Family and Consumer Sciences Professor roadmap

Stage 1 of 3 · about 16 weeks

Foundations

Build solid content knowledge in two or three FCS areas and learn the basics of how adults learn, so you can explain a topic clearly to a room of undergraduates.

1. 1

   Core FCS content: human development, nutrition and family finance

   You cannot teach what you cannot explain. These three areas appear in most FCS programs, and knowing them well lets you choose a specialty later and answer student questions with confidence.

2. 2

   Reading and summarizing research

   Professors keep up with the literature and teach students to evaluate evidence. Reading a study critically is the core skill behind both teaching and research.

3. 3

   Learning strategies and lesson design

   A lecture is not the same as learning. Backward design starts with what students should be able to do, then builds the lesson to get them there. This is the heart of Learning Strategies, one of the top skills in the job.

4. 4

   Speaking and leading discussion

   Speaking, active listening and moderating discussion are the top day-to-day skills. Students engage when the teacher asks good questions and waits for answers.

5. 5

   Office tools for teaching

   You will build slides, track grades in spreadsheets and meet over Zoom daily. Fluency saves hours each week.

Then 2 more stages (about 172 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 6 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.