Thinking Ahead Applications to your profession Erin Dokter

Thinking Ahead: Applications to your profession Erin Dokter, Ph. D. Office of Instruction and Assessment (CATTS Fellow 2005 -06)

Discussion Objectives • Describe lessons learned from the fellowship experience. • Explain how these lessons can be applied to your personal and professional life.

Reflecting on the Experience 1. What are the big lessons you have learned from this experience? – e. g. , about the school system, about teaching and learning, about your discipline, about yourself 2. Do you feel more competent in communicating about your discipline? Please explain. 3. Do you feel more confident in communicating about your discipline? Please explain.

1. What are the big lessons you have learned from this experience? • • • Substitute teaching days mean no work being done Example is one of the best ways to teach Teachers’ attitudes may elicit or constrain participation Everyone has their own pace/learning style, need to take into account when teaching I teach more effectively around the entire room vs. just at the board Students are smart, not always expected to be (don’t get challenged) School system can hold kids back (stifled) Important to think about your questions before you ask them (e. g. , how they are phrased) Need to encourage inquiry in math/science/engineering Helped to communicate things more simply

2. Competence and 3. Confidence? • Practice can’t hurt

Nationally-reported Impact of Experience Attribute Communication skills Teaching skills Applications written, oral, presentation to varied audiences awareness of learners, teaching strategies, planning, assessment Research skills design, analysis, building scientific arguments Professional skills time management Personal attributes confidence (Based on Feldon et al. (2011); Trautmann (2008); Mitchell et al. (2003))

Action Plan: Your Professional and Personal Life Attribute Communication skills Teaching skills Applications Presenting at conferences, writing opinion pieces (e. g. , newspaper), Presenting products to potential customers, Expressing ideas clearly to management or employees, writing (e. g. , reports), interviews To explain methodically, recognize when somebody doesn’t understand & then changing on the fly to get point

Resources for Continued Professional Development • Teaching/TA experience (department TA’s, Pima CC) • Outreach (departmental programs, continued work with your teacher, UA Science, MESA) • Workshops/Classes on Teaching (departments, OIA) • Online Self-Paced Teaching Modules (OIA) • Workshops/Programs on Writing (WSIP, Graduate Writing Institute) • Certificate in College Teaching (OIA)

Resource URLs Outreach http: //scienceconnections. arizona. edu/k 1 2/teachers/acst Workshops/Classes on Teaching http: //oia. arizona. edu/blog/seminars-and -workshops-professional-development Online Self-Paced Teaching Modules D 2 l. arizona. edu (Self Registration – TATO) Workshops/Programs on Writing http: //wsip. arizona. edu/workshop-series http: //grad. arizona. edu/gwi Certificate in College Teaching http: //oia. arizona. edu/project/certificatecollege-teaching-program