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.
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