I also think that departmental/program meetings are a good way to help Instructors to feel as though they are part of a team. Regular conference meetings also serve to keep them informed.
Orientations for our new part-time Instructors begin with a telephone meeting where responsibilities, due-dates/deadlines, and deliverables are reviewed and the Instructor's questions are addressed.
Next:
1) The Instructor is required to complete
each class they will be asked to teach.
2) New Instructors complete several online
training courses designed to enhance
their online teaching skills.
3) Instructors learn how to navigate our
learning management system…this is
handled in a one-on-one training session.
4) The new Instructor is assigned a “Leadâ€
who provides support and guidance for
their first and subsequent classroom
experiences.
This process takes approximately four to six weeks.
Lori, you give a lot of hands-on training to your instructors which should help their performance. Have been happy with your instructor retention?
we are a medical training school, i am the one and only for the school as far as instructor /educational director, finacle, managment and any other position. i orient my instructors by walking them around the school, introductions, review of expectations, schedules and the flexability afterwards the orientation of the instructor in the class setting is as follow: i teach the first week of class with them as a student, we co teach the second week, the third week they are on their own with me as a student then they are evaluated at the end of the class.
It is a little difficult orienting new instructors that you can only communicate with via email and the telephone. However, we do have training ready for them. We currently do the following:
Training conference call
Enroll them into a class as a student to become familiar with the course and our learning management system
Enroll each new instructor into online training courses prior to teaching
Assign each a "mentor"
We are always continuing to improve our training to enhance the abilities of our instructors. We also offer continuing education courses for our more seasoned instructors.
Hi Samuel
There is a challenge in orienting online, distance or telecommuting instructors. Whether it is making them feel part of the team or making sure operational policies are known, it is difficult.
I think you have a good strategy in setting up a conference call to welcome and orient instructors.
John,
Maybe all new instructors should participate in a "new instructor's orientation conference call" to discuss the following:
Goals of school
Student demographics
Our Web Portal
Course Structure, grading rubric
Instructor Expectations
Etc.
Why don't you and I put this orientation together?
Hi John
Good response. What changes you could make in orientation to improve instructor retention?
Our new instructors receive training in different areas prior to offering a course at our institution. They are given a general orientation that includes general procedures, etc. ANother one in facilitation techniques, learning styles and a final one in assessment. What I would do differently next time might be to discuss the KSAO's with them and perhaps do an analysis to see which ones are possessed and wich ones need to be worked on.
Since most of our instructors are part time, there is no need to go over benefits. The resources that are available to each instructor are explained and email accounts are set up along with voice mail phone extensions.
There should be more standardized information provided to new instructors to make sure they are successful.
In order to offer a new faculty orientation, we make sure that we spend a reasonable amount of time with them. We offer them a first interview where we give them a new faculty orientation, then we offer them a whole day of trainings that include facilitation techniques, learning styles and adult learners, and finally a trianing on assessment. In the new faculty orientation we give them a tour of the institution and we also give them information on procedures, policies and guidelines, etc.
Kim, I have been doing this for eleven years and have an instructors manual. This manual has been updated, changed and changed again. We are always finding new ideas and information that will help instructors to do the best work they can. It's all about education and it doesn't matter what side of the desk you are on.
We often have the new hire sit through classes taught by our other instructors. Then have the instructor take the new person to lunch to discuss techniques, ideas, and curriculum.
Hi Heather
Support is important in the success of your instructors.
In addition to the steps you mentioned, we did a few other things. First, we had frequent observations by a senior instructor or the department chair.
We also took a survey of students in the class. This survey was different from the end of term survey we normally did. It helped alert us to potential problems in the classroom that could be corrected during the term. We did this about
3-4 weeks into the term.
It sounds like you have made tremendous strides in improving the odds for success for your new instructors. Congratulations!
In the very recent past (and for as long as I can remember), new instructors were oriented by the hiring manager. Depending upon how much time existed between the hire and the first day of class usually dictated the depth and length of orientation. This part of our hiring process has been very weak for a very long time.
Over the past six months, our Academic Department has developed an orientation and formal training program for new instructors. Each new instructor must do the following:
1. "New Employee Orientation" - relevant to all employees of the college regardless of department.
2. "New Instructor Orientation" - We have created a "New Instructor Resource Manual" to be used at this orientation and given to the instructor to keep as reference. The manual is divided up into five parts: (1) Welcome Letter; (2) Policies and Procedures; (3) Company Forms with explanations; (4) Success with Students (teaching tips, classroom management strategies, test development, lesson planning, etc.); and (5) Professional Development.
3. New instructors must observe a class being taught by a mentor instructor for a minumum of two times.
4. New instructors must attend a "New Student Orientation" held prior to each term.
5. New instructors must attend "New Instructor Workshops" during their first year of teaching. (We have developed 5 workshops on various topics relevant to teaching, 1 is given every 10 weeks.)
This upcoming term in January will be our first time through our new Orientation and formal training program. We are very hopeful that this structure will give new instructors a jump start in being successful at our college.
Lucinda, I would completely agree with you and the system you have in place. The process of mentoring instructors and setting them up for success can improve both instructor and student retention. It sounds like you have developed a system could be implemented by most schools.
Thank you for sharing.
Orientation involves several steps. It lasts several weeks prior to beginning to teach. This includes meeting all faculty and staff. Human Resources and the IT departments meet with the instructor. New instructors are required to observe classes for several weeks. They attend teacher training workshops every week. Finally, they prepare lessons and actually teach another instructor's class before taking on their own classes. This whole process takes several weeks. It is important to hire new instructors well in advance of the date they will actually have their own classes. It is a very good investment in instructional success.
That's a great idea. I always encouraged instructors to be very familiar with the catalog or handbook. It explains how many operational situations should be handled.
Thanks for your response, Kim.
Yes. Even with this orientation process, there is much information given and just like with students it is not all retained...I would like to see some kind of in house "information booth" that instructors could go to to "look up" the answers to school procedures & policy. Maybe a pc in the teachers workroom, intranet, etc.
It's good you have a formalized process, Kim. Is there anything you would add to what you currently do?
