TEACHING
MY CORE VALUES
IDEALS & CHARACTERISTICS:
- We will succeed in our strategic goals to the extent we work together as a college. Personal-empire building belongs to the past.
- Professionalism means discipline, and concentration, aggressiveness in engaging our responsibilities, but not backbiting or undermining.
- Pride of profession, zeal for a craft, respect and admiration for coworkers, excitement and joy for each others achievements.
- Collegiality, the respectful demeanor toward peers and administrators who all share in our ability to serve humanity, inclusively, equitably, and passionately.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
The purpose of education is to increase clarity of thought. We are not hear to indoctrinate, but to clarify. We must make things simple. We do not serve any creed. We offer a foundation in the laws of nature and the human quest for truth. We also prepare their minds for many shades of human expression, however colorful, bright, dull, depressing, or fascinating.
The system of education needs improvement. Rather than feeling prepared to find employment with a wonderful new skill, students leave colleges with a very vague notion of the need to seek a job, but with nothing more than a general education. A general education may be laudable, but not in a trade school, especially when we consistently do not achieve goals. The system seems to constantly create new pathways to every more vague goals. A trade school ought to be streamlined, with efficient, clear pathways for students to follow. It would be wise to help students understand the freedom they have to choose various paths to a career: if seeking a trade--this is the pathway, if seeking a liberal education---go to that other school, if preparing for professional life and a four year education---these are the courses to prepare you for that pathway. Unfortunately what we have is not so simple.
Assessment research indicates a large segment of students are not being served well by their educational institutions. Many students are not ready for higher education (college readiness). Student proficiencies are often below the level at which a school can is prepared to address. Also, students who can be served are not achieving the desired levels of critical thinking and knowledge-readiness. Before institutions venture into new areas of education, it would be wise to assess achievement of the current goals:
Institutions have no business teaching subjects distracting them from the core curriculum.
Core curriculum courses for all disciplines, trades and professions may be as specific as necessary. Other courses should be taught as Foundation courses. Foundation courses should be defined as follows, enabling broad critical thinking skills through vocabulary development, critical reading, writing-composition, and oral-reasoning; this to be done through lecture, testing, short essays and discussion of art, literature, history, and philosophy. These parameters permit ample latitude of academic freedom for most instructors to express themselves freely. These goals are capable of infinite refinement, measurement and assessment; and are scientifically sound. Critical thinking should be the primary outcome sought in all Foundation courses.
The system of education needs improvement. Rather than feeling prepared to find employment with a wonderful new skill, students leave colleges with a very vague notion of the need to seek a job, but with nothing more than a general education. A general education may be laudable, but not in a trade school, especially when we consistently do not achieve goals. The system seems to constantly create new pathways to every more vague goals. A trade school ought to be streamlined, with efficient, clear pathways for students to follow. It would be wise to help students understand the freedom they have to choose various paths to a career: if seeking a trade--this is the pathway, if seeking a liberal education---go to that other school, if preparing for professional life and a four year education---these are the courses to prepare you for that pathway. Unfortunately what we have is not so simple.
Assessment research indicates a large segment of students are not being served well by their educational institutions. Many students are not ready for higher education (college readiness). Student proficiencies are often below the level at which a school can is prepared to address. Also, students who can be served are not achieving the desired levels of critical thinking and knowledge-readiness. Before institutions venture into new areas of education, it would be wise to assess achievement of the current goals:
- completion of degrees and certificate
- transfer to higher institutions
- reduced time to complete credentials
Institutions have no business teaching subjects distracting them from the core curriculum.
Core curriculum courses for all disciplines, trades and professions may be as specific as necessary. Other courses should be taught as Foundation courses. Foundation courses should be defined as follows, enabling broad critical thinking skills through vocabulary development, critical reading, writing-composition, and oral-reasoning; this to be done through lecture, testing, short essays and discussion of art, literature, history, and philosophy. These parameters permit ample latitude of academic freedom for most instructors to express themselves freely. These goals are capable of infinite refinement, measurement and assessment; and are scientifically sound. Critical thinking should be the primary outcome sought in all Foundation courses.