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Not me at all….

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Mutual respect has always been a huge part of my career. I believe everyone deserves respect and that having mutual respect for one another will create an environment where everyone can thrive.

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I am taking another PIDP course at the same time, and one of the resources in the course was this video. I like how Professor Wolters created an acronym for useful reminders to be a great teacher. Check it out!

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Week 8 - Professional Development Plan

What is my plan for professional development? As I previously stated, my main goal is completing my PIDP. Once it’s completed, I will focus mainly on perfecting my instructional materials, incorporating many of the instructional techniques I will have learned from completing the PIDP. I foresee this taking a minimum of two years to get to a point where I am happy with my materials. Afterward, and perhaps even during this process, I will focus on completing a program I started before I became an instructor—the Automation, Control, Installation, and Maintenance (ACIM) Program at BCIT. It consists of eight courses, three of which I have already completed. Completing this program will further my electrical knowledge, allowing me to start teaching these same part-time courses on weekends.

I hadn’t considered attending conferences until I was faced with the question—thanks Karen. After a quick Google search, I found what seems to be a reliable resource for educational conferences: We Are Teachers has a consolidated list of the best education conferences for 2024–2025. I will keep an eye on this resource, specifically the GYTO (Get Your Teach On) conference, as it seems like the type of conference that would match my teaching style the most.

References

We Are Teachers staff. (2024). The best education conferences to check out in 2024 and 2025. https://www.weareteachers.com/best-education-conferences/

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Week 7 - The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 1

Brookfield (2015) gets me once again. Laughing at the way he see’s things and words his writing. One of his memorable quotes being “classrooms can be thought of as arenas of confusion where teachers are struggling gladiators of ambiguity” (Brookfield, 2015, p. 7).

This chapter connected with me in a lot of ways. Brookfield (2015) talks about the feelings of uncertainty as an instructor. He uses the term “muddling” when talking about teachers trying to navigate their way through the classroom and the “visceral joy” (p. 3) that sometimes accompanies it. He mentions how as an instructor you will have times of calm, turbulence, uncertainty and feelings of uncertainty and being an imposter. All of these being exactly how I have felt in my journey joining the profession. Reading this chapter gave me a sense of relief, knowing that I am not alone in these feelings and that there are ways to navigate this incredible journey.

“If you don’t already do so, then you should probably begin to trust your inner voice a little more and accept the possibility that your instincts, intuitions, and insights might possess as much validity as those of experts in the field” (Brookfield, 2015, p. 13)

References

Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

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Week 6 - My Professional Goals

Where do I want to be as an instructor in the next five years? My current vision is to become a full-time instructor, no longer on a contract basis, with my instructor’s diploma completed and a well-constructed curriculum in place.

I’ve already completed one course in the diploma program and am currently working on two simultaneously. After finishing these, I plan to continue by taking one course at a time while working and two when I have time off, to complete my PIDP (Provincial Instructors Diploma Program) in a timely manner.

By earning my PIDP, I’ll be better equipped to review and refine my curriculum, creating a solid foundation with room for continuous improvement. Up to now, my focus has been on making my material adequate for instruction, but I haven’t seen much value in refining it without fully understanding the art of teaching. I will continue working on my curriculum during the PIDP but anticipate most of the significant improvements will come after completing the program.

These two components of my five-year plan - completing my PIDP and refining my curriculum - will lay the foundation for becoming a full-time instructor. While the PIDP isn’t required by my institution, it’s preferred, which would make me a stronger candidate than those without it. Additionally, working closely with my superiors and having a refined curriculum will likely be recognized and, hopefully, reflected in my students’ success.

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I enjoyed this Ted talk. It talks mainly about young children’s opinion of a good teacher being great but I think a lot of it still applies.

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Week 5 - The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 17

I really enjoyed this chapter. I’m currently taking two courses simultaneously and have realized how much I like Brookfield’s writing style. I burst out laughing when Brookfield (2015) wrote about handling resistant students by saying, “this happens when I group all the hardcore resisters into one team and set them a project to work on outside of the classroom. They can then go off, vent together, and eventually implode into a black hole of negativity while the rest of us can get on with some work” (p. 238). I even read the quote aloud to my wife while laughing.

Resistance in the classroom, especially among trades students, is common. So far, I haven’t had a student outright refuse to do the work, which might be due to the nature of our program. Students pay to be here, the syllabus is set and mandatory for passing, and there’s a standardized exam at the end over which instructors have no control. Extrinsic motivators, such as a pay raise, also help reduce resistance. That said, there’s still some pushback, usually on the same modules across different classes.

This chapter gave me ideas for future classes, one of which is creating situations where students can succeed. I plan to use Brookfield’s (2015) example of asking each student to describe the worst teacher or classroom they’ve ever experienced (p. 235). Not only does this create an opportunity for success, but it also provides useful feedback about what students don’t value.

References

Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

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Week 4 - The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 18

I chose this chapter because I’ve had inner struggles and encountered situations regarding power in the classroom. Finding the balance where students feel comfortable expressing themselves yet understand that a certain level of authority must be maintained, is, in my opinion, a fine line to walk.

Brookfield reminds us that no matter how much we’d like to create a “powertopia,” it’s naïve to believe it’s possible. Like Brookfield, I entered teaching as a new instructor believing I could foster such an environment. However, I’m starting to see that this is not only unrealistic but can sometimes even hinder the class.

I agree with Brookfield, we cannot escape the fact that, ultimately, we hold the power in the classroom. As instructors, we need to use this power constructively rather than let it become overbearing. If we exercise this authority in a fair and consistent manner, students will know what to expect and will trust that the outcomes are just.

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Week 3 - The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 3

This chapter breaks down four core assumptions about skillful teaching. According to Brookfield (2015), skillful teaching is: whatever helps students learn, adopting a critically reflective stance toward your practice, maintaining a constant awareness of how students are experiencing their learning and perceiving teachers’ actions, and treating college students as adults.

As I read the chapter, I reflected on my experiences as an instructor and how I have demonstrated “skillful” teaching so far. I took notes for each section to help me recall my thoughts and how each concept applied to my teaching practice.

Skillful teaching is whatever helps students learn.

My understanding of this section is that what helps one person learn might not help another—it could even have the opposite effect. I related to Brookfield’s (2015) discussion about moving toward discussion-based teaching as quickly as possible. While this can be beneficial for some students, for others, it can cause confusion, frustration, or even fear. Personally, I’m the kind of student who likes to have some guidance at the beginning, just to “get my feet under me.” Once I reach that point, I tend to be relatively self-sufficient.

Skillful teachers adopt a critically reflective stand toward their practice.

I really liked this section. As a new instructor (and perhaps due to my personality), I find myself being highly reflective on how I lay out material, handle different situations, and evaluate students. I always want to know where I can improve to help my students succeed. Since I’m still new to teaching and have plenty of room for growth, having a reflective mindset really helps guide me toward becoming the best instructor I can be.

Skillful teachers have a constant awareness of how students are experiencing their learning and perceiving teachers’ actions.

At the end of each course, my students receive an instructional feedback form. This is an extremely helpful tool because it allows them to anonymously critique my work and offer suggestions for improvement. I must admit, every time I read this feedback, I feel a little sick to my stomach. It’s not that I receive bad feedback—most of it is quite positive—but it’s hard not to feel a sense of failure when reading any critique. That said, I know this is a valuable tool, and I’ll continue to push through that discomfort.

I’ve also developed the habit of tracking every question on evaluations, noting where students are succeeding and where they’re struggling. I use this information as a guide to identify areas where I may be lacking in material coverage and to improve my teaching.

College students should be treated as adults.

This one is quite applicable to my situation as a vocational instructor. There is a very large age range of students who attend my courses. Right from the beginning of the class I always lay out that this is adult learning so that the students know what to expect.

Within this section Brookfield (2015) talks about students trust in teachers and how students like to know that their teachers have lives outside of the classroom, but within reason. I am under the belief that “humanizing” the teacher creates a friendlier, open environment for the students. I have taught a few courses so far and the students have been very comfortable with me. They have brought up concerns, or improvements for next time, and we have open discussions about course materials. While these discussions are usually informative and helpful, they can sometimes get out of hand. This is why I believe there’s a fine line—students should feel comfortable with their instructor, but it’s possible for them to become too comfortable.

Reference List

Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.