1. Description of Competency

Teaching is context-sensitive. It is required for an instructor (1) to understand what universities and students want and value, and (2) to reflect those expectations and values when they teach.

2. Artifact(s)

To better understand the university context, I attended the workshop for certification in the college teaching institute on May 9th, 2019. The workshop covered how to cultivate effective learning environments by promoting student success and engagement and creating inclusive learning spaces. You can find the workshop materials here (schedule and agenda, worksheet for the session addressing the university context, and my teaching philosophy). I also took the effective teaching class (CAS892-304 Effective Teaching) in the summer of 2019 and the job market class (CAS892-734 Job Market) in the summer of 2022 to understand universities' expectations when hiring faculties. You can find the syllabus of CAS892-304 here and the syllabus of CAS892-734 here.

3. Artifact(s) Rationale

The workshop was designed to build around experiences in and demonstration of learning in five competency areas including understanding the university context. The topic included: faculty rights, roles, and responsibilities, teaching as a research and professional development, and developing a professional teaching presence and plan. The course I took also prepared me for the job search and helped to understand the environment of higher education.

4. Interpretation and Reflection

It is often easy to forget that the objectives of teaching should meet not only students' expectations but also universities'. Although all academic institutions desire to provide an exceptional quality of educational experiences for students, their priorities could vary based on their type. For instance, a research institution, such as Michigan State University, aims "to advance knowledge and provide outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to promising, qualified students in order to prepare them to contribute fully to society" and "to conduct research of the highest caliber that seeks to answer questions and create solutions in order to expand human understanding. (MSU Mission Statement)." As such, a research institution expects to advance and expand human knowledge based on research-driven activities. Meanwhile, a teaching institution aims to support students' academic and professional growth by challenging and engaging students. Not only institutions but also students would have different expectations depending on the types of institutions. Thus, it is critical for instructors to understand the institution's priorities and its missions to meet those expectations, to better serve students.

In addition to this, teaching should reflect instructors' values. Through attending the teaching workshop and taking the relevant classes, I have reflected on myself to find my value as a teacher. It started with looking back into my teaching experiences from volunteer teaching for high school students in South Korea to teaching in a research institution as an instructor of record. As a teacher, I always try to build an inclusive learning community. Every student is differentially prepared and abled; they have different motivations while taking the course. I view myself in the classroom as “a tailor” in that I change the abstract materials into something tangible and I design the course based on students’ needs and backgrounds. Based on this reflection, I could prepare a teaching philosophy statement (You can find my teaching philosophy here).

In sum, understanding the university context and my core value as a teacher gave me an opportunity to align my teaching with the university's mission and my core value.