Although different in who we are and how we teach, common threads bind us in our joint endeavor as SPS instructors educating SPS students. If we are to fulfill our promise to those students, if we are to give them the opportunity to grow profoundly, there are certain things we each must embody in our relationships with our students, each other, the College, and the community. If we are to be truly unique in offering something not available elsewhere, if we are to achieve excellence consistently, a common set of Core Values must animate our craft, daily and vigilantly. Below is an articulation, compiled with input from you and the Faculty Services team, of the Core Values of an SPS Instructor.
Authenticity – Teach
from who you are. Open real Dialogue
(see Martin Buber) and accept the honesty, humility, and vulnerability that
requires.
Quality – Establish
high performance standards and, with courage, consistently hold yourself and
your students accountable to them.
Expect greatness.
Responsibility – Recognize
your responsibility – to students, colleagues, and the College – to uphold and
foster academic integrity. Each class we
teach is an extension of the greater whole.
Academic
Rigor
– Challenge students with a rigorous academic journey in a supportive and
collaborative environment.
Empathy – Patiently
meet the student where the student needs to be met; remember what it was like
to not know what you now know.
Respect –Appreciate
the life experience and existing knowledge of your adult students by giving
them a true voice in the course.
Passion – Share
openly your passion for the subject matter and the learning process. Inspire by showing students why the content
is important to them.
Curiosity – Put the
subject in the center of the class and, along with the students, inquire about
it from every angle. Experience together
the awe and wonder of new Knowledge and meaningful connections.
Learning – Measure
success by what the students learn, not by what you teach and “cover”.
Feedback –Let
students know where they stand (and how they can climb higher) by creating a
culture of feedback. Provide timely,
frequent, and constructive guidance for improvement.
Self
Efficacy
– Seek to empower. Model good practice, provide
opportunities for mastery experiences, and coach students to be persistent and
resilient in the quest for excellence.
Accessibility – Be available
and meaningfully engage students both inside and outside of the classroom.
Legacy – Create
transformative learning experiences that will benefit students for life.
This list creates common expectations to which we can hold
each other and those who later enter our ranks. What do you think of the list? Does
it ring true? I invite your thoughts and
comments below.
