No matter where you are in your career, you have no doubt thought about your teaching: the structure of your courses, the kinds of assignments and assessments you create, the method of grading you use, whether or not you incorporate group work or projects, the digital tools you choose. It’s impossible to teach without doing some kind of planning, preparation, and consideration about the practical steps of creating and then running a course.
In this module, however, we want to turn our attention away from the practical considerations of teaching to some deeper considerations: namely the how and why of your teaching, or, your pedagogy. Your pedagogy is more than the practical choices you make. Your pedagogy is driven by your values and your answers to critical questions about why you teach the way you teach.
You are already making pedagogical choices, whether you are thinking about them explicitly or not. What we want to help you discern through this module of Design Forward is the intentionality behind those choices.
- Are you making choices because it’s what you experienced as a student? If so, are they the best choices for the students you have now?
- Are you making choices because they’re what you see your colleagues doing? If so, do those choices align with your values and hopes for your students?
- Are you making choices because they seem like the best practical options? If so, is there an opportunity to rethink how you teach so that you center purpose instead of practicality?
(Re)defining your pedagogy doesn’t mean making teaching harder or more complicated. In fact, it is our belief that as you move to a more purposeful approach to your teaching you can find more satisfaction in your work. When the design of your courses aligns with your values, you may find that you feel less friction as you prepare for and then teach your courses.
