With so many new folks joining our ranks, I wanted to add a
suggestion about reaching out to doctrinal faculty. This is one of the more
difficult parts of the job for many new Academic Success professionals. For younger ASP professionals, it can be
intimidating. Many doctrinal faculty have been teaching their subject area for
20-30+ years. This would put some new ASP faculty in diapers or elementary
school when their doctrinal counterparts first starting publishing. Another, more difficult stumbling block to
establishing relationships with doctrinal faculty is hostility. Not all
doctrinal faculty know what ASP does, some are skeptical of what ASP is, and a
few are just hostile. Thankfully, these
types are few and far between at most schools, and growing fewer in number with
each passing year. Despite these
difficulties, it is greatly beneficial to build relationships with doctrinal
faculty at your school. It may not be possible to build relationships with all
the faculty, but reaching will build bridges into the classroom that will make
your job more rewarding and your life much easier in the long run.
I have a few strategies for opening the lines of
communication.
1) Ask
your students. The best way to open a
conversation is to offer help. How do you know what to suggest? Ask your
students. Ask them how their classes are
going, what they are working on with their professors, and if they have any
special projects coming up. If a class
is holding a moot court, offer to help judge. If a class is turning in practice
exercises, offer to help the professor help students who are
struggling. Most professors will jump at
the chance to get extra help.
2) Ask
to observe classes. This is especially
useful if a class has a special project or presentations. Once you have a
general idea from your students of the type of project and when students will
present, email or call and ask to sit in to observe student work. By asking to
observe student work, you are taking the pressure off the professors because
they will be less worried you are there to judge their teaching methods. Use the observations you make in the class to
open the door to a conversation with the professor. Let them know how helpful it is for you to
see your students “in action.” More
confident teachers will be interested in your observations from the back of the
class; where the students playing games or surfing the net? Be careful if you
are asked about student behavior to never name names, over unsolicited advice,
or impugn teaching methods. Offering
judgment-neutral advice if you are asked, such as suggestions about seating
arrangements (circles instead of rows), will be welcomed by more confident
instructors who want to increase student engagement but don’t know how.
3) Ask
for syllabi, and ask questions. Most professors are willing to share their
syllabus for a class. Use the syllabus to ask questions; such as why they chose
to start with negligence instead of intentional torts. Tone is important when
asking questions; judgment-neutral inquiries about why they made the choice. (RCF)
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I will be presenting on this topic for the NY-area ASP Professionals Conference Nov 14 at Brooklyn Law School. If you are attending, please feel free to ask me questions about this topic. (RCF)
