly into my teaching. For example, if I think that communication is beneficial for my students (and highlighted from my department’s language program director), then I should not see myself and behave as a person talking and giving knowledge, but rather as a facilitator or an architect building communicative tasks.
WORKSHOP "Understanding the University Context: Teaching as a Part of Faculty Life"
By Rique Campa, Melissa McDaniels and Judith Stoddart
Certification in College Teaching Institute
May 14th, 2015, MSU Union Ballroom
Description of the competency/workshop
A Foreign Language educator should be aware of the University, faculty and students’ expectations he is working with to adapt his teaching goals and methods.
The workshop “Understanding the University Context: Teaching as a Part of Faculty Life” presented the different types of universities that one can apply for in the U.S. After working in groups on one of the institutions, we discussed particularities for each one of them.
Description and rationale
The document “Types of higher education institutions in the United States” presented by Rique Campa, Melissa Mc Daniels and Judith Stoddart during their workshop classifies the 6 types of institutions that we can encounter in the U.S. (Research University, Comprehensive University, Liberal Arts Colleges, Community College, Minority-serving Institution and For-profit Institution) with both descriptions and examples. This document helps in understanding the different University contexts available to teachers and students.
In order for my students to better understand the departmental expectations, I created a Power point to present our Syllabus highlights (slides 8-22) the first day of class. Because the Romance and Classical Studies department is part of a Research University (MSU), the philosophy and methodology used in the language program is strongly informed by L2 Acquisition research. Students need to understand our philosophy (no explicit grammar but instead a focus on communication) and class format set by the Director of the French basic language program because better awareness of departmental expectations will lead to students being more successful both with day to day tasks and long-term linguistic development.
Interpretation/Reflection on workshop
What skills and techniques did I learn that will help me become a better educator?
First, I learned that teaching is context sensitive. Given that MSU is a Research University, the focus for faculty is therefore on Research and publications. Innovating and pushing things forward are part of the University’s philosophy.
For the future, I learned that I need to take into consideration the type of institution I want to work for and see how its values and expectations align with mine. Also, knowing how I will be evaluated as a teacher and what students’ expectations are will be useful. Because most departments have their goals online, it is important to take time to look at them before applying for a position and preparing for interviews.
Finally, I learned how to create a teaching philosophy that not only reflects my own teaching but incorporates current research in the field. This will be beneficial in enhancing my prospects when applying for teaching positions.
What things am I still uncertain about regarding this topic that I need to investigate further in the future?
First, I need to think about how my teaching style and practices could match the different institutional and student expectations.
Second, when I apply for a position, I will need to truly look at which type of institution would be a better fit. However, I may need more experience in diverse institutions to make my choice.
Third, I wonder how my teaching philosophy is going to evolve over time.
How can I apply materials from this session to my own class to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning?
The different assumptions I have can be translated and illustrated directly into my teaching. For example, if I think that communication is beneficial for my students (and highlighted from my department’s language program director), then I should not see myself and behave as a person talking and giving knowledge, but rather as a facilitator or an architect building communicative tasks.