Teaching Model as a Living Document

Abstract

Many new civil engineering faculty members have little to no formal training on teaching. New faculty are often welcomed to their respective institution, introduced to other faculty members, shown their office, and left to figure out how to teach on their own. Several institutions have recognized this deficiency, and have taken type of action to develop the teaching ability of their faculty members. Teaching models are one of the tools that have been used by some organizations to develop the teaching ability of their faculty members. The Department of Civil and Mechanical (CME) at the United States Military Academy at West Point prepares their new faculty to teach by administering an in-depth six week training program. This paper will describe the CME teaching model as the foundation of a faculty training program that effectively prepares teachers to actively engage students in the learning and development process. The paper provides an overview of the key components of the faculty training program, assesses the program’s effectiveness, and describes initiatives to treat the teaching model as a living document to ensure it remains relevant.