Hi Howard:
Teaching really does require much from those who engage in this noble profession. That's why your passion for teaching is needed because it helps overcome frustrations and barriers we all face from time to time distracting us from our purpose.
Patience and care will always be helpful characteristics for willing, giving teachers.
Regards, Barry
In order to be the best instructor possible, one needs to know his/her own preferences, abilities and skills and use those techniques, in order to successfully facilitate the students through the course material.
Coming from a specific area of expertise, into the classroom, I did not realize the introspective time necessary to transfer that expert knowledge along to the students and the techniques and resources instructors can use.
Hi Flavio:
Your discovery appears to have led to significant and meaningful lesson topics. I would imagine student-led topic sessions could be a challenge. Great example of customized class management.
Regards, Barry
I have searched what type of instruction the students responded to the most over the past years. My discovery was both interesting and challenging. I prefer to have the students build the topic prompted by questions, mine, and theirs.
I believe that we are trying to help our students have a sense of presence and know who they are and what they want to achieve in order to be successful. I feel like the more we know who we are as instructors and as people the more strength we have in our own presence. This makes us better mentors and leaders.
It is important to have an understanding of myself as an instructional leader because that way I can know what my weaknesses and strength points are, and work on them to be able to do a better job.
I can assess myself before I can be an instructional leader in Accounting course.
Thanks for the response Morgan, I agree that we need to know ourselves to be able to betray that to the students and expect the same of them. Sharon
Understanding yourself helps you to identify your strengths and needs. You can work on improving your needs while focusing on your strengths to help students. It allows you to be better prepared for your classes.
Response to Barry, I believe in understanding myself I will know my strengths and weaknesses. These include time management skills, communication and writing skills. I like teaching to those in a way I would have liked to have been taught. I believe in empathy, compassion, strength and independence. In understanding who I am I will be able to overcome shortcomings and build upon the strengths I have. I am a strong communicator, a strong people person and love interaction and learning form others. How can I be a strong instructor if I myself am not strong. I must teach by example and hold myself to the same standards as those I expect of the students. Thanks Barry, Sharon
I have to be able to understand how I can be most effective to my students and an instructional leader. In order to do that, I have to understand who I am AND who my students are. It's a two way street and if I only understand myself, I may not be the best instructor that I can be. On the other hand, if I understand myself and my students, I will be a much better instructor because I can adapt my teaching methods to their learning methods.
It was interesting to read the different types of instructors and I could relate to two of them. I instruct hands on computer classes so I am definately the the "learn by doing instructor" but I am also partly the "Socratic Instructor". If the students get stuck on something, I usually don't just give them the answer. I lead them to the correct answer and encourage letting other students answer the question for them.
I teach at a small private business college where the entire faculty and staff are very close. We constantly bounce ideas off of each other and value each others opinion. At the end of each term we get feedback from the students and I really try to listen to my students' suggestions. If something is working and they aren't learning, then it's my job to make sure that they are learning. My job is not to teach; my job is to make sure the students learn.
I liked the colored paper idea, but most of my information is done online now.
As instructors it is our duty to constantly improve our skills as well as our delivery of those skills.
Rob
It will help you develop your weakness' and build upon your strengths.
This the very good point, I don't realize I was a "Peacemaker type". But it's so true some student has tried to be more vcomfrontational so they can get their way, this where we as educator to adjust to the situation and act appropriately to get this type of student on track. This also will allow us to see how we can handle a neagitve situation turning into a positive results.
It's important, because this is the very key point, to connect yourself to the students as the reciever and you as educator play like an instrument imparting knowledge and idea that key point for their future succes.
Knowing yourself allows you to know your own strengths and weaknesses.You can then focus on your areas of strength, while developing your weaker areas.
It's important so I become effective communicator and message diliverer. Knowing my weaknesses and strenght understanding myself can help me adjust to every situation negatively or positively. It will help me become better educator.
It is important because you must foster trust, self-esteem and motivation in your classroom environment in order for optimal learning to take place. If you haven't analyzed yourself on your evolutional personal journey, then you yourself don't have the self-esteem, trust and motivation needed to create this environment for your students.
Knowing myself will help me capitalize on my strengths and work on improving on my weak areas.
