I have always enjoyed teaching others. I began helping others with their learning process as a tutor at Edmonds Community College in the Learning Support Center. As a writing tutor I assisted students with writing research papers during all phases of research. I always try to understand from a student’s perspective. I was able to help with a range of writing tasks, including how to pick interesting research topics, forming thesis statements, where to find and how to evaluate scholarly sources, how to cite (both MLA and APA styles). If students were in the last phase of their writing process then I was available to help with common grammar and punctuation issues (tenses, styles, conjunctions, comma splices) and other proofreading skills.
My other specialization at the Learning Support Center at Edmonds Community College was tutoring for a specialized computer math class. I assisted students with problem solving skills, hexadecimal and binary conversions, as well as pre-programming structures. In all phases of the learning process, I have been happy to share the knowledge I have and help others to find the resources they need to continue their quest for knowledge.
“The job of an educator is to teach students to see the vitality in themselves.” – Joseph Campbell
Group Instruction
As an academic advisor at Edmonds Community College I taught the group workshops called New Student Orientations. These sessions were particularly helpful for students new to the college system. These workshops ensured easier navigation and success in the college. The instructional goals included how to find classes, the registration process, and a guide of where to find important resources such as Financial Aid, Enrollment Services, Advising Resources, and Services for Students with Disabilities. In addition to providing helpful handouts, there was plenty of time at the conclusion of the presentation to answer specific individual questions that students might have. In addition to these public speaking presentations, I also provided one-on-one instruction on how to use the online registration system, and of course advising sessions through face-to-face appointments, e-mail, and phone conversations.
Instructional Design
During my MLIS training I took a course on Instruction and Training Strategies for Information Professionals. Throughout the course I learned how to present information literacy workshops with an eye toward critical thinking, student-centered learning styles, and motivational learning techniques. As part of this instructional design course I developed a series of teaching modules for the Alderwood Middle School afterschool quilting program.
The afterschool quilting program is designed to teach adolescents a historic American craft as well as provide a platform to engage in community service. The outcome of the club is that teens could choose to donate their finished quilts to Project Linus or a hospital for newborns. The lesson plan includes doing a user assessment to meets the developmental and educational needs of a specific user group (adolescents). The Quilt Club Instructional Design report also provides reasons for allocating resources to the club, and gives specific learning outcomes and methods of assessment to provide feedback on the efficacy of the instruction. Although the plan included multiple workshops, the focus is on teaching teens to use a sewing machine.
For The Future
I hope to continue helping others to learn. My goal is to teach resource evaluation and information literacy in an academic setting. I am already a member of ALA, but I would like to add the interest group RUSA (Reference and User Group) and ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) to attend workshops on teaching to tailor to special user groups as well as learn from my peers on new technologies to deliver teaching to distance learners.