“Our students aren’t the same as the high profile students you taught at your graduate institution. How would you change your approach to fit the needs of the students at X University?” This question, or a variation thereof, has become common in tenure-track job interviews. Some interviewees stumble through it blindly, hoping to get back to talking their research as quickly as they can.
But it’s a good question and one I’m learning how to answer this semester. My husband got a job in a different city and I am no longer teaching at my graduate institution. Instead, I’m teaching at a local community college with a very different student profile. Working with a new kind of student population has provided me with an opportunity to reevaluate my approach to teaching and refine my teaching skills.
Many of the things I’m learning (or relearning for a different audience) are common sense. It is hard to argue that prioritizing, accessibility, being flexible, and having patience are unique to my situation. However, being placed in a new educational environment brings the importance of these skills into stark relief. Some of these concepts have taken on new meaning for me and have caused me to reassess what I do in the classroom and, most importantly, how I do it.
Prioritizing, or rather reprioritizing, has been one of the biggest challenges. When teaching at my graduate institution, I was used to setting the content agenda for the course. The course followed my priorities in terms of what was covered, how much time was spent on it, and how students were assessed. I’m learning that this method does not work as well with my community college students. Sometimes students get hung up on concepts or content, requiring me to calculate what can be cut or combined so students have the time to work through their difficulties. This can be difficult, as no teacher wants to cut content, but this kind of reprioritizing has improved academic success in my classroom.
“Accessibility” takes on a few meanings for me, depending on the issue at hand. For me, making the lectures clear and understandable is probably the most important meaning of “accessibility.” I’m now prepared to define words when needed and I go over content slowly and deliberately – all in an effort to make sure that students fully comprehend the material. “Accessibility” is not limited to lecture and I also make sure that the discussion questions are accessible to all who have read the material in an effort to foster a sense of inclusion and encourage those who would normally be silent to talk. Lastly, I have made myself more available to students beyond traditional office hours. Specifically, I’ve given them my cell number and have invited them to text me if they have any questions. This has worked well, as students who would not usually ask for help are willing to reach out via text.
Without flexibility, accessibility and reprioritizing would not be possible. I’m learning to be less rigid in my expectations and to be willing to make changes when necessary. An example of this came at the beginning of the semester when the students handed in their first set of discussion questions. It was clear that they had a hard time understanding the assignment and my expectations of their work. I had to be flexible enough to reprioritize and make the assignment more accessible, taking the time to go over the assignment again and giving students the opportunity to resubmit their questions.
Finally, a perhaps most importantly, I’m learning patience. This is not to say that I was impatient or pompous when teaching at my graduate institution, but rather these traits are even more important in my new role. Since this is a new experience for me and for many of my students, I have to remember to be patient with myself and with them. I’m learning not to get frustrated when they don’t have certain types of previous knowledge and I’m learning not to get frustrated with myself when I get frustrated with them.
These are just a few of the many things I am learning teaching in a new environment. Patience, flexibility, accessibility, and reprioritizing are the most recurring issues, but they are not the only ones. Every day there is something new to contend with – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
