CSUS Faculty mentoring Faculty

"Thinking About Teaching Together"

Mentors are colleagues who have demonstrated interest and ability in teaching and are skilled in helping you think about, plan, conduct and self-assess your own teaching. Their goal is to help you be the kind of instructor you wish to be; they do not promote any single model of teaching. The relationship is collegial and assistive--you control the direction and amount of effort invested in your teaching. Mentors also have a great deal of knowledge about the university's structure and resources available to faculty. For more information, please call the Center for Teaching and Learning at 8-5945 or email at ctl@csus.edu.


Mark Stoner Communication Studies (A & L) stoner1@csus.edu 8-3825 For me, mentoring is about helping colleagues get to the goals they have for themselves. With this approach, my knowledge of and experience in teaching becomes “optional reading” --a resource-- rather than “assigned reading” for mentees. The outcome is that mentees typically get to where they want to be, and we have some fun getting there!	Joël Dubois Humanities & Religious Studies (A & L) jdubois@csus.edu 8-5332 (On Leave) I've experienced open conversations with my mentors as an invaluable source of nourishment in finding a place for myself as a teacher and scholar. I bring to mentoring a keen interest in the daily details of teaching, as well as the wide range of personal relationships that challenge and inspire us in our academic lives.
Scott Farrand Mathematics and Statistics (NSM) farrand@csus.edu 8-6129 I believe that subtle differences in approach can be what determine whether a professor finds a career of frustration and disenchant-ment or joy and fulfillment. Because teaching is such a large part of our jobs, it is crucial that we work toward continuous improvement in our teaching. This is much easier done with colleagues than alone. As a mentor, I attempt to provide interactions that are supportive, helpful, positive, and that prompt deeper reflection.	Ali Porbaha Civil Engineering (ENG) porbaha@ecs.csus.edu 8-6120 Mentoring is an informal and personal support system aimed to share experience and address a variety of faculty career needs over a period of time. As a mentor, my effort will focus on creating an atmosphere where we can learn from each other's experiences, mistakes, and successes as well as helping to decode the university culture.
Gerri Smith Communication Studies (A & L) smithg@csus.edu 8-6711 For me, mentoring relationships are reciprocal in nature. It has often been the case that I have begun the relationship as the mentor and at some point both of us become mentors and mentees simultaneously. These relationships have been highly satisfying by enriching many aspects of our professional lives. The life of a professor can be alienating and lonely, so engaging in conversations about academic life with one another serves to enhance our otherwise isolated existence.	Lindy Valdez Kinesiology and Health Science (HHS) lvaldez@csus.edu 8-4471 Faculty mentoring is important because it is a chance to share my love of teaching with my peers. Mentoring is about helping others discover their potential. Strategies in teaching that I share with colleagues include creating an intimate environment for learning by emphasizing teaching students not just subject matter. Incorporating active learning in classes helps to engage students in class. Discovery of the soul and heart of teaching helps the teacher have a purposeful career and makes effective teaching come to life.
Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, Child Development (COE) kagordon@csus.edu 8-4831 I like to listen to your concerns and then reflect them back to be sure I understand them. Then I can provide support or suggestions or strategies, whatever you need. Being a good teacher is not a place where you finally or suddenly arrive. Being a good teacher means constantly growing, learning, changing, and adapting.