Teaching Practices 

        My main strategy for providing student support in their learning goals is to include as much active learning as possible (i.e., discussions, problem solving, case studies) because studies have shown that students retain the material better and longer (see Appendix A). This approach allows students to connect with the material and express multiple modes of understanding by offering learning experiences that test students’ skills and knowledge in real world situations. I purposefully seek to employ approaches such as the use of discussions, group work, written tests and exams, as well as, novel teaching approaches such as, but not limited to, flipped classrooms, interactive polls, and other classroom technologies aimed to increase topic comprehension, peer-learning opportunities, and active engagement. My goal is to create the opportunity for deeper learning by asking the students to be active participants by thinking, discussing, investigating, and solving problems in the classroom.

       Regular feedback is central to my teaching. In addition to the formal and standardized evaluation that is organized by the university, I include less formal and more continuous modes of feedback throughout each class.

        At the start of class, with the use of an anonymous survey, I seek feedback from students about existing knowledge, what they hope to learn, and what they expect from me as their teacher, their peers, and the course. Collecting this feedback aids in addressing the levels of knowledge and abilities in the classroom giving me the opportunity to guide my lessons. It is also useful in building rapport and ensuring the students are positively seen.          In collecting feedback, I aim to incorporate their interests into the material and active learning practices. Additionally, I use a getting to know you survey to encourage relationship building. In the middle of class, I will create a mid-term check-in with an anonymous survey. Here, I ask the students to think about what is working for them and what isn’t to get an understanding of what students are confused about. These results can refer to specific texts, concepts, or any other aspects of the course, or teaching methods. My goal here is make sure that no student is left behind in their understanding.

          Collecting this additional feedback enables me to monitor students' progress and satisfaction and continue to inform and adjust my teaching.

         Another strategy I seek to utilize in my classroom is the intentional and ongoing process of examining my teaching practices, beliefs, and attitudes. Analyzing the self has important implications for our teaching practices. In writing my story as a learner, I began the process of reflection in which I uncovered my motivations, presuppositions, and assumptions inherent in my teaching practices and beliefs. By engaging in a process of inquiry to discover the assumptions that frame my classroom, I strive to improve my teaching effectiveness and pursue a reflective teaching practice[1].

        I employ various critically reflective lenses; one being seeing myself through the learners[2] perspective. In gathering the feedback from students, I learn something about myself. Sometimes, what I am doing is supported, other times I learn that my students may be interpreting my actions in ways I did not intend them to and this provides me opportunities to clarify or adjust. There is a diversity of meanings people can interpret our words and actions and self-reflection is an important place to unpack meaning. In giving students the space to offer feedback anonymously, I can teach more responsively by looking inwards. 

         Another lens I look through is that of my colleagues[3]. With intention I aim not to teach in silence by surrounding myself in critical conversations with my peers and gather pertinent resources available to me (see Appendix B & C). As a new teacher there are many crises and dilemmas that I may confront. With this is mind, I build networks of support to assist in challenging my way thinking, find new ways of considering, and review my way of responding.  

           Finally, with intention, the theoretical literature is used to ground my teaching. As a new teacher, I continually reflect on the literature to ensure that my points of contact between the subject matter I teach, and the results of the students are not disconnected and interpreted solely as a failure on the self. For example, the literature often cites that a learners’ anger and cognitive development can be explained by aspects of change[4]. For this reason, it is important for me to reflect and stay grounded in the transformative power of education.  

         I aim to guide my teaching practices considering the success or failure of students learning, and to revise as deemed appropriate. By building in a critical self-reflective practice into this intentionally designed space, I seek to guide myself in self-awareness, confidence, and an emergent professional identity. 

[1] Brookfield, S. (1998). Critically reflective practice. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18(4),197–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.1340180402

[2] Brookfield, S. (1998). Critically reflective practice. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18(4), 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.1340180402

[3] Brookfield, S. (1998). Critically reflective practice. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18(4), 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.1340180402

[4] Brookfield, S. (1998). Critically reflective practice. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18(4), 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.1340180402

        When students are examining the difficult discourses, they will experience in my sociology classes they can benefit from support in their risk-taking and from a sense of a shared, rather than isolated, journey. Authentic learning environments involves the learners in interactive, creative, active tasks[1].To provide authentic methods of active learning, I support students to critically engage with one and another to share knowledge. I will ask students to work together in class on structured activities, guiding them as they engage multiple perspectives, build interpersonal capacities, and gain the confidence to make persuasive, informed arguments about issues. I build learning communities in the classroom by supporting students to get to know each other. This practice is done by encouraging my students to share themselves, their ideas, and providing them a chance to do so with myself and their peers.

        By constructing a learning environment that promotes students to direct their own learning and evaluate their performance, I seek to fuel excitement and curiosity. Creating reflective learners is done by providing opportunities for students to work on skills and projects which are relevant to them and by incorporating reflective accounts of the skills they develop.  Examples of reflections I utilized in my teaching practices include reflection papers on the course topic, individual reflection papers after group work, and end of course reflection.  

[1] Meyers, N. M., & Nulty, D. D. (2009). How to use (five) curriculum design principles to align authentic learning environments, assessment, students’ approaches to thinking and learning  outcomes. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(5), 565–577. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293080222650