Section 4: Self Development

As educators function in the role which focuses upon Self Development, the surest path to empowerment (with increased organizational effectiveness, faculty excellence and improved student learning outcomes) is through the self-assessment and reflective practice for self-development. This is not a wholly new idea; it has been articulated by many thoughtful educators and philosophers from the time of Plato forward. While we may say that “education” is found in the interactions of students, teachers, learners, mentors, and facilitators, what lies beneath this is something profoundly more powerful: education is the change and growth of individuals. Chapter 4.1, Assessment as a Foundation for Growth, introduces the concept of assessment (as contrasted with evaluation) as a practice that encourages self-growth and individual development. Chapter 4.2, Mentoring for Self-Growth, enlarges the arena for self-growth from that of the individual alone (the “self” in self-growth) to that of individuals serving to encourage and assist in the growth of one another. Chapter 4.3, Creating a Culture of Self-Growth, builds upon the work of the first two chapters by sharing models that demonstrate how self-growth can be encouraged and sustained not only within the relatively safe context of a classroom but also in the larger context of a human life.