Joseph,
I agree that compensation is an important part of any employment relationship. People may stay for a little less money if the organizational culture of the lower paying institution is one that matches what they are looking for. They are less likely to stay for a lot less compensation.
Sorry about the typo in my response to your other post. I saw it just as I hit "send."
Jeffrey Schillinger
It depend on the course and their experience and excitement for teaching that course.
In my opinion I feel that knowledge of subject is as important as knowledge of instructional methodology because I believe that you can’t give what you don’t have
Patricia,
A teacher who is well-prepared in methodology but lacks subject matter expertise will not be effective. The right teacher is not a choice between a subject specialist and a teaching specialist. The rught teacher is both.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Experience and skills in their background
It is determined by what the topic is that needed to be taught. Typically the Program Directors know what regulatory conditions the person needs to hold and then we go from there. We have each potential employee take a "personality" type test to see how well they react or how well they would interact with the rest of the staff. Of course they must have the needed skill set for certain hand on programs.
Karina,
How do you determine if potential instructors have the "experience and skills in their background" that you reference? What are those skills?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Lise,
What is the ideal "personality" for a teacher at your school?
Jeffrey Schillinger
For my school, it is very important that teachers possess versatility/adaptability. As we are part of a corporation, there are always changes being made to expectations, curriculum, policies & procedures, etc. A way to measure this in a potential candidate is to ask them about past work situations when they were faced with change. Having them explain the situation and how they handled it is an indication to how well they are able to respond to change.
Also, at our school we value a tripod of honesty, awareness, and compassion. These traits are vital for instructors to possess as these are our core values. We want them to model these attributes for students at all times. These could be measured by a personality quiz or by asking them to describe different "tough situations" and to have them explain their approach and resolve.
I look for the following qualities when hiring an instructor:
1. Communication skills - written and verbal
2. Versatility/Adaptability - being able to cover classes at last minute, being able to roll with change
3. Creativity/Initiative - willing to make lessons their own and bringing a new real world experience to each lesson
4. Reliability - being on time, teaching lesson objectives, as outlined, following & enforcing policies & procedures
5. Team player - being able to work with a diverse staff & faculty, pitching in even when it is outside of job description; compassionate, honest, and aware of all dealings
I look for the level of passion and enthusiasm they possess for the subject they will be teaching. Will they be able to transfer that to the students in a way that can motivate and inspire our students? I look for someone who has a high level of awareness of themselves, and others. This tells me they will have the ability to be aware of their students on a personal level and modify what they need to, in order to reach each student.
Char,
What are some specific things you can do to determine if a candidate has what you are looking for?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I look for a person that can effectly communicate a subject with honesty and passion. My instructors must be able to engage the students and direct the learning in ways the majority of students will understand.
Has anyone found differences in hiring traditional instructors as opposed to online instructors? If so, what have you found to be the most sucessful charatersitics of online instructors?
I think the KSAOs is a great idea, but when hiring a nursing instructor, how can you best ensure the knowledge and skills? Sometimes their having a license and many years of experience still doesn't mean they know what they are doing or the material they need to teach. Any ideas?
