Reclaiming the Nobility of Teaching

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Reclaiming the Nobility of Teaching
Mark David MillironLeague for Innovation in the
Community College
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• 1983 A Nation At-Risk
• Reform efforts TQM CQI Reengineering
• Learning Revolution
• Anachronistic Irony
• Goal Displacement
• Teaching-Centered vs. Learning-Centered Colleges
• Tempering and Refocusing
• Reclaiming Nobility
• Antics with Semantics
• T L Dialectic
• Teaching ? Bad Teaching
• Great Teachers Learning Centered

Reclaimingthe Nobility ofTeaching
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Baby Tests
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Baby Tests

• Mess Test
• Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos. (If Legos are
  not available, you may substitute roofing tacks
  or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all
  over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk
  to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this
  could wake a child at night).

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Baby Tests

• Feeding Test
• Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway
  with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout
  cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert
  spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or
  Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug while
  pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the
  contents of the jug on the floor.

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Baby Tests

• Financial Test
• Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on
  the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now
  proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head
  office and arrange for your paycheck to be
  directly deposited to the store. Finally, learn
  to enjoy the clothes in your closet today
  youll likely have the same wardrobe when your
  children graduate from college.

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Baby Tests

• Grocery Store Test
• Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best)
  and take them with you as you shop at the grocery
  store. Without using a leash on the animal(s),
  try to complete your shopping while keeping them
  in sight and under control. Pay for anything they
  eat or damage.

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Baby Tests

• Physical Test (Women)
• Obtain a large bean-bag chair and attach it to
  the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9
  months. Now remove 10 of the beans.

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Reclaimingthe Nobility ofTeaching

• Nobility of the Student
• Discover, Value, Develop
• Nobility of the Teacher
• Discover, Value, Develop
• Nobility of Learning
• Discover, Value, Develop

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• Discover
• Be Student Centered
• Your primary commitment is to students keep
  your focus on that!
• Listen to students closely
• Make contact get to know them
• Explore the range of community college student
  issues
• At-Risk, Part-time, Workforce, and Digital Age
  Students

Nobility of theStudent
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Average Community College

• First generation student/little support
• Few/No Connections
• Place bound/ Provincial
• Failure/ Unreachable or no goals
• Work 30 pr/w with key adversities
• Age 29

• Strong family expectations/support
• Connections/Mentor
• World View / Traveled
• Success experienced/ Goal oriented
• Adversity free/ Low work levels
• Age 19-22

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Average Community College

• Returning women/ single mothers
• High diversity
• Economic insecurity/ 1/3 below poverty
• Desperate
• Academically weak
• Low SATs/ GED
• Top 99

• Young women/ recent high school grads
• Low diversity
• Economic security/ 100K Family income
• Motivated
• Academically talented
• SAT 1300
• Top 10

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• Value
• Always show respect
• Demonstrate care and empathy
• Praise/celebrate/reward students
• Value student contributions
• Actively involve students

Nobility of theStudent
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• Develop
• Set high expectations and give challenging work
• Foster student motivation and success skills
• Encourage humor and humanity
• Embrace teaching life
• Shape behavior
• Foster content mastery
• Foster learning mastery

Nobility of theStudent
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• Discover
• Why do you teach?
• A desire to make a difference
• The love of the subject
• The love of learning
• The love of people
• The love of teaching
• A positive role model
• Serendipity
• "Someone needed a teacher fast--and then I found
  my soul."

Nobility of theTeacher
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• Discover
• What do you have to teach?
• Be open and honest
• Parker Palmers The Courage to Teach Who you
  are often speaks as loud as what you do
• Who else teaches?
• Faculty, staff, students
• What are the issues?
• Massive turnover, legacy and culture issues

Nobility of theTeacher
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• Value
• Set high expectations for yourself
• Show respect for yourself and others who teach
• Be positive about yourself and others
• Be enthusiastic/share joy
• Value the intrinsic rewards
• "Don't expect to get rich in material terms, but
  do expect a great and exciting life."

Nobility of theTeacher
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• Develop
• Find a mentor or be a mentor
• "Get a mentorselect one who will actively help
  you grow as a teacher one who will encourage you
  and challenge you to do your best."
• Strive for balance
• Keep learning about your content area and other
  disciplines as well
• Walk your talk
• Grow, dont wither

Nobility of theTeacher
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• Discover
• Explore learning about your discipline
• Explore learning beyond
• K. Patricia Cross Learning is About Making
  Connections
• Content
• Context
• Community
• Explore your educational philosophy
• Constantly innovate, change, and strive to learn
  more about learning

Nobility of Learning
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• Value
• Strive for and reward higher learning
• Assess learning in a variety of ways
• Classroom research Testing Applications Verbal
  and nonverbal feedback Engage them in helping
  others Written feedback Group work
  Out-of-class interactions
• Ask the burning question does this practice,
  pedagogy, or technology improve or expand
  learning?

Nobility of Learning
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• Develop
• Impresarios, Catalysts Explore and try out a
  range of teaching techniques fill the toolbox
• Student-driven learning
• Student production of knowledge
• Collaborative learning
• Emphasize relevance, application, utility
• Students as Teachers
• Touch multiple learning styles
• Technology Utility not Novelty, TLC

Nobility of Learning
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• In a time of drastic change it is the learners
  who inherit the future. The learned usually find
  themselves equipped to live in a world that no
  longer exists. Eric Hoffer

Nobility of Learning
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Reclaimingthe Nobility ofTeaching

• Nobility of the Student
• Discover, Value, Develop
• Nobility of the Teacher
• Discover, Value, Develop
• Nobility of Learning
• Discover, Value, Develop

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Reclaimingthe Nobility ofTeaching

• I AM A TEACHER
• John W. Schlatter,