How Have You Developed As an Instructor and Embodied HCC S Values?

“How have you developed as an instructor and embodied HCC’s values?”

Faculty Member Name Instructor, teaching discipline Division Name Teaching Portfolio 2012-2016 When I started at Howard Community College (HCC) as a temporary full-time faculty member in 2011, Sue Frankel, a long-time English professor, was retiring. She had started StepUp, a program that helps students connect with faculty and with the school. She wanted to help students beyond the classroom. During that first year, I observed that all faculty had compassion for students and thirst for great teaching and that the department provided freedom and flexibility for the instructors to explore different facets of teaching and learning both in and out of the classroom. It was evident that this kind of commitment led the birth of programs such as StepUp. I have had the privilege of teaching in this environment for almost four years, and it has been a meaningful time of improvement, discovery, and collaboration that have rewarded me with growth as a teacher who embodies HCC’s values.

When I reflect upon my four years of teaching experience at HCC, the first course that comes to mind is XYZ 123: [Sample Course Name]. During the first year, XYZ 123 was the most challenging class I had ever taught, and it left me with a lot of self-doubt; however, I also saw it as an exciting challenge and opportunity to grow. I consulted with colleagues, developed the course in different ways, requested observations, attended workshops, researched materials, and learned to analyze IDEA surveys, then requested the IDEA long form to get more information from students. My IDEA survey result began to improve: in 2012, the IDEA survey Adjusted Summary Evaluation score was

3.0; in 2014, it was 4.3. Furthermore, I began to enjoy the course tremendously each semester with my students, which was a personal triumph. The rising survey scores, the

‘Strongly Agrees in all my observations, or the “Excellent” in all MAPs were wonderful, but I found studying the content, improving instruction, analyzing surveys, and relating to students most satisfying. From this experience, I learned to address and resolve possible difficulties in the classroom and the value of approaching instruction as a learner. Now, I am able to share some of this with my colleagues while serving as an XYZ 123 mentor.

Teaching Improvement Projects (TIPs) were great opportunities to explore “What do I want to know more about college students and teaching?” The first year (temporary full-time year) TIP on student-teacher conference requirement led me to question students’ sense of responsibility and ownership of their own academic and personal life, which piqued my strong interest in First Year Experience (FYEX). Since 2013, FYEX works with representatives from all departments in the college to make FYEX more interdisciplinary. The first probationary year TIP on Audience Awareness through

Blogging led to a professional development session at HCC and presentation at MCAPD.

The second year TIP on the level of critical thinking skills in FYEX students at the beginning and at the end of the semester got me start thinking about critical thinking instruction in FYEX, and I was only happy to oblige when I was asked to be a part of the

Cross-functional Education Team.

I sought opportunities to learn and collaborate through programs such as Faculty

Professional Learning Communities (FPLC) and Reading Circles, which played an integral role in my development as an instructor. The first FPLC, Cross-Cultural

Communication, helped me to respect and nurture diverse cultures represented in the classroom. To further explore different cultures, I joined “Middle Eastern Literature” for personal growth and learning. In FYE FPLC, we read two books that will be invaluable to me as an instructor: What Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain and Brain-Based

Learning by Ken Jensen, which helped me to be a lot more thoughtful when planning lessons. I have also co-led a Reading Circle on Teaching First-Year College Students by

Bette LaSere Erickson to learn more about the first-year students I meet everyday.

In addition to growing as an instructor, I have embodied HCC’s values in many ways. I embodied Inspire by taking part in FPLC, workshops, conferences, presentations, summer grant projects and reading circles, co-coordinating FYEX and completing TIPs and Maps. I practiced Nurturing through FPLC, StepUp, advising and CLC tutoring. I also encouraged Sustainability by having a paperless classroom, co-leading an

Interdisciplinary Committee, and being in the Tutoring Towards the Top team. I have formed Partnerships with the Library, Career & Counseling Services, Academic Support

Services, and Chesapeake Conference. My expectations of the students, classroom instruction and interaction with students exhibit Integrity and Respect. I have strived for

Excellence by participating LOAs, professional developments, and receiving great observations. Lastly, I embodied Service through volunteering and mentoring. These are just some examples of how I have made HCC’s values an important part of my teaching career in the past four years.

Surrounded by colleagues I respect and supported by chairs Jane Doe and John

Smith, Dean Ann Onymous and Associate Dean April Showers, I was able to develop as an instructor and embody HCC’s values through analyzing my instruction each semester, improving in the classroom, researching my pedagogical interests, collaborating with colleagues and being an active member of the HCC community. In addition to everything

I have gained here at HCC, this journey has also been fun.

I have gotten to know HCC better and grown to love this amazing school, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be in the [redacted] Division. As I move on to the next stage at HCC, I look forward to continuing my work especially in areas of FYEX and my discipline, and I am excited about new divisional and campus-wide projects in the coming years.

Executive Summary: My development as an instructor involved analyzing my own instruction each semester, improving in the classroom, researching my pedagogical interests, and collaborating with colleagues across the campus. Furthermore, through taking leadership opportunities such as FYEX co-coordinator and XYZ 123 mentor roles, and involving in campus events and professional development opportunities, I have to come to embody HCC’s values both in and out of the classroom. Past four years have been a meaningful and enjoyable time of improvement and discovery that have rewarded me with growth as a teacher. I look forward to continuing my work especially in areas of FYEX and my discipline, and I am excited about new divisional and campus-wide projects in the coming years.