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Conference on New Ideas for Experienced Teachers
June 9–13, 2001
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
David Hall,
Provost & Senior Vice President
for Academic Affairs
Northeastern University
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING ME WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF WHAT I HAVE HEARD HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING CONFERENCE. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT HAS BEEN SO STIMULATING AND INFORMATIVE GOOD THAT MY TASK IS TO NOT MESS UP A GOOD THING. SERIOUSLY, AS A PROFESSOR, ASSOCIATE DEAN, DEAN AND NOW PROVOST, THE ART AND SCIENCE OF TEACHING AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS WITHIN THE ACADEMY HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, THEREFORE I AM HONORED TO FOCUS ON THIS TOPIC WITH SUCH DISTINGUISHED AND CARING PRESENTERS AND PARTICIPANTS.
YOU HAVE BEEN ON A JOURNEY FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS THAT I’M SURE HAS DEEPENED YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND EXCITEMENT ABOUT TEACHING. MY CHARGE IS TO HELP US THINK ABOUT THE NEXT STAGE OF THE JOURNEY. HOW WILL YOU BUILD ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED? HOW WILL WE OVERCOME INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS SO THAT WE CAN INSTITUTIONALIZE THIS SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY? HOW DO WE MAKE THIS EXPERIENCE, MORE THAN AN EXCEPTION, BUT OUR GENERAL WAY OF BEING? THESE ARE THE PRESSING CHALLENGES FOR THIS SESSION.
IN ORDER FOR ME TO FULFILL THIS CHARGE, I HAVE TO ENTER THIS FUTURE SPACE FROM AN ANCIENT AND PRESENT SPACE. I CAN’T OFFER YOU ADVICE ABOUT WHAT WE DO WHEN WE RETURN TO OUR INSTITUTIONS WITHOUT FIRST REMINDING YOU OF WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW, AND WHAT YOU HAVE GAINED A DEEPER APPRECAITION FOR, AT THIS CONFERENCE.
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK BEFORE KNOW THAT I DWELL IN A WORLD OF SPIRIT, VALUES, AND META-PHYSIC, WHICH IS THE NEXT LEVEL UP (OR MAYBE DOWN) FROM META-COGNITION. SO THE THEME FOR THIS CLOSING ADDRESS IS SIMPLY; “TEACHING FROM THE HEART”. I KNOW SOME OF WHAT I WILL SAY HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED AND DISCUSSED BY OTHERS-SO PLEASE SEE THIS AS THE REVIEW BEFORE THE REAL TEST THAT AWAITS US WHEN WE RETURN.
WE CANNOT CREATE COMMUNITIES OF TRUE INNOVATION IN TEACHING UNLESS WE ARE CONSTANTLY IN TOUCH WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL REASON WHY WE DO THIS TASK. TEACHING, AS YOU HAVE DISCUSSED, IS NOT A TOOL WE USE TO GET A TASK ACCOMPLISHED. IT IS AN ENDLESS JOURNEY OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. THAT DISCOVERY BEGINS FIRST WITH SELF. WE CANNOT GIVE TO OTHERS WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE. WE CANNOT INSPIRE OTHERS TO LEARN IF WE ARE NOT INSPIRED BY THE PROPSECT OF CONTINUOUS LEARNING. WE CANNOT MOVE PEOPLE BEYOND THEIR LIMITATIONS IF WE ARE NOT WILLING TO MOVE BEYOND OUR OWN. SO THIS QUEST TO BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHERS IS NOT ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF SCORES WE GET ON OUR EVALUATION FORMS, EVEN IF IT HELPS US GET TENURE OR PROMOTED. THIS QUEST IS ABOUT SELF-DISCOVERY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF OTHERS. THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT HELPING OTHERS CONQUER THEIR FEARS AS WE CONQUER OURS. IT IS ABOUT MAKING THE UNKNOWN KNOWABLE, AND THE UNACCEPTABLE ACCEPTABLE. AND THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT IS TO COME FROM THE HEART. I DO NOT INVOKE THE CONCEPT OF THE HEART AS A WAY OF DISGUISING THE HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO TEACHING, OR TO MINIMIZE THE TIME AND EFFORT ONE MUST DEVOTE TO MASTERING CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES. BUT IN TEACHING AS IN LIFE, IT IS THE SOURCE OF THE WATER THAT GIVES THE RIVER ITS SHAPE AND MEANING. IT IS THE SOIL WITHIN WHICH THE GRAPES ARE GROWN THAT GIVES THE WINE ITS TASTE AND POWER AND IT IS THE HEART OF THE TEACHER THAT GIVES MEANING TO THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES, AND PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH THE INSPIRATION AND ENVIRONMENT NEEDED TO FULFILL THEIR POTENTIAL IN LIFE.
TEACHING FROM THE HEART MEANS BEING IN TOUCH WITH OUR PRIMARY MOTIVATION TO TEACH. WHEN WE REVISIT THAT PLACE AND GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR PRIMARY MOTIVATIONS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. TEACHING FROM THE HEART MEANS THAT WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT OUR STUDENTS. IT MEANS THAT WE CARE ABOUT ALL OF THEM, NOT JUST THOSE WHO ARE MORE INCLINED TO EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM. WE CARE NOT JUST FOR THE VOCAL LEARNER, BUT FOR THAT QUIET STUDENT WHO SITS IN THE BACK, UNNOTICEABLE. THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR US IN TRYING TO REACH THAT PERSON, TRYING TO EXTRACT FROM THEM, NOT ONLY THEIR “MISCONCEPTIONS” ABOUT THE CONCEPTS WE ARE TEACHING, BUT ALSO TO EXTRACT THEIR DREAMS, FEARS AND ASPIRATIONS. TEACHING FROM THE HEART DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE DON’T HOLD STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES, SUCCESSES AND FAILURES, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT WE ARE SLOW TO LABEL, QUICK TO REDEEM, AND WILLING TO CHANGE OURSELVES SO THAT OTHERS CAN CHANGE AND GROW.
IF WE CAN TEACH FROM THIS PLACE, THEN ALL ELSE WILL FOLLOW. IT IS WRITTEN, SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN… AND ALL THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.” SEEK YE FIRST AND OFTEN THE HEART OF THE TEACHER AND THE RIGHT TECHNIQUES WILL FOLLOW. YOU MAY ASK, HOW WILL I KNOW THAT I AM TEACHING FROM THE HEART? YOU WILL KNOW IT WHEN YOU CRY FOR YOUR STUDENTS, AND AGONIZE OVER THEIR SUCCESSES AND THEIR FAILURES. YOU WILL KNOW IT BECAUSE OF THE JOY YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ARE DOING IT, AND THE EMPTINESS WHEN YOU ARE NOT. IF YOU TEACH FROM YOUR HEART, IT WILL BE HEALING AND PAINFUL. FOR TEACHING, LIKE LOVE, CAN GIVE US WINGS AND CLIP OUR WINGS IN FLIGHT. BUT THE TRUE “TEACHER OF THE HEART” WILL FIND NEW WINGS, FOR THERE IS NO END TO THE RESERVOIR OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO COLLECTIVELY GROW AND EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE.
SO AS WE LEAVE THIS PLACE MAKE SURE WE TAKE OUR HEARTS WITH US. MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE THE TIME TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THAT SPECIAL PLACE THAT INSPIRES US TO GO BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL AND TOUCH THE SACRED. EACH OF US HAS OUR WAYS OF STAYING CENTERED AND GROUNDED. FOR SOME IT IS READING, FOR OTHERS, IT IS PRAYER OR MEDITATION. IT COULD BE LONG WALKS OR FAST JOGS. WHATEVER THE THING IS THAT PUTS US IN TOUCH WITH OUR HIGHER SELF, IT IS ALSO THE THING THAT PUTS US IN TOUCH WITH THE HEART OF OUR TEACHING. WHEN WE DWELL IN THAT SPACE, OUR MOST CREATIVE IDEAS EMERGE. IT IS IN THAT SPACE THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS TO DO WHAT AT FIRST APPEARS RISKY, BUT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS BECOMES OUR CALLING.
TEACHING FROM THE HEART DEMANDS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO DEFY TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES BECAUSE WE KNOW THE LEARNERS OF TOMORROW WILL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAN THE LEARNERS OF TODAY. IN A REPORT LAST YEAR BY THE COLLEGE BOARD ON “DEMOGRAPHIC SHAPE OF THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION,” IT WAS STATED, “PEDAGOGIC RESEARCH CONFIRM THAT WE NEED TO GET EDUCATION OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. ONLY 25% OF THE GENERAL POPULATION LEARNS EFFECTIVELY IN A PASSIVE CLASSROOM SETTING, LISTENING TO LECTURES. ANOTHER 30% OF US ARE VISUAL LEARNERS WHO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE BEST BY READING OR LOOKING AT GRAPHIC MATERIALS…BUT ROUGHLY 45% OF STUDNETS ARE TACTILE-KINESTHETIC LEARNERS WHO LEARN MOST EFFECTIVELY THROUGH PHYSICAL INVOLVEMENT” THE REPORT GOES ON TO SAY THAT “DATA FROM THE EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE SHOW THAT UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS THAT USE MORE PARTICIPATORY INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS CONSISTENTLY PRODUCE SUPERIOR GRADUATES.” IF THIS DATA IS CORRECT, THEN TEACHING FROM THE HEART MAY DEMAND THAT WE SPEND “LESS TIME TEACHING AND MORE TIME DESIGNING LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR OUR STUDENTS,” THAT WE BRING MORE OF THE WORLD AND THE PROFESSION INTO THE CLASSROOM AND EXPAND THE LEARNING PROCESS.
SO THE FIRST SUGGESTION I OFFER TO EACH OF YOU AS YOU RETURN TO YOUR INSTITUTION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT GO BACK AND PICK UP THE SAME PATTERN AND PACE YOU LEFT BEHIND. FOR IF YOU DO, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. CHANGE REQUIRES A RE-CONFIGURATION OF EXISTING SPACE. I AM NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT YOUR OFFICE OR THE NOTES FROM WHICH YOU TEACH. THIS IS A STATEMENT ABOUT YOUR INNER PROCESS OF PREPARING TO TEACH. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ALL OF YOU TO FIND SOME SPACE AND TIME TO REFLECT UPON WHAT YOU LEARNED HERE. THERE MUST BE A SPACE WHERE YOU CAN RE-INSPIRE YOURSELF AS YOU WERE RE-INSPIRED HERE. UNFORTUNATELY I CAN’T PRESCRIBE THAT FOR EACH ONE OF YOU. THAT’S WHY SELF-DISCOVERY AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO BEING EXCELLENT, INNOVATIVE AND INSPIRING TEACHERS. “THE PERSON WHO KNOWS WHERE THE WELL IS DUG, AND WHO CARRIES THE WELL WITH HER WILL NEVER THIRST, AND WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO LEAD OTHERS TO THE SOURCE.” THE WELL IN THIS METAPHOR IS THE HEART. AND THE HEART IN THIS METAPHOR IS THE TRUE ESSENCE OF WHY WE TEACH. DISCOVER THESE PLACES. KNOW THEM. IF YOU FIND A PURIFIED WELL, IF YOU FIND A PURE HEART, THEN YOU WILL FIND SUCCESS. FOR “BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART…FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD”...AND TEACH GOOD CLASSES. ONCE OUR MOTIVIATION FOR TEACHING BECOMES UNCLEAR AND POLLUTED, THEN WHAT OUR STUDENTS RECEIVE FROM US WILL BE LESS THAN WHAT THEY NEED.
HOWEVER, NONE OF US LIVE OR TEACHES ALONE. THE COMMUNITY WITHIN WHICH WE EXIST PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN HOW WE ARE ABLE TO TRANSFER WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED HERE TO THE CLASSROOM. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE BECOME ADVOCATES FOR THE CREATION OF LEARNING COMMUNITIES WHERE WE CONSTANTLY SHARE IDEAS ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING. THIS CAN BE DONE IN A VERY FORMAL WAY. AT NORTHEASTERN WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF INITIATING A LEARNING COMMUNITY ON PRACTICE ORIENTED EDUCATION. SINCE NORTHEASTERN IS A LEADER IN PRACTICE BASED LEARNING, WE WANT TO PROVIDE SELECTED FACULTY MEMBERS WITH THE SPACE, FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND KINDRED SPIRITS SO THAT THEY CAN DEVELOP NEW APPROACHES TO TEACHING, AND WILL ALSO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO INCORPORATE PRACTICE INTO THE CLASSROOM LEARNING EXPERIENCE. LEARNING COMMUNITIES EXIST AT VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND THEY CAN FOCUS ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE TEACHING PROCESS. BUT ALL OF THEM ARE A WAY FOR THE INSTITUTION TO INVEST IN THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BRING ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION. IT IS A POWERFUL WAY TO TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE HAD IN A FEW DAYS AND TURN IT INTO A YEAR LONG EXPERIENCE. THIS INITIATIVE CAME ABOUT THROUGH FACULTY ADVOCACY AND A SENSITIVE PROVOST AND PRESIDENT. SO EACH OF YOU CAN PLAY A ROLE IN ADVOCATING FOR THESE TYPES OF INSTITUTION WIDE PROJECTS. THIS WAS DONE NOT AS A REPLACEMENT TO EXISTING FACULTY DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS, BUT AS AN ADDITION BECAUSE PRACTICE BASED TEACHING HAS BECOME AN INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITY.
HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN YOU CAN’T RECREATE THIS EXPERIENCE IN SUCH A DRAMATIC INSTITUTIONALIZED WAY, THEN THE SPIRIT OF THIS EXPERIENCE CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO YOUR OWN INFORMAL NETWORK OF FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. CONSIDER KEEPING A JOURNAL OF YOUR TEACHING EXPERIENCES, REVELATIONS AND INSIGHTS. WRITE IN IT ON A REGULAR BASIS. SHARE YOUR SUCCESS AND YOUR PERCEIVED FAILURES. REFLECT ON IT AFTER A QUARTER. COMPARE YOUR REFLECTIONS TO WHAT THE STUDENTS SAID ON YOUR EVALUATIONS. IF YOU ARE REALLY SERIOUS, ASK ONE OR TWO OF YOUR COLLEAGUES TO JOIN YOU ON THIS JOURNEY. HAVE EACH OF YOU SHARE PORTIONS OF THE JOURNAL WITH EACH OTHER, OR EXCHANGE THEM AND DISCUSS THEM AT A LATER DATE. IF YOU FEEL THAT THIS IS TOO RISKY TO BE DONE WITH COLLEAGUES AT YOUR INSTITUTIONS, FIND SOMEONE, A FRIEND AT ANOTHER INSTITUTION THAT WILL CREATE THIS SPACE FOR YOU AND FOR THEM. WE ALL WOULD BE AMAZED AT WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT OURSELVES AND THE PROCESS OF TEACHING. AS I AM SURE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE INDICATED, THE THREE THEMES OF THIS CONFERENCE DON’T ONLY APPLY TO WHAT WE DO WITH AND FOR STUDENTS, BUT THEY APPLY TO WHAT WE DO WITH OURSELVES AND OUR LEARNING PROCESS. SO KEEPING A JOURNAL ABOUT OUR TEACHING EXPERIENCES AND REFLECTING ON THEM, CAN DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEARNING PROCESS THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH. AND HAVING AN INDEPTH EXPERIMENT IN ONE OF OUR CLASSES, WHERE WE STRIVE TO GAIN A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF OUR MOTIVATIONS, BIASES, LIMITATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS IN REGARDS TO STUDENTS AND TEACHING, WILL ALLOW US TO TRANSFER OUR INSIGHTS TO OTHER CLASS SETTINGS, AND THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS. DISCOVERING AND DEALING WITH HOW OUR OWN “MISCONCEPTIONS” ABOUT STUDENTS, ABOUT LEARNING STYLES, AND ABOUT EACH OTHER, GET IN THE WAY OF OUR TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS.
IF YOU WANT SOMETHING IN BETWEEN THESE TWO ALTERNATIVES, THEN VISIT YOUR UNIVERSITY TEACHING CENTER AND TAP INTO THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE AVAILABLE. MOST UNIVERSITIES HAVE AT LEAST DEVOTED SOME RESOURCES TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF TEACHING. PEOPLE WHO RUN THESE CENTERS TEND TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND REFLECTIVE ABOUT THE LEARNING PROCESS. SINCE THESE CENTERS TEND TO FOCUS A LOT ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR LAW FACULTY TO REFOCUS SOME OF THE CENTERS’ ENERGIES. WE ALL KNOW WE CAN GET BETTER, THERE IS NO STIGMA IN SEEKING THEIR ASSISTANCE.
ONE YEAR WHEN I WAS DEAN AT NORTHEASTERN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CENTER, WE CREATED A YEAR LONG FACULTY DISCUSSION SERIES ON TEACHING. WE COVERED LEARNING STYLES, TEACHING SENSITIVE TOPICS, OUR CHALLENGE TO INCORPORATE ISSUES OF RACE, GENDER, ETC. INTO THE CLASSROOM. ABOUT 1/3 TO HALF OF THE FACULTY WOULD ATTEND, AND WE MADE SOME HEADWAY IN CREATING A CLIMATE AND CULTURE OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT TEACHING.
WITH ALL OF THESE SUGGESTIONS, YOU MAY HAVE TO BE THE ADVOCATE, CREATOR AND PARTICIPANT. IF THESE THINGS DON’T EXIST WITHIN YOUR LAW SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY, SEE AS PART OF YOUR TASK UPON RETURN TO HELP RECONFIGURE THE INSTITUTIONAL SPACE SO THAT SYSTEMATIC CHANGE CAN OCCUR.
THE GREATEST CHALLENGE WE FACE UPON OUR RETURN IS THE ONGOING AND ENDLESS TASK OF TRANSFORMING THE ACADEMY INTO A PLACE THAT TRULY VALUES, SUPPORTS AND CELEBRATES TEACHING. THIS IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT ALL OF US MUST UNDERTAKE, BUT SOME OF US HAVE AN EVEN GREATER RESPONSIBILITY. THOSE OF US WHO RESIDE IN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY MUST ENSURE THAT OUR MERIT, TENURE, AND PROMOTION RULES AND PROCESSES TRULY REWARD PEOPLE FOR EXCELLENT TEACHING AND FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO TEACHING INNOVATION. THE REALITY TODAY THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMY IS THAT WE VERBALIZE THIS VALUE BUT WE DON’T CONSISTENTLY PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH. SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH STILL REIGN SUPREME IN THE ACADEMY. MOST INSTITUTIONS ARE VYING FOR LEADING RESEARCHERS AND SCHOLARS, BUT WHEN IS THE LAST TIME WE CREATED A DISTINGUISHED CHAIR POSITION FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE? WHEN DID WE DO A SEARCH THAT WAS AIMED AT ATTRACTING THE BEST TEACHER WE COULD FIND? I REALIZE THAT SCHOLARSHIP IS INTRICATELY RELATED TO EFFECTIVE TEACHING, AND I DON’T WANT TO MINIMIZE THOSE CONNECTIONS, BUT TEACHING HAS A VALUE IN AND OF ITSELF THAT WE DON’T FULLY APPRECIATE. FIRST, WE DON’T APPRECIATE OR FULLY UNDERSTAND THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING. THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO WRITE ON THESE TOPICS AREN’T ALWAYS VIEWED AS BEING AS RIGOROUS AS THOSE WHO DELVE INTO FUNDAMENTAL AREAS OF THE LAW. WE DO NOT FULLY RECOGNIZE AND VALUE TEACHING RESEARCH, ESPECIALLY THE TYPE OF SELF RESEARCH THAT I ADVOCATED EARLIER. IF A FACULTY MEMBER SPENT TIME RESEARCHING AND REFLECTING ON THEIR TEACHING STYLE AND THE STYLES OF OTHERS SO THAT SHE COULD BECOME A BETTER TEACHER, WOULD WE VALUE IT? WOULD IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE TENURE OR PROMOTION DOSSIER? THE ANSWER IS STILL VERY MIXED AT THE PRESENT.
WE HAVE WITHIN OUR MIDST THIS PRECIOUS DIAMOND, BUT WE HAVE A MARKETPLACE THAT HAS UNDERVALUED IT BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO PUT A PRICE ON IT. WE HAVE NOT CREATED A STANDARD SYSTEM OF MEASURING TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS ACROSS INSTITUTIONS. WE HAVE NOT CREATED ANY “TEACHING CURRENCY” WITHIN THE ACADEMY. UNTIL WE DO, WE WILL BE TEACHING FROM THE HEART BUT FEELING IT IN OUR BANK ACCOUNTS. WHEN WE CAN COMBINE OUR HEARTS WITH OUR RESOURCES THEN WE CAN CREATE A POWERFUL FORCE FOR INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION. NOTHING I AM SUGGESTING SHOULD TAKE AWAY FROM THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOLARSHIP. IT WOULD HOPEFULLY ELEVATE TEACHING TO THE SAME LEVEL.
THIS PROCESS MUST BEGIN NOW AND ALL OF US CAN PLAY A ROLE. AT THE AALS LUNCHEON AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, WE RECOGNIZED THOSE WHO HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCHOLARSHIP. WE MUST DEVELOP A SIMILAR REWARD AND RECOGNITION FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION. INSTITUTIONS MUST CREATE CHAIRS AND DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIPS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EXCELLED IN TEACHING AND IN THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING. WE MUST BUILD REPUTATIONS FOR PEOPLE BASED ON WHAT THEY DO IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN PREPARATION FOR THE CLASSROOM.
FOR ANY OF THIS TO MATTER, WE MUST DEVELOP BETTER AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE METHODS FOR ASSESSING TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS. AS PROVOST, I SEE TOO MANY TENURE DOSSIERS THAT ONLY MEASURE TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS BY STUDENT EVALUATION SCORES. EVEN WHEN PEER REVIEWS ARE ADDED TO THE MIX, THEY ARE DONE IN SUCH A CURSORY AND LIMITED FASHION THAT THEY DON’T TELL THE FULL STORY. A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF TEACHING WOULD INCLUDE THESE THINGS BUT MUCH MORE. EACH PROFESSOR SHOULD DEVELOP A TEACHING PORTFOLIO THAT CONTAINS THEIR PHILOSOPHY TOWARD TEACHING, THEIR COURSE MATERIALS, INNOVATIONS THAT HAVE SUCCEEDED AND FAILED, TEACHING JOURNALS, AND PEER REVIEWS. BUT PEER REVIEWS MUST BE OVER A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME AND YEARS. JUST AS WE SUBMIT ARTICLES TO EXTERNAL REVIEWERS, THE COURSE MATERIALS, LECTURE NOTES AND OTHER RELATED TEACHING CREDENTIALS SHOULD ALSO BE SUBMITTED FOR EXTERNAL EVALUATION BY THOSE WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THE PERSON’S DISCIPLINE AND THOSE WHO ARE EXPERTS AT TEACHING.
WHEN FACULTY MEMBERS ARE BEGINNING THIS JOURNEY FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO “STUMBLE BLINDLY” INTO TEACHING. THERE SHOULD BE SYSTEMATIC ORIENTATIONS AND TRAINING SESSIONS ON TEACHING EFFECTIVENSS, LEARNING STYLES, ETC. AT EVERY STEP ALONG THE PATH, THERE SHOULD BE ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT WITHIN THE INSTITUTION, AND THERE SHOULD BE REWARDS FOR SUCCESS. WHEN I WAS DEAN I WOULD MAKE SURE I READ EVERY STUDENT EVALUATION OF THE UNTENURED FACULTY, EVEN IF I DIDN’T READ ALL OF THEIR SCHOLARSHIP. I WOULD SIT WITH THEM AT THE END OF THE YEAR DURING OUR ANNUAL EVALUATION AND DISCUSS THE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES THAT THE EVALUATIONS PRESENTED. NOT ONLY WAS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SHARE WHATEVER INSIGHTS I POSSESSED ABOUT THE ART AND SCIENCE OF TEACHING, IT CREATED A REFLECTIVE MOMENT FOR THE PERSON AND THE INSTITUTION. I DON’T KNOW IF THOSE SESSIONS HELPED ANY OF THE PERSONS, BUT I KNOW I GAINED SOMETHING FROM JUST READING WHAT STUDENTS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE PROFESSORS AND APPLYING IT TO MY EXPERIENCE AS A TEACHER.
IN CONCLUSION EVERYTHING I HAVE MENTIONED INVOLVES A LOT OF WORK AND THE RECONFIGURATION OF EXISTING SPACE SO THAT THIS CHANGE CAN BE IMBEDDED WITHIN THE INSTITUTION. BUT UNLESS FACULTY AND ADMINSITRATORS ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE TODAY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW THIS SACRED EXPERIENCE TO BE UNDERVALUED WITHIN THE INSTITUTION, AND LESS EFFECTIVE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE BARRIERS AND LIMITATIONS TO TEACHING FROM THE HEART. AND THOSE OF US WHO TEACH FROM OUR HEARTS AS WELL AS OUR HEADS MUST ENSURE THAT WE REDUCE AS MANY OF THOSE BARRIERS AS WE CAN. FOR THEY STAND IN THE WAY OF OUR PROCESS.
THIS JOURNEY OF TEACHING FROM THE HEART IS A CHALLENGING BUT REWARDING EXPERIENCE. IT IS A JOURNEY OF SPIRIT AND UNPREDICTABILITY. IT IS A JOURNEY OF RISK AND TEARS. IT IS A TREK ACROSS THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF OUR SOULS. WHAT WE DISCOVER IN THE PROCESS CAN BE LIFE LASTING. I DON’T THINK MOST OF US TEACH BECAUSE WE FEEL WE KNOW IT ALL. WE TEACH BECAUSE WE WANT TO LEARN. THE BEAUTY OF TEACHING FROM THE HEART IS THAT WE NOT ONLY LEARN ABOUT CONTRACTS AND TAX, WE LEARN ABOUT OURSELVES. WE LEARN ABOUT OUR OWN POWER AND LIMITATIONS. AND WE LEARN THAT OUR LIVES AND OUR LIVING HAVE MEANING FOR US AND FOR MANY WHO SIT IN FRONT OF US EACH DAY.
IT IS OFTEN SAID THAT “A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE”, BUT A HEART IS A FATAL THING TO LOSE. WHEN WE CAN NO LONGER TEACH FROM THE HEART, WE SHOULD STOP. FOR WITHOUT THE HEART, WE ARE DESECRATING SACRED GROUND. THE PRIVILEGE TO STAND BEFORE OTHERS AND GUIDE THEM IN SELF DISCOVEY IS A HOLY ACT THAT SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND ITS POWER AND REVERE THIS PRIVILEGE.
SO WE MUST GO BACK TO OUR INSTITUTIONS MORE HUMBLE THAN WE LEFT. WE MUST GO BACK REVIVED AND REFUELED. WE MUST GO BACK WANTING TO CREATE SOME SPACE FOR CHANGE IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR INSTITUTIONS. AND WE GO BACK KNOWING IN OUR HEARTS THAT THE CHANGES WE CREATE IN OUR TEACHING AND IN OUR STUDENT’S LEARNING, CREATES A FORCE AND A SPIRIT THAT CAN CHANGE US AND THE WORLD. SO LET US TEACH, LEARN AND LIVE FROM OUR HEARTS.