Wanted: Faculty excited to partner with other faculty to learn with and from students. Humility, a collaborative spirit, and the ability to handle chaos and dozens of projects simultaneously is essential. Previous experience cheerleading is preferred.
Anyone that uses inquiry-based learning will chuckle at the truth of this mock job ad. They’ll also recognize the incredible value of this high-impact practice. That value isn’t just about deeper student learning; it is also about the learning that faculty do when students get a chance to be experts.
As the job ad indicates, however, the skills that make you successful at supporting students as they engage their curiosity and pursue independent learning extend well beyond content expertise and the creation of active learning opportunities. We don’t often talk about these other skills explicitly, so I’m going to highlight them below.