+1 from me also, although I want to make sure that we don't lose sight of Bill's original question, which was about how to bridge new instructors from post-training to becoming confident independent instructors, not about how to prepare for the training.
I've suggested several times, most recently on the SWC blog [1], that we should have a more structured mentorship program for new instructors in which they're guided in person and individually by more experienced instructors. I feel fairly strongly that the mentorship direction that we seem to be headed in by default, which is a mix of conference calls, written post-assessment, and written guide books (see [2] for example), is fundamentally not the right approach. Teaching this stuff is difficult, and I believe that learning to do it requires something closer to an apprenticeship than a distance learning course (e.g., joining a lab to earn a PhD rather than taking a series of MOOCs). I'm not sure why, but I've felt in the past that there wasn't a whole lot of momentum for setting up a structure for this type of "thicker" interaction. (Incidentally, I thought that the need for this was the #1 takeaway from the Building a Better Teacher book that many of us read on Greg's suggestion.) I'm OK if this isn't a direction that we want to go now, but I can't help but continue to think that the issues raised by Bill would be better solved by this approach. Best, Justin [1]: http://software-carpentry.org/blog/2014/09/further-thoughts-on-better-teachers.html [2]: http://software-carpentry.org/blog/2014/12/plans-for-2015-mentorship-and-assessment.html On Dec 12, 2014, at 1:08 PM, Greg Wilson <[email protected]> wrote: > I'd like to +1 Matt's comment as well -- given how many workshops we run, and > how much demand there is for instructor training, I think it makes sense to > say that people ought to attend or help at a workshop before starting > instructor training. ("Ought to" because there will always be exceptions: > some people have lots of teaching experience in other grassroots groups, and > when we're moving into new geographical regions, it won't always be possible > for people to attend one before starting training.) > > Thanks, > Greg > > On 2014-12-12 3:41 PM, Ted Hart wrote: >> >> I'll also +1 Matt's comment. Way back in 2012 I attended my first SWC >> workshop hosted by the CS dept at UBC, taught by Greg. I then helped >> organize a couple more where I co-taught with Greg and Ethan at different >> workshops. I had this experience under my belt before I began instructor >> training, I think one of the first that Greg ran online. >> >> It seems like path to becoming an instructor is a bit different now, >> starting off with instructor training, and then running a workshop. Less of >> the 'journeyman' system of a few years back. And while sending helpers >> around isn't feasible because of $$, what about requiring interested people >> to organize a workshop and they could help, if one isn't already being run >> locally? After all, it was that effect of getting one or two instructors >> out of each locally run workshops that helped us get so many instructors in >> the first place. >> >> Maybe it's not a good idea to take on instructors if they haven't at least >> attended a workshop (I'm not sure how common this is though) >> >> T >> >> On Fri Dec 12 2014 at 12:24:03 PM Kara Woo <[email protected]> wrote: >> Helping at real workshops would indeed probably be the best way to build >> experience, but it's not going to be logistically or financially feasible >> for everyone, since as far as I know workshops don't typically cover travel >> costs for helpers. While not a substitute for firsthand experience, a >> network of community support and resources for new (and >> experienced!) instructors will definitely help people (or at >> least, me) feel more prepared and confident. >> >> On Fri, Dec 12, 2014 at 11:44 AM, Marianne Corvellec >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hello, >> >> I would like to +1 Matt's comment. I don't really see how you would >> do without this very natural, gradual, beneficial process. >> >> I know people who have attended, helped and sometimes instructed at >> several workshops but haven't taken the instructor training program >> (yet). So when/if they become Software Carpentry instructors, I think >> the transition will be pretty smooth... >> >> As a new instructor, I don't see how you would want to read a >> guide/manual rather than helping at real workshops, because that's >> when you start feeling useful and you learn a lot and you're not alone >> and that's a great experience. :) >> >> Marianne >> >> On Fri, Dec 12, 2014 at 2:01 PM, Matt Davis <[email protected]> wrote: >> > I had one question after reading your post, and that's what role being a >> > workshop helper/assistant has in the instructor on-boarding process? >> > >> > A couple years ago before our explosive growth and the instructor training >> > program, the on-boarding process was (perhaps informally), something like: >> > >> > - attend or be a helper at a workshop >> > - teach at a workshop with an experienced instructor >> > >> > We have different processes and more people now, but you can't discount the >> > value of "learn by doing". >> > >> > - Matt >> > >> > On Fri Dec 12 2014 at 10:47:53 AM Bill Mills <[email protected]> >> > wrote: >> >> >> >> Hey everyone, >> >> >> >> I spoke privately to some of you over the past couple weeks on what it's >> >> like being a Software Carpentry instructor, particularly a new >> >> instructor - what are the challenges you face, and what can we do to >> >> make your first few workshops a smoother experience? I summarized the >> >> most popular comments in this blog post: >> >> >> >> http://mozillascience.org/starting-instruction-feedback-from-the-new-instructor-community/ >> >> >> >> One of the main things that came out of this, was a need for a smoother >> >> on-ramp going from Instructor Training to your first workshop - what are >> >> the steps involved, how do you prepare, and what are everyone's >> >> responsibilities? To this end, I think it would be valuable if we >> >> created a short Welcome Package explaining these things and providing >> >> some clear instructions for people, and a Mentor's Guide for more >> >> experienced instructors guiding this process. More details are in the >> >> blog post, but we're brainstorming ideas for both of these things in the >> >> following etherpads: >> >> >> >> New Instructor Welcome Package: >> >> https://etherpad.mozilla.org/newInstructorWelcomePackage >> >> Mentor's Guide: https://etherpad.mozilla.org/SWCmentorsGuide >> >> >> >> What do people think? Please jump in and share your thoughts! Thanks in >> >> advance, >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Bill Mills >> >> Community Manager, Mozilla Science Lab >> >> @billdoesphysics >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Discuss mailing list >> >> [email protected] >> >> >> >> http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Discuss mailing list >> > [email protected] >> > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Discuss mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org >> _______________________________________________ >> Discuss mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Discuss mailing list >> >> [email protected] >> http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org > > -- > Dr. Greg Wilson | > [email protected] > > Software Carpentry | > http://software-carpentry.org > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org
