A Philosophy of Faculty Development — from derekbruff.org by Derek Bruff
Excerpts:
Fortunately, a few questions at the beginning of a conversation can go a long way here. “Tell me about your teaching experience over the last few years?” “What does a typical class session look like for you?” “What can you tell me about the students who are taking your course?”
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Asking good questions is a key skill for a faculty developer. You ask questions to understand an instructor’s beliefs about teaching and to figure out what’s driving some problem they’ve identified. You also ask questions to help an instructor explore possible solutions or changes to their teaching practice.
Faculty are professionals, and if they’re going to make a change to their practice that’s successful, they need to own that change. Leading with a non-directive consulting approach is usually the best approach.