Summary of Teaching
The constructivist framework suggests that learning takes place when students are actively involved in the learning process. This process involves allowing students the opportunity to create, connect and direct their own knowledge. To that end, adoption of this approach requires me to employ various modes of instruction to provide students the opportunity to acquire new learning. Since all courses in the Master’s and Doctorate Programs for Educational Leadership are taught online, I seek to provide varying activities and lessons to increase student engagement. Student activities range from group projects, paper submissions, relevant data analysis, timely and pertinent videos, text readings, and the like. As a former principal and central office director, I am able to provide my students with practical expertise directly related to educational leadership. My practitioner-based approach is fully embedded in course development and delivery of content.
My teaching requirements consist of 3 courses per semester. There are a total of 10 courses in our Master’s Program. Of the 10 courses, I have had the privilege to teach 9 of these courses. This provides me the unique perspective of vertical and horizontal alignment of curriculum taught within the program. There are a total of 11 core/research courses required for the Doctoral Program. Of the 11 courses, I have had the privilege to teach 6 of those courses. The wide variety of courses I have taught exemplifies my abilities to be flexible and share my broad-based administrative perspectives with students. The number of courses taught has also afforded me the ability to have an expansive understanding of overall program alignment. This perspective has been beneficial in discussions regarding curricular changes and adjustments at both the masters and doctoral levels.
In addition to my regular teaching load, I have been assigned as “course lead” for 3 courses. Responsibilities as course lead include creating and updating courses with latest information including legislative changes, creating critical assignments aligned to principal standards, and serving as the contact person for any other faculty members who teach the assigned courses in which I lead. Further, at various times throughout my tenure as program coordinator, I have been tasked with course development of courses in which I no longer serve as lead.
I feel it is worth noting that I teach one to two sections of EDAD 718 (Dissertation Course). I am currently chairing 14 dissertations. I began teaching this course during the summer of 2014. I have graduated 24 students and have 2 additional students currently in the proposal stage. Further, I have served on 24 additional dissertation committees of students who have graduated.
Teaching fully online courses has provoked the need to include unique and interesting course content. My goal as an online professor is to personalize the courses as much as possible yet maintain increased rigor and depth of all content. This effort includes constant communication with students via phone, email, zoom, text and face to face as needed.
