✔ Are you thinking about changing teaching strategies? ✔ Do you want an experienced buddy to chat about teaching? ✔ Are you trying to crack a pedagogical conundrum? ✔ Are you seeking a partner to help you excel in the classroom as you navigate the promotions process? ➜The Classroom Pairs Faculty Program offers the opportunity for such collaborations! Learn More and connect today.
The Classroom Pairs Faculty Program is inviting faculty members who are looking to develop their teaching to tap into this dedicated network of coach-colleagues. Program coaches are fellow faculty with expertise to share on teaching tactics and classroom challenges, and they are committed to helping others meet their goals.
The Classroom Pairs program is designed to be individualized and support faculty in all stages of their career.
Depending on your goals, pairs can:
- review syllabi, curriculum, or specific lessons;
- share advice on classroom management;
- tips on working with ‘difficult’ students;
- guidance on effective classroom or out-of-classroom activities;
- integrating technology to encourage student engagement;
- or discussions on alternative pedagogical approaches;
- guidance on use of active student learning tactics such as think-pair-share, case studies, peer review, or problem-based learning;
- and so much more.
Participation in the program is 100% confidential and can be helpful as you are demonstrating effort to improve teaching effectiveness and continued growth when applying for tenure and promotion. More below on how it works and the successes that come from connecting with the Classrooms Pairs Faculty Program.
Getting started is easy.
Contact us at teaching@clarkson.edu.
If you are interested in participating as a Classroom Pair coach-colleague, please reach out (teaching@clarkson.edu), and specify in what areas (disciplines, pedagogy, techniques, experience levels) you feel strongest in serving as a coach.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire teaching-specific mentorship, often outside the boundaries of your Department and/or School!
How does this work?
1) You contact the Classroom Pairs Faculty Program Committee (currently Kathleen Fowler, Laura Perry, Craig Merrett, Kathleen Issen, Erin Blauvelt, Jan DeWaters, Chair: Alexander Cohen) to request more information or a coach. Contact email teaching@clarkson.edu
2) We contact you and have a conversation about what you are interested in working on in your teaching practice.
3) We connect you with a classroom pair coach to set up an initial meeting of the pair.
4) If it looks like a good fit, off you go.
5) If it doesn’t look like a good fit, as sometimes happens, we find another who may be a better fit.
Classroom Pairs are Successful
Scenario 1: Early Career Faculty / Faculty teaching a course for the first time
An early career faculty member might request assistance with syllabus development, pacing and breadth of a course, and general logistical assistance. This person might meet with the classroom pair coach after submitting syllabi drafts for review, then schedule a couple of meetings during the semester to review materials and discuss improvements.
Scenario 2: Mid-career Faculty / Faculty who have taught a course for 2-4 years
A mid-career faculty member might wish to learn new classroom strategies to, for example, increase student success on assessments. In this case, the mid-career faculty member might share the course assessments with the classroom coach. The classroom pair coach can then suggest different options for assessments, review alignment of assessments with course objectives, and work with the faculty member to improve student outcomes.
Scenario 3: Established Faculty / Faculty who have taught a course for 5 years or more
An established member of the faculty might reach out to learn new pedagogical practices for their course. This might include project-based learning strategies, inquiry models, discussion models, or effective case-history approaches. The classroom pair coach, in this case, might observe a class, review course objectives, and work with the faculty member to develop new curricular materials and activities to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.
Getting started is easy.
Contact us at teaching@clarkson.edu.