In June 2009, I became a certified Instructional Skills Workshop Facilitator, after successfully completing the Facilitator Development Workshop. The Instructional Skills Workshop is a comprehensive three-tiered instructor development program that serves as the foundation for several professional development activities.

The Instructional Skills Workshop is offered within a small group setting and is designed to enhance the teaching effectiveness of both new and experienced educators. During the 3-4 day workshop, participants design and conduct three “mini-lessons” and receive verbal, written and video feedback from the other participants who have been learners in the mini-lessons. Using an intensive experiential learning approach, participants are provided with information on the theory and practice of teaching adult learners, the selection and writing of useful learning objectives with accompanying lesson plans, techniques for eliciting learner participation, and suggestions for evaluation of learning. The workshop encourages reflection and examination of one’s teaching practices with feedback focused on the learning process rather than on the specific content of the lesson. Effective feedback skills, practiced in the workshop, are useful for educators in the classroom and also as they conduct their regular institutional business.

I currently facilitate ISW’s at the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology at the University of British Columbia at the Teaching and Learning Centre at Simon Fraser University, and for private organizations upon request. Some of the organizations that I have worked with include: British Columbia Ambulance Service, Fraser Health Authority, and Vancouver Coastal Health.