Teaching Tip from Online Faculty Development

Teaching a course the same as you did the last time.

Spending time on things that are not promoting learning.

Failing to take the time and effort to see what is working and what is not as it relates to learning in your classes. 

Did you nod your head (visibly or internally) in affirmation after reading any of the above claims regarding your instruction?  As instructors and in academia in general, everyone is an advocate for change.  As much as we talk about change, as much as we might even implement change in our classrooms, how often is it that we stop to take a good look at the proverbial horse before the cart?  To clarify the horse and cart references here, the horse is "what is working and what is not working" and the cart is built out of the "instructional tools and techniques" that are going to rein it in, changing the course of your instruction in a meaningful, relevant fashion.

To help you rein your horse in, we invite you to read the article that inspired this message, whereby Dr. Maryellen Weimer outlines the Six Steps to Making Positive Changes in Your Teaching.

"Think about what needs to change before deciding on a change" (Weimer, 2013).

Keep teaching and changing,                        

Online Faculty Training & Development

Grand Canyon University

Reference:

Weimer, M. (2012, January 23). Six Steps to Making Positive Changes in Your Teaching.  Faculty Focus. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/six-steps-to-making-positive-changes-in-your-teaching/