Facilitation principles within the classroom start with respect for the individual.  This means understanding first, that this student is your client.  If the student didn’t learn, it means the teacher didn’t teach.  It is our job to make the individuals feel welcome and feel safe.  This usually comes with genuine interest in their goals and well-being.  The safety is fostered with ground rules so that all understand what is expected.  The classroom has to be a space where differences of opinion and style are accommodated.  

 

              Psychological safety doesn’t always mean comfortable however.  Learning happens in the space where you are challenged and have to struggle somewhat with the ideas at hand.  It’s like the difference between eating rice cereal and a full meal. That is, you can be spoon-fed thin, watered-down baby cereal, or you can take a large bite out of multi-course meal that you have to, perhaps, chew on for a while.  One can sustain you, and the other brings satisfaction and nourishment too.   In the classroom, this means a student-activity centered instructional design, in which students actively work and apply the material, reflect on their experience and plan for using the material in the future. 

               

              Particularly in classes in Management, Leadership, HR and Business Psychology, it is important to walk-the-walk, that is, following the principles that we teach.  For me that includes fostering teamwork, open feedback and sharing knowledge of strengths and areas of vulnerability.  This also includes helping students to see themselves in their chosen profession.  Ours is a transitional-support-role, helping them transition from student to professional and it’s important to foster a sense of responsibility for carrying out the practices of our profession.  I talk a lot about “moments of truth” with my students and interns.  That is, they will be responsible for upholding values of fairness, and equality and diversity etc. in the workplace.  I ask them to think hard about how they plan to respond in the moment when they see behavior that doesn’t reach our standards.  It can be a very tough spot to be in and it’s our job to get them ready for the challenges.  

 

I am an experienced instructional leader, and passionate people developer.  I have a Bachelors’ degree in Education, a Masters’ Degree in Education Leadership and Adult Development and PhD in Organization Leadership.  My work experience includes corporate management-development roles, and HR leadership.  My teaching experience includes teaching graduate students in a Human Resources Program at Keller Graduate School. My higher education experience includes serving as the Director of the Institute for Organization Psychology, which is the external consulting arm of The Chicago School for Professional Psychology.  I have taught and learned using on-line platforms such as Canvas.  As the President of the Board of Directors of the Organization Development Network of Chicago, I have worked in and presented programs in a Zoom-enabled environment as well as standard face-to-face facilitation.