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Why is it important to know how to
teach?
Many of us are called upon daily to teach. For example, as a nurse, you
may present an in-service training session one minute, and the next
minute explain a patient's care to family members. Teaching is a
rewarding challenge. 
Learn to do it better.
Most people teach the way they were taught. Sometimes that is good, but
often times it overlooks key
fundamentals of adult learning. While certain approaches may work for
some learners, other learners may have different needs. The Teacher
Education Program explores how and why people learn, and focuses on
creating a new sensitivity to the
facilitative role of the instructor.
The need for trained instructors is increasing. For example, as nursing
schools attempt to alleviate the nursing shortage, many are finding
they need to turn away potential students because of an even more
profound instructor shortage. According to a 2004
report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 35% of
qualified candidates -- more than 5,800 potential nurses -- were turned
away from nursing schools in 2001 because there were not enough nursing
faculty members.
One of the goals of the UPenn Nursing Teacher Education Program is to
expand the pool of available faculty by tapping into the potential and
the expertise of current Certified Nurse Midwives and Advanced Practice
nurses, while enhancing the quality and skills of the current
workforce. Since its beginning in 1994, the program
has prepared mid-career nurses in their quest to become
excellent academic faculty and clinical instructors.
But this program is not limited to nurses. The interdisciplinary
approach is suitable for professional development regardless of the
area of expertise. It is an excellent choice for a junior faculty
member or practitioner in the community who is serving as a preceptor
for students. Rather than removing would-be instructors from their
communities, the Teacher Education Program is structured to educate
while individuals continue to work.
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"The TEP program offers an
excellent opportunity for all levels of scholars to acquire mastery in
the critical vocation of teaching."
--Kathyrn
M. Gaylord, MSN, ANCC
"This course has given me the foundation to confidently pursue
teaching."
--Nancy
Havill, MSN, CNM
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