And it's Thursday again, and we're back. It's been another intense week, but a very good one. A colleague and I taught our second iteration of a Dissertation workshop, and it was awesome just how easily and effectively we were able to work together. Fantastic!
The real highlight of this week, though, was my observation a class. Pure, simple observation. It's been a long time since I sat in a classroom without floating or teaching, so it was a great time to actually reflect on instructional practices without actually being involved.
This experience helped me realize that pure observation can lead to a different type of reflection than I talked about last week, when I was reflecting on my own teaching. The observation of others allowed me to step outside myself and think about the instructional practices instead of how I, personally, was instructing. It helped me focus on the content and praxis of the lesson, and how students reacted to it. When I was reflecting on my teaching, I had been using a prescribed lesson plan, so most of my reflection was internalized - me thinking about how I was teaching.
After this experience, I can see now that both are extremely valuable. I could see how, as an "experienced" instructor who gets caught up in their job, one could forget to sit back and observe others. I will try to remember this experience as I move forward in my instructional career, so that I can continue to evaluate and reflect on myself as well as others to be the most effective professional possible.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query observation. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query observation. Sort by date Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Continual Professional Development
Professional practice means something different with each new professional development. This week, I had the valuable opportunity to visit another academic library, talk with their instruction coordinator, observe an instructional session, and have a conversation with the library's Dean. Having only spent time at the University of Michigan Library and one public library, this experience was both eye-opening and a great lesson learned.
Each of the pieces of my visit to the other university library was worthwhile in it's own way. The discussion with the instruction coordinator allowed me to peer into the inner-workings of how another library structures it's staff and views instruction. The instructional observation showed me how an actual lesson was constructed and executed at another library. The conversation with the Dean provided me with an inside view of an administrator's priorities and vision for the changing world of academia from the perspective of libraries and higher education.
The structure of this other academic library was very different from UM's library. The staff there are tenure-track faculty which allows them different challenges and opportunities within their work. The person I spoke with discussed their own goals and the goals of the instructional staff, but said that because there is no supervisor telling them what to do, that they have a lot of freedom in their positions and can focus on what they feel is important.
Another interesting piece of our discussion focused on the instructional goals that this librarian identified. Information literacy came up several times in the conversation which led me to believe that this was a large focus for his/her work. Additionally, the focus for this person's work was on the research process and helping students understand that process, as well as sources, in a more embedded way meaning that they believed the focus should not be on "one-shot workshops" but rather on intentional learning that included follow up.
The instructional observation also provided me a different view of this type of work. The instructional session was held in a large lab and the instructor "took over" the computers because there was not a large projection screen on which to show the demonstrations. There was time left over for students to work on their research while the instructor floated around.
The conversation with the Dean was very interesting to me, as I like to take a big picture view of situations. Without revealing too much, the focus of her/his vision was on partnerships and collaborations. They believe that the future success of libraries on university or college campuses depends on this. For me, this was exciting because it's exactly what I want to do in my career.
I probably could have written about 10 pages of reflection after my visit yesterday in conjunction with my visit today to the Detroit Center (which I'll focus on connecting next week) but for now I'll leave it at this and the overall value add to my professional development. The greatest lesson I learned was how continually learning and expanding my view of libraries and higher education can only enhance my career. The networking is key, yes, but especially because it's a great way to see what's going on on the ground in these fields which will continue to inform my work as I move forward.
Each of the pieces of my visit to the other university library was worthwhile in it's own way. The discussion with the instruction coordinator allowed me to peer into the inner-workings of how another library structures it's staff and views instruction. The instructional observation showed me how an actual lesson was constructed and executed at another library. The conversation with the Dean provided me with an inside view of an administrator's priorities and vision for the changing world of academia from the perspective of libraries and higher education.
The structure of this other academic library was very different from UM's library. The staff there are tenure-track faculty which allows them different challenges and opportunities within their work. The person I spoke with discussed their own goals and the goals of the instructional staff, but said that because there is no supervisor telling them what to do, that they have a lot of freedom in their positions and can focus on what they feel is important.
Another interesting piece of our discussion focused on the instructional goals that this librarian identified. Information literacy came up several times in the conversation which led me to believe that this was a large focus for his/her work. Additionally, the focus for this person's work was on the research process and helping students understand that process, as well as sources, in a more embedded way meaning that they believed the focus should not be on "one-shot workshops" but rather on intentional learning that included follow up.
The instructional observation also provided me a different view of this type of work. The instructional session was held in a large lab and the instructor "took over" the computers because there was not a large projection screen on which to show the demonstrations. There was time left over for students to work on their research while the instructor floated around.
The conversation with the Dean was very interesting to me, as I like to take a big picture view of situations. Without revealing too much, the focus of her/his vision was on partnerships and collaborations. They believe that the future success of libraries on university or college campuses depends on this. For me, this was exciting because it's exactly what I want to do in my career.
I probably could have written about 10 pages of reflection after my visit yesterday in conjunction with my visit today to the Detroit Center (which I'll focus on connecting next week) but for now I'll leave it at this and the overall value add to my professional development. The greatest lesson I learned was how continually learning and expanding my view of libraries and higher education can only enhance my career. The networking is key, yes, but especially because it's a great way to see what's going on on the ground in these fields which will continue to inform my work as I move forward.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Creating Campus-Community Connections: The Event
Last Friday was the big event - the event between the Detroit Center and UM librarians. This event aimed to provide a space for in-person explanation of the collaboration possibilities and as a networking event between UM librarians and Detroit Center project leaders.
The event, held at the Detroit Center, did all of that and more. I arrived with my planning colleagues and we started setting up food, laying out placecards at the horseshoe shaped table (strategically placed so that librarians with an expertise would sit by project leaders of that topic), and preparing the little miscellaneous things that come with event planning (do we have cups? what about ice? what if so-and-so doesn't come?).
Finally it was time. The Detroit Center folks arrived first and chatted with one another until they found their seats. The librarians arrived shortly after, said a brief hello to one another and the Detroit Center project managers, and then immediately sat in their suggested place. The UM Outreach Librarian who is leading this effort gave welcoming remarks and then people got food, sat back down, and started networking. It was clear that there were some immediate connections; actually, in most cases it seemed there were.
The conversations appeared, by my observation, lively and engaged. No one seemed to say "why are we here?" or "I'm not sure the library can help me...." Before people were finished eating, the UM Outreach Librarian gave a short presentation on what the Library can provide (including a research guide) and then opened the room up for questions and discussion. This is where my previous assumptions were challenged.
The Detroit Center project managers had great questions, but they weren't - as I had expected - always about library resources such as journals or books. They wanted to know about the services the library could provide, how they could access materials, and they provided suggestions about how the Librarians could assist them. To me, this spoke loudly and clearly to the fact that these individuals see how valuable the library can be. Most of them had used the library previously, but many did not know how to get books sent to the Center, about the possibilities of using the Espresso Book Machine (with the ability to print student work), or Serials and Microforms (where they could view old copies of Detroit and other newspapers) or HathiTrust (where a collection of books about Detroit could be collected).
These were great questions, and it was great to have librarians there to answer the questions... but this also provided us clues about what these folks needed. Not what they thought we needed, but what they actually needed. This was a valuable lesson learned about creating strong collaborations and partnerships.
I look forward to seeing the work that continues to develop as these relationships grow.
The event, held at the Detroit Center, did all of that and more. I arrived with my planning colleagues and we started setting up food, laying out placecards at the horseshoe shaped table (strategically placed so that librarians with an expertise would sit by project leaders of that topic), and preparing the little miscellaneous things that come with event planning (do we have cups? what about ice? what if so-and-so doesn't come?).
Finally it was time. The Detroit Center folks arrived first and chatted with one another until they found their seats. The librarians arrived shortly after, said a brief hello to one another and the Detroit Center project managers, and then immediately sat in their suggested place. The UM Outreach Librarian who is leading this effort gave welcoming remarks and then people got food, sat back down, and started networking. It was clear that there were some immediate connections; actually, in most cases it seemed there were.
The conversations appeared, by my observation, lively and engaged. No one seemed to say "why are we here?" or "I'm not sure the library can help me...." Before people were finished eating, the UM Outreach Librarian gave a short presentation on what the Library can provide (including a research guide) and then opened the room up for questions and discussion. This is where my previous assumptions were challenged.
The Detroit Center project managers had great questions, but they weren't - as I had expected - always about library resources such as journals or books. They wanted to know about the services the library could provide, how they could access materials, and they provided suggestions about how the Librarians could assist them. To me, this spoke loudly and clearly to the fact that these individuals see how valuable the library can be. Most of them had used the library previously, but many did not know how to get books sent to the Center, about the possibilities of using the Espresso Book Machine (with the ability to print student work), or Serials and Microforms (where they could view old copies of Detroit and other newspapers) or HathiTrust (where a collection of books about Detroit could be collected).
These were great questions, and it was great to have librarians there to answer the questions... but this also provided us clues about what these folks needed. Not what they thought we needed, but what they actually needed. This was a valuable lesson learned about creating strong collaborations and partnerships.
I look forward to seeing the work that continues to develop as these relationships grow.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Instruction: Back to the beginning
It's been a while since I wrote about instruction, which was one of my first major blog topics (you can see some of my older posts on my first instruction experience, the value of observation, some overall reflections and and my most recent instructional post).
And the one thing I've really learned about instruction is that there is always more to learn. Just yesterday I had yet another new experience... developing a workshop outline from the ground-up by myself and teaching it. (Well, I didn't develop the outline just yesterday, but the instructional session was yesterday.)
The University of Michigan has recently begun officially using Google Apps, which includes Google Docs. I've not written much about Google, but if you know me personally, you know that I am kind of obsessed with Google for work and personal productivity. I make spreadsheets and docs for *everything* (even my book club) and have started a Google Calendar with my girlfriends for easier scheduling purposes. That said, when I was asked to develop and teach this workshop, it was exciting.
Then I sat down to do it. I know Google Docs pretty well, simply because I use them. So I decided to "go with what I know" and not make the workshop too structured, because the best way to learn to use Google Docs is to do it. I wanted to teach the various features and options within Docs while allowing the workshop participants to play. I had feedback from my supervisors, and a friend who had taken a Docs workshop a couple of weeks back. So I felt fairly confident that the workshop I planned was on track.
But now here's the thing. I think it went well. It was so difficult to tell. When teaching Word for Dissertation - a workshop with a specific purpose where you can tell if people are following along - it's a bit easier. I never expect workshop participants to walk away remembering everything but it's good to know they learned something. In the Google Docs workshop yesterday, people were asking questions, playing around with Docs while I was talking (which was great!), and some stayed after to ask questions. So I think it went well.
But how to tell? Just another challenge in instruction. :)
And the one thing I've really learned about instruction is that there is always more to learn. Just yesterday I had yet another new experience... developing a workshop outline from the ground-up by myself and teaching it. (Well, I didn't develop the outline just yesterday, but the instructional session was yesterday.)
The University of Michigan has recently begun officially using Google Apps, which includes Google Docs. I've not written much about Google, but if you know me personally, you know that I am kind of obsessed with Google for work and personal productivity. I make spreadsheets and docs for *everything* (even my book club) and have started a Google Calendar with my girlfriends for easier scheduling purposes. That said, when I was asked to develop and teach this workshop, it was exciting.
Then I sat down to do it. I know Google Docs pretty well, simply because I use them. So I decided to "go with what I know" and not make the workshop too structured, because the best way to learn to use Google Docs is to do it. I wanted to teach the various features and options within Docs while allowing the workshop participants to play. I had feedback from my supervisors, and a friend who had taken a Docs workshop a couple of weeks back. So I felt fairly confident that the workshop I planned was on track.
But now here's the thing. I think it went well. It was so difficult to tell. When teaching Word for Dissertation - a workshop with a specific purpose where you can tell if people are following along - it's a bit easier. I never expect workshop participants to walk away remembering everything but it's good to know they learned something. In the Google Docs workshop yesterday, people were asking questions, playing around with Docs while I was talking (which was great!), and some stayed after to ask questions. So I think it went well.
But how to tell? Just another challenge in instruction. :)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Networking...Pay it forward
I've been really lucky to have supervisors who have helped me begin networking. One of my former bosses was well connected and put me in touch with an administrator at a nearby library. Immediately after the initial email introduction, I emailed the contact and expressed interest in visiting the library and observing instruction. As this was over the summer, I received a prompt reply with an invitation to come sometime in the fall, when more classes would be happening.
And.... it's fall. Of course the semester caught up to me, and I realized I'd better not lose this contact by getting back in touch too late. So, Sunday afternoon I sent the message, and Monday morning I had a reply in my inbox by the time I got to my email. By today, a Thursday, I have a visit set up, including observation and at least one meeting.
There are a couple lessons I've learned from this situation.
1) It doesn't hurt to ask: Before my old supervisor left her job, we discussed my future and she immediately put me in touch with those she knew in the area. Had I been afraid to have this conversation, or afraid to email the administrator, this opportunity would not have happened.
2) Pay it forward: Besides for the good of the profession, there is no good reason for this administrator (who must be VERY busy) to go out of her way to not only contact me initially but also to respond within 24 hours to a request from me. I believe that people are inherently good and that it would be hard to turn down a student who wants to visit your library, but I also have to believe that there is a sort of "pay-it-forward" attitude that led to my success in getting this visit set up. And, really, it all is for the good of the profession. Presumably, this administrator and my former boss have been in contact and have helped each other in various capacities during their careers; attending to my request for a visit was one way that the administrator paid forward something my former supervisor may have done for her. To me, this is a wonderful example of networking - knowing you can contact colleagues and make "asks" while being assured that they would do the same for you in a heartbeat.
I'm very lucky with the colleagues I have here at UM, and I will remember these experiences as I move forward in my career to continue to strengthen the library field.
And.... it's fall. Of course the semester caught up to me, and I realized I'd better not lose this contact by getting back in touch too late. So, Sunday afternoon I sent the message, and Monday morning I had a reply in my inbox by the time I got to my email. By today, a Thursday, I have a visit set up, including observation and at least one meeting.
There are a couple lessons I've learned from this situation.
1) It doesn't hurt to ask: Before my old supervisor left her job, we discussed my future and she immediately put me in touch with those she knew in the area. Had I been afraid to have this conversation, or afraid to email the administrator, this opportunity would not have happened.
2) Pay it forward: Besides for the good of the profession, there is no good reason for this administrator (who must be VERY busy) to go out of her way to not only contact me initially but also to respond within 24 hours to a request from me. I believe that people are inherently good and that it would be hard to turn down a student who wants to visit your library, but I also have to believe that there is a sort of "pay-it-forward" attitude that led to my success in getting this visit set up. And, really, it all is for the good of the profession. Presumably, this administrator and my former boss have been in contact and have helped each other in various capacities during their careers; attending to my request for a visit was one way that the administrator paid forward something my former supervisor may have done for her. To me, this is a wonderful example of networking - knowing you can contact colleagues and make "asks" while being assured that they would do the same for you in a heartbeat.
I'm very lucky with the colleagues I have here at UM, and I will remember these experiences as I move forward in my career to continue to strengthen the library field.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Instructional Transition
Back from a break... relaxed and ready for what's next... when I figure that out :)
As for now, since instruction is one of my few duties left at the library this summer, it's something I may write about more often than not.
As I'm sure I've said before, I've learned that instruction is a continual learning process and there is always something new to take away from the experience at any stage. And now I am in a different phase. Because I am transitioning out of my two-year term-limited position in August, there is a gap to fill in what I teach at the library. An incoming second-year School of Information student showed interest in teaching, so she will be helping to instruct some of the Word for Dissertation workshops that I taught over the past 12 or so months.
This puts me in a different position; having been in the same situation as she just over a year ago, I am now observing her and providing advice and encouragement before her first workshop next week. This experience reminds me about the importance of observation (as noted in previous posts) and the need for constant reflection.
I learned a lot from observing my new co-instructor's teaching style. Having never instructed the class, I was struck by her calmness, her straight-forwardness, and her no-frills approach to teaching dissertation formatting. Her style made me consider something new: formatting dissertations really is a no-frills thing. It is an important, yet not fun part of the dissertation process; why try to make it more than it is? Of course there is an argument for trying to make it fun too, but seeing this teaching style was a good reminder that there are indeed many approaches to instruction.
As for now, since instruction is one of my few duties left at the library this summer, it's something I may write about more often than not.
As I'm sure I've said before, I've learned that instruction is a continual learning process and there is always something new to take away from the experience at any stage. And now I am in a different phase. Because I am transitioning out of my two-year term-limited position in August, there is a gap to fill in what I teach at the library. An incoming second-year School of Information student showed interest in teaching, so she will be helping to instruct some of the Word for Dissertation workshops that I taught over the past 12 or so months.
This puts me in a different position; having been in the same situation as she just over a year ago, I am now observing her and providing advice and encouragement before her first workshop next week. This experience reminds me about the importance of observation (as noted in previous posts) and the need for constant reflection.
I learned a lot from observing my new co-instructor's teaching style. Having never instructed the class, I was struck by her calmness, her straight-forwardness, and her no-frills approach to teaching dissertation formatting. Her style made me consider something new: formatting dissertations really is a no-frills thing. It is an important, yet not fun part of the dissertation process; why try to make it more than it is? Of course there is an argument for trying to make it fun too, but seeing this teaching style was a good reminder that there are indeed many approaches to instruction.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Instructional Reflections
As it's nearing the end of the term and I'll be attending the HASTAC Pre-conference Workshop called Alt-Ac: Alternative Academic Careers Workshop in just around an hour (which I'll blog about next week), tonight's post is taken from a draft of a chapter that I'm writing for my Information Literacy course this semester. For the class, we had to observe 20 hours of instruction and then teach two information literacy-related courses (all of which I did at the UM Library), and then write a chapter about it. The chapter will part of a book that includes chapters from each student and will be published as an e-book and then also printed by the Espresso Book Machine. So, with no further ado, here's a portion of my chapter...
What you learned that other people should know about to improve their own practice
Instruction at the library is something many librarians can do by choice. It’s a requirement for some positions, and is expected that should assistance be needed to instruct or float (walking around to help students stay on track during the session), librarians will step up. There are library resources for instructors including teaching outlines, informal mentors, and research-based practice on which to draw. However as a beginning instructor teaching topics on which I needed fluency, I needed to do a significant amount of work on my own. This pre-work came to be what made me comfortable teaching, and it has played an important role in my teaching effectiveness. So, to all instructors just starting out (or those who want to revisit their practice), I present to you my lessons learned and recommendations for diving into information literacy-based instruction as an information literate instructor.
1) Observe sessions
I had the chance to observe many types of workshops with different instructors (and one at another local university) and was able to glean an incredible amount from actively observing. I learned about keeping energy up (especially if you’re teaching undergraduates at 8:30 in the morning), being prepared for the topic, and different strategies such as walking around the room while talking. Observation time can give you the chance to sort out your teaching style and think about what you like and didn’t care during different types of workshops.
Take the time to sit in on a variety of instructional sessions and don’t be afraid to step out of the box to observe workshops that are in a different field or even location (such as a public library or other university, if you’re an academic librarian). Ask colleagues in your workplace if you can watch their sessions, or even float if you feel comfortable. Sit in on technology workshops, citation workshops, database workshops, and other types of sessions that can give you a varied view of instruction. While you may be teaching workshops on how to format citations, the instructor for that database class might have a teaching style that is more “you.” By observing different instructors in different settings with different topics, you’ll gain a more rounded view of what instruction means for students and for you as an instructor.
2) Consider your audience
Instructing undergraduates, PhDs, faculty and staff within a few weeks of one another really caused me to think about the audience of the workshop while I was preparing to teach and actually instructing. Teaching different types of groups requires thinking about the prior knowledge of the participant (while admitting it’s impossible to actually know this - especially when teaching a one-shot workshop), the basic skills they may or may not have, and why they are attending the session. More specifically, undergraduates may or may not have visited the library before, and one can cautiously assume they are familiar with computers in terms of web browsing, but they quite possibly are only at the database workshop because it’s required for their class. On the contrary, participants who attend the computer basics workshop are presumably there because they feel they are lacking computer skills and really want to absorb the workshop materials.
3) Conduct background information on previously taught sessions
Most of the sessions I taught had been taught before by many different people. I was provided with teaching outlines, but this only gave me part of the story. It was incredibly useful to talk to instructors who’d taught the session before to find out what works well and what doesn’t work so well (for example, some databases might not handle simultaneous use as well as others - and that’s helpful to know!), and how participants might react to the material. In a database workshop I co-taught, by talking with my co-instructor prior, I knew that one part of the workshop might take longer than predicted, so we needed to keep an eye on the time. Again, this was useful knowledge to have before getting in front of the class.
Reaching out to other instructors to prep and debrief workshops is an effective way to network with colleagues and improve your instruction. Looking back up to lesson learned #1, see if you can observe a workshop you’ll teach in the future and then chat with them afterwards to talk through some of the parts that were great or a bit confusing. Most colleagues should be open to this discussion.
4) Practice, and then practice again (by self and with others)
This might feel like an obvious step to take, but I’ve observed instructors who were clearly not as prepared as they could have been (and I’ve been there too!) - one of the steps for moving through the session was out of place, their designated search didn’t bring up the right results, or they left out a major part of the workshop.
Prior to teaching, I set aside time at least one week in advance to talk with colleagues and then actually sit down to practice working through the material. I follow all of the prescribed steps for the workshop (“now we’re going to go to the library homepage, and in the main search bar type ‘Children and Media.’ This will bring up a page that...) and talk myself through what I’m going to say. When time allows or I’m feeling particularly uncomfortable about a topic, I will practice in front of other colleagues or classmates to get feedback. By practicing , and practicing, and practicing, I’ve learned that being prepared is huge in feeling effective and comfortable in front of a classroom. I’ve also learned that you can’t predict everything that will happen, but that by being prepared for what you can control, the moments that you can’t are much easier to handle.
5) Co-teach
Not everyone might agree that co-teaching is effective or even something they want to do, but if you can find a colleague with whom you work well, having a co-instructor can be very useful to learning instructional skills and teaching styles. I found a co-instructor who’s teaching style and prep style both compliment and supplement mine. It’s been a great experience to work with someone who has his own teaching identity but who is willing to talk through instructional strategies and sessions (part of the practice part in #4!) and who is there for support during the workshop and after to provide feedback (see #7). Co-teaching can be a great way to start getting your feet wet in the vast instructional waters.
6) Teach!
Dive in and do it! Until you start teaching, you can’t possibly start to reflect and improve on what you can do better. When I started teaching, I did not have a teaching style and was merely trying to get through the material. By working with a co-instructor, having my mentor observe my sessions, reviewing the workshop evaluations from participants, and reflecting alone I was able to get critical feedback that has improved my teaching. I found that the more I taught, the more comfortable I got with different audiences (making quips about dissertation writing with PhDs, telling undergraduates that this tool will really save them time - because who wants to spend more time on citations then you have to) and the more comfortable I got in general. And the only want to do this was to start teaching - ready or not!
7) Reflect and debrief
This may be the most important step, not necessarily to start instructing, but definitely for becoming a more effective instructor. Having a co-teach or observer at some of your first sessions (and even as you progress) can make all the difference in being a great instructor. At the beginning of my teaching, I stayed behind the podium and, as mentioned earlier, just tried to get through the material. After receiving feedback, I started walking around the room, pointing more to the screen and became more interactive in my teaching style. I also worked through some of the examples in the workshop that simply didn’t work as well as I wanted. Additionally, reflection has helped me consider what I need to do more of in terms of preparation -- more practice, more background information, whether I want a co-instructor or not. These are valuable lessons on which to build for each and every instructional session I teach. Don’t be afraid to do this outside work - take this time in your office to write notes, or wait til you get home and can sit and think for a few minutes outside of the setting. It will be critical to improving your teaching to debrief each session, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Think about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what you can improve on next time. A couple of bullet points can put things into perspective. And if a session had a lot of issues, think about how you can prevent them if possible, and more forward to making the next workshop that much better.
What you learned that other people should know about to improve their own practice
Instruction at the library is something many librarians can do by choice. It’s a requirement for some positions, and is expected that should assistance be needed to instruct or float (walking around to help students stay on track during the session), librarians will step up. There are library resources for instructors including teaching outlines, informal mentors, and research-based practice on which to draw. However as a beginning instructor teaching topics on which I needed fluency, I needed to do a significant amount of work on my own. This pre-work came to be what made me comfortable teaching, and it has played an important role in my teaching effectiveness. So, to all instructors just starting out (or those who want to revisit their practice), I present to you my lessons learned and recommendations for diving into information literacy-based instruction as an information literate instructor.
1) Observe sessions
I had the chance to observe many types of workshops with different instructors (and one at another local university) and was able to glean an incredible amount from actively observing. I learned about keeping energy up (especially if you’re teaching undergraduates at 8:30 in the morning), being prepared for the topic, and different strategies such as walking around the room while talking. Observation time can give you the chance to sort out your teaching style and think about what you like and didn’t care during different types of workshops.
Take the time to sit in on a variety of instructional sessions and don’t be afraid to step out of the box to observe workshops that are in a different field or even location (such as a public library or other university, if you’re an academic librarian). Ask colleagues in your workplace if you can watch their sessions, or even float if you feel comfortable. Sit in on technology workshops, citation workshops, database workshops, and other types of sessions that can give you a varied view of instruction. While you may be teaching workshops on how to format citations, the instructor for that database class might have a teaching style that is more “you.” By observing different instructors in different settings with different topics, you’ll gain a more rounded view of what instruction means for students and for you as an instructor.
2) Consider your audience
Instructing undergraduates, PhDs, faculty and staff within a few weeks of one another really caused me to think about the audience of the workshop while I was preparing to teach and actually instructing. Teaching different types of groups requires thinking about the prior knowledge of the participant (while admitting it’s impossible to actually know this - especially when teaching a one-shot workshop), the basic skills they may or may not have, and why they are attending the session. More specifically, undergraduates may or may not have visited the library before, and one can cautiously assume they are familiar with computers in terms of web browsing, but they quite possibly are only at the database workshop because it’s required for their class. On the contrary, participants who attend the computer basics workshop are presumably there because they feel they are lacking computer skills and really want to absorb the workshop materials.
3) Conduct background information on previously taught sessions
Most of the sessions I taught had been taught before by many different people. I was provided with teaching outlines, but this only gave me part of the story. It was incredibly useful to talk to instructors who’d taught the session before to find out what works well and what doesn’t work so well (for example, some databases might not handle simultaneous use as well as others - and that’s helpful to know!), and how participants might react to the material. In a database workshop I co-taught, by talking with my co-instructor prior, I knew that one part of the workshop might take longer than predicted, so we needed to keep an eye on the time. Again, this was useful knowledge to have before getting in front of the class.
Reaching out to other instructors to prep and debrief workshops is an effective way to network with colleagues and improve your instruction. Looking back up to lesson learned #1, see if you can observe a workshop you’ll teach in the future and then chat with them afterwards to talk through some of the parts that were great or a bit confusing. Most colleagues should be open to this discussion.
4) Practice, and then practice again (by self and with others)
This might feel like an obvious step to take, but I’ve observed instructors who were clearly not as prepared as they could have been (and I’ve been there too!) - one of the steps for moving through the session was out of place, their designated search didn’t bring up the right results, or they left out a major part of the workshop.
Prior to teaching, I set aside time at least one week in advance to talk with colleagues and then actually sit down to practice working through the material. I follow all of the prescribed steps for the workshop (“now we’re going to go to the library homepage, and in the main search bar type ‘Children and Media.’ This will bring up a page that...) and talk myself through what I’m going to say. When time allows or I’m feeling particularly uncomfortable about a topic, I will practice in front of other colleagues or classmates to get feedback. By practicing , and practicing, and practicing, I’ve learned that being prepared is huge in feeling effective and comfortable in front of a classroom. I’ve also learned that you can’t predict everything that will happen, but that by being prepared for what you can control, the moments that you can’t are much easier to handle.
5) Co-teach
Not everyone might agree that co-teaching is effective or even something they want to do, but if you can find a colleague with whom you work well, having a co-instructor can be very useful to learning instructional skills and teaching styles. I found a co-instructor who’s teaching style and prep style both compliment and supplement mine. It’s been a great experience to work with someone who has his own teaching identity but who is willing to talk through instructional strategies and sessions (part of the practice part in #4!) and who is there for support during the workshop and after to provide feedback (see #7). Co-teaching can be a great way to start getting your feet wet in the vast instructional waters.
6) Teach!
Dive in and do it! Until you start teaching, you can’t possibly start to reflect and improve on what you can do better. When I started teaching, I did not have a teaching style and was merely trying to get through the material. By working with a co-instructor, having my mentor observe my sessions, reviewing the workshop evaluations from participants, and reflecting alone I was able to get critical feedback that has improved my teaching. I found that the more I taught, the more comfortable I got with different audiences (making quips about dissertation writing with PhDs, telling undergraduates that this tool will really save them time - because who wants to spend more time on citations then you have to) and the more comfortable I got in general. And the only want to do this was to start teaching - ready or not!
7) Reflect and debrief
This may be the most important step, not necessarily to start instructing, but definitely for becoming a more effective instructor. Having a co-teach or observer at some of your first sessions (and even as you progress) can make all the difference in being a great instructor. At the beginning of my teaching, I stayed behind the podium and, as mentioned earlier, just tried to get through the material. After receiving feedback, I started walking around the room, pointing more to the screen and became more interactive in my teaching style. I also worked through some of the examples in the workshop that simply didn’t work as well as I wanted. Additionally, reflection has helped me consider what I need to do more of in terms of preparation -- more practice, more background information, whether I want a co-instructor or not. These are valuable lessons on which to build for each and every instructional session I teach. Don’t be afraid to do this outside work - take this time in your office to write notes, or wait til you get home and can sit and think for a few minutes outside of the setting. It will be critical to improving your teaching to debrief each session, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Think about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what you can improve on next time. A couple of bullet points can put things into perspective. And if a session had a lot of issues, think about how you can prevent them if possible, and more forward to making the next workshop that much better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)