Title: EXPLORING NURTURING "CONNECTING CHEMISTRIES" OF TWO EXEMPLARY
COMMUNITY COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS WITH FRESHMEN CONSIDERED
NONTRADITIONAL/UNDERPREPARED (EXEMPLARY TEACHING) Abstract
This qualitative study explored the existence and nature of a "connecting
chemistry" among exemplary community college instructors and
freshman students considered nontraditional and underprepared. Two
recognized exemplary instructors and seven nontraditional and underprepared
students participated in this in-depth interview study. It revealed
that teacher beliefs and values affect the development of instructor
core teaching motivation and that this motivation becomes paradigmatic
to their professional behaviors. Furthermore, even though the instructor's
beliefs and values already existed in childhood, there were at least
two to four life episodes that enlarged or expanded them. Regardless
of core motivation, both instructors participating in this study have
remarkable intrinsic abilities that nurture underprepared and nontraditional
students, and they use these abilities to build learner self-esteem
and confidence. The association among each teacher's background, character,
and inner inspiration or core motivation for either the subject matter
as liberating or the deeper mental and emotional needs of students
is critical to their being exemplary instructors.
Office of Community College Research and Leadership | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
51 Gerty Drive, 129 CRC | Champaign, IL 61820
phone: 217-244-9390 | fax: 217-244-0851 | e-mail:occrl@uiuc.edu
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