Faculty members in each school and college declared 2015–16 the Year of the Teacher.
The idea started in spring of 2015, when a group of department chairs from across campus took it upon themselves to establish a grassroots movement among faculty from all colleges and schools to celebrate what we see as a main goal and virtue of our institution within the Jesuit context – teaching and learning.
They set up a steering group, a cadre of college and school representatives (all listed below), and planned a series of events with gradually increasing logistical support from the Center for Faculty Development (CETL).
Now that the year is over, information about events has been transitioned permanently to the CETL website. Events are shown below in reverse chronological order.
In “Teaching Tales,” our final celebration for the Year of the Teacher series of events, we premiered and discussed videos of stellar Seattle University teachers from across campus. We heard them talking about the art and science of teaching to inspire us all in our vital work as educators.
All three videos are here on the Year of the Teacher web page.
1. Meet our faculty participants (2:08)
2. Why I Teach (4:10)
3. Teaching Tales (24:09)
The Teaching Tales project was filmed by Georg Koszulinski, Assistant Professor of Film Studies, and students from the Film Studies program.
Faculty participants in the films were
Continuing the spirit of shaking things up a little and celebrating our teaching, we invited faculty to open the doors of their classroom to faculty colleagues from other disciplines during the week of May 2.
In an initial announcement we asked for volunteers, and 35 individual faculty members agreed to open their doors in 46 classes. Subsequently, faculty could sign up to attend classes outside their departments to create a vibrant opportunity to listen, watch, and learn from one other across the disciplines.
What goes on in other people's classrooms? How do you organize classes to achieve a variety of ends, whether discipline-specific or now? In this interactive session, six faculty members from various schools and colleges from around Seattle U briefly shared their unique teaching strategies from their disciplines, including clinical labs, service learning, literary studies, creative arts, and communication.
After these brief introductions from our speakers, participants could talk with them in greater detail, try out the activities and approaches the presenters used, and explore together how those approaches might translate into their own fields.
Faculty speakers were
Students often don’t know why we do what we do; what is it about teaching that makes us enthusiastic, engaged, challenged? For this “guerrilla” event, we encouraged faculty to tell their students what they love about teaching, and to ask their students to tell their teachers what they love about learning.
To promote the conversation further, we hung up posters in every classroom on campus (or directly outside the classroom in the School of Law), saying “Ask me why I teach, then tell me why you learn.” In some classes, students took up the challenge from the poster and posed the question themselves. And everyone who participated came away knowing a little more about what makes us all tick in a learning environment.
In this initial festive, catered event, teachers met teachers as teachers. The fall kick-off proved an unconventional gathering where faculty were invited to express insights, tales, and dreams related to their teaching. The year’s events were previewed (and displayed on the poster below) and, as with all Year of the Teacher events, all faculty were invited.
Sven Arvidson, College of Arts & Sciences
David Green, Center for Faculty Development
Richard LeBlanc, College of Science & Engineering
Erica Lilleleht, College of Arts & Sciences
Susan Matt, College of Nursing
Jacquelyn Miller, Center for Faculty Development
Megan Otis, Center for Faculty Development
Michelle DuBois, College of Science & Engineering
Amy Eva, College of Education
Trish Henley, School of New & Continuing Studies
Emily Lieb, Matteo Ricci College
John McKay, School of Law
Madhu Rao, Albers School of Business & Economics
Michael Trice, School of Theology & Ministry