It's important for several reasons and certainly one key reason is being authentic and credible in the minds of your students. Their trust in you as the instructor is a necessarry component of the learning process and that can be undermined quite easily when your trying to be something you are not; understanding yourself as an instructor makes it easier to be an authentic, credible and effctive instructor.
You need to know your personality to basically be able to fit into the classroom setting. Pending on the type of personality you might have, certain adjustments need to take place to fit into the culture of the educational institution.
We can study all different curriculum types and learning strategies; along with seminars and tests to say we are ready to teach. But, if we do not understand ourselves and our thought process we can not truly deliver an effective and educational lesson to our students. It is imperative we are honest with who we are and our ways and thoughts of life as they do come into the classroom if we are unaware. The effective educator understands his or herself and is willing to know how to exlemplify those abilities to bring out the best in their students.
"To understand who you are and how you fit into the world around". Taht will allow you to see your strenths and weaknesses, and to take any appropriate actions.
It is very important for you to have an understanding of yourself as an instructional leader, because nobody is perfect, everybody have their strengths and weaknesses. Being an instructor is a professional position, one that carries with it great responsibility. We can utilize our strengths and by knowing our weak points we can work on them and practice to improve them. This is all part of being a professional.
Hi Manuel:
Students will spot weaknesses in an instructors self confidence more quickly than one might think. Confidence can come in various styles: self confidence; material confidence (knowledgeable); student confidence (willing to demonstrate you really care for their learning and success).
Regards, Barry
It is important to understand yourself so that when you het up in front of the classroom you demonstrate confidence and know how to maximize your strengths
Hi Michael:
Well, it's said the first step to improvement is awareness and recognition of the need. So you're off to a great start. Improvement takes time and effort. So instructors have to be willing to give a bit in order to see results.
Regards, Barry
One needs to understand him or her self so we can draw on our strenghts while finding ways to improve in areas we need to improve. This training has made me think more than I have in some time about improving my performance in the class room.
Hi Donald:
Your willingness to alter, enhance, or strengthen an area that might be a bit weak demonstrates another trait of good teachers - that of adaptability. Change only happens from within and when we can see it's importance. Obviously you have. Good job!
Regards, Barry
It is important for me to understand myself in order to best use my skills in putting forth information to the student. If I am a visual person I might only be good at putting together a visual presentation but this does not help the audio learner or kinisthetic learner. By knowing my strengths this also helps me to work on my weaknesses to better present to all the types of learners.
Hi Vivian:
You are like most teachers (and people) in that few are strongly only one type of anything. But it's great to narrow down a few common characterististics that help illuminate who we are. We are better teachers when we understand ouselves a bit more.
Regards, Barry
Hi Brian:
Passion is a very cool attribute as it can inspire, instruct, and change lives.
Regards, Barry
I believe understanding who you are as an educator allows you to become more aware of your teaching. This will allow for further understanding of how the students perceive and receive the teaching as well.
After reading all the different types of instructors, I find that I have characteristics from more than one personality of instructor. It made me aware of my teaching style and allowed me to analyze some things that as a student I did not like in my instructors and am actively working on making changes to my teaching.
I beleive that "True" passion for the subject matter is integral in motivating students to learn. In the busines world Management 101 implores that we manage our employees by determining their maturity level. I beleive that this method holds true in the class room as well. I have taught classes where the maturity level was low and I was forced to teach in the "Drill Sergeant" approach, and others where the "Dead Poets Society" method was utilized.
Brian
Hi Steven:
I will have to agree, every snowflake is uniquely different yet magnificently wonderful. So it is with instructors!
Regards, Barry
Hi Ed:
Well, I think it's true that a lack of self confidence can impair an otherwise competent instructor, but I don't know about not being able to teach anyone anything. But your post does underscore the importance confidence can play in conducting classes.
Regards, Barry
You need to be confident in your self or you can't teach anything to anybody.
As I stated in my previous Forum posting, you have to be yourself. Even though you might learn great techniques from other instructors, you must "fit" them to your style. This is necessary if you are to use these new ideas effectively.
Hi David:
Yes! Reaching your students. That statement really rings true becdause it will allow an entrance into the students world and have a greater chance of staying with them.
Regards, Barry
