Tyler,
Thank you for this post. What are some ways you determine if potential students are a good fit?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I consider the existing skills and qualities of my current faculty and look for hiring an instructor who will not only fill the gaps in expertise, but who will diversify and compliment my faculty overall. Someone who wants to teach and has a record of student-focused and learner-centered personality who is open to change.
Theodore,
What do you do to build teaching skills for new hires?
Jeffrey Schillinger
My opinion is that methodology of teaching a particular subject is essential and as important as the knowledge of the subject. Too often instructor are hired that have great knowledge but do not know how to teach (methodology).
Theodore,
What would you say to those who feel knowledge of subject is not as important as knoledge of instructional methodology?
Jeffrey Schillinger
The skills to perform the job that my instructors are teaching is essential and cannot be overlooked. In fact, they must be VERY good at performing the job as they should be considered as a leader of that subject matter. After knowledge of subject matter there must be a passion for teaching it and the ability to break it down into its individual components. In a way you must dismantle the end product so that you can lead the student's in the process of "assembling it" to see the end result. Further, the faculty must posses the intuition to see past a surface question to what the student is really asking (where applicable).
Crystal,
The term "deal breaker" usually refers to a reason not to hire someone. The characteristics you list here seem to be the traits one would want in a faculty member.
Jeffrey Schillinger
First and foremost, the deal-breakers include: subject matter expertise, relevant work experience, and education/training that meets regulatory requirements.
Secondly, the "Other Characteristics" include patience, ability to communicate effectively, judgment and decision making skills, active listening skills, and dedication to impart wisdom and experience to the learners.
Stephen,
What are some specific things you do to identify theses traits in a candidate?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Approachable personality, ability to communicate and explain processes, experience in the subject matter area, and motivation for wanting to teach.
Kathy,
Gut feelings are important when hiring, but depending on your gut can expose one to second guessing or even a claim of discrimination. The more objective you can make the process, the less at risk you will be related to new hires.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I look for someone who has been in the field for at least 5 years, more recent is preferable. I look at where they've been in the past, their field of expertise. I go a lot on "gut feeling" taking into account appearance, attitude, communication skills, formation of ideas, contributions to the conversation, and friendliness. If they present a resume with grammatical errors and a goal that has nothing to do with teaching, I wonder if they are just throwing out as many resumes as they can. Unfortunately, I don't always get a good selections of people to choose from.
Matthew,
Thank you for this post. What are some of the techniques you use to identify these attributes in an instructional candidate?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Based on both prior hiring experience and current evaluation of the qualities of excellent instructors, I look for a variety of things in prospective hires, including:
An ernest desire to see students attain competency with the material, rather than a desire to "impart their knowledge and wisdom."
Strong communication skills. This means the ability to model what we teach, have difficult conversations with students, communicate expectations clearly and be able to do so with a spirit of support.
A strong understanding of learning styles and how to meet the needs of various learners.
And a committment to supporting all aspects of the campus. This means understanding that the instructor has a larger role than just their own classroom.
Omer,
What are some specific things you do to see if your subject matter experts are able to effectively convey their knowledge?
Jeffrey Schillinger
The instructors that I look for must have an extensive knowledge base in the course that they are teaching and be able to convey that knowledge in the many different ways that will appeal to the different learning styles and generational learners. Also the support that they offer the students must happen inside and outside of the classroom.
Carolyn,
What do you do to ensurre applicants with these qualities also can teach?
Jeffrey Schillinger
We look for instructors who are highly skilled in their field, have relevant experience and keep up with the industry's trends and latest information.
David,
Many career college faculty have knowledge of and passion for thie subject area. What do you do to help them develop effective teaching skills?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Krikor,
How can you assess a potential instructor's "comfort" in front of students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
