Over the next few months, members of the university teaching community will revisit and revamp their courses for the next academic year. While many know that the Kaneb Center offers one-on-one consultations, not many know exactly what this process entails.
Typical conversations during a consultation are structured around designing your course/syllabus, designing early semester feedback surveys, reviewing CIF (student evaluations) results, considering integration of technology, and/or establishing best practices for mentoring graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants. Additional common topics for graduate students and post-docs include creating a teaching philosophy statement/portfolio and navigating the beginning stages of an academic career.
Through individual consultations, we will explore a variety of pedagogical approaches with an emphasis on designing and implementing the best possible learning experience for your students. While each consultation is structured according to the individual needs of the instructor, there are a few basic principles that guide our work with faculty, graduate student instructors, and post-docs.
- Consultations are instructor initiated and instructor led. The most productive consultations are those that are driven by the instructor. The conversation is led by the instructor and the outcomes of the consulting session are determined by the instructor with support from Kaneb Center staff. Additionally, appropriate follow-up strategies are determined by the individual needs and requests of the instructor.
- Consultations invite a process of discovery. The role of Kaneb Center staff is to act as a sounding board for discussing new ideas, offer collegial support for the instructor’s teaching efforts, and provide instructional resources for his or her pursuit of teaching excellence. Through the interplay of ideas from both the instructor and Kaneb Center staff member, new perspectives and enhanced learning strategies emerge.
- Consultations are held in strictest confidence. The Kaneb Center does not reveal to anyone that you have visited the Kaneb Center or release any details about the conversation.
Consultations provide an opportunity for Kaneb Center staff to work within their mission to stimulate scholarly reflection and conversation about teaching and for participating faculty, graduate student instructors, and post-docs to continue their pursuit of excellence in the classroom.
Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
