As an instructional leader it is important for me to have an understanding of who I am because it will enable to instruct at my fullest potential. When we know ourselves we are ableto build others from through our strenghts and improve our weaknesses by learningfrom ohers
If you don't know who you are as an instructor or a professional then it will prove to be very difficult to convey what your message is. We are all different and all have different ways of thinking, to understand how we think is critical in how students or others relate to us.
I tell students all the time that I may not be there cup of tea; however I am someone who is a product of the culture they wish to embark and though I may or may not be there favorite person, it is important that they know how to manage me, because they will need to now how to do that in real world.
I also try to take advantage of every personality that I have the pleasure of meeting and see if I am able to communicate with them, to get to the bare bones and know that what I am saying to them is making and impact, it is sometimes the most difficult situations that pay off with the largest dividends.
But you won't know unless you push your self, if they see that they know that you are committed and a person of your word, and in the world today people want to believe, at least I think they want to believe that this is important.
Having not been trained as an instructor, I may have been all of them I one point in time until I gained the confidence or developed my style of teaching. And I still believe that I am constantly upgrading my self and my delivery of materials by how well the students are doing in the classroom.
Anthony, that is well said. The honesty you speak of often makes you one of their favorite instructors. Never be pretentious. It will be your (i.e. the instructors) undoing!
People can see right through the lies of ones self. If you understand who you are and even more so what you can and can not do well, the students will respect you more for it. I tell each class I meet that I will learn as much from them as they will from me. I admit my mistakes and show others their mistakes without embarassing them. Then ask the class how can we fix this or even, how to avoid it the next time. If people see that you general care about them and you honestly love what you do, the students will remember more, be more responsive to corrections and even use what you have taught them over others.
Knowing yourself is just as important as knowing your students and the learning style they succeed the best at. If you know your strengths and weaknesses you can prepare a more effective delivery method. For example: I know my strengths lie in asking pivotal questions of my students and using the white board so students can use their sense of sight as well as their sense of hearing and speaking. I know my weakness is the use of powerpoint slides. If I use them, I tend to teach just the slide and I tend to be less effective in getting the students to interact. If I was not aware of these things, it would make me a less effective (and probably more boring) intructor.
Understanding yourself as an instructional leader will allow you to react proprely as different incidents may occur. Students sometimes need motivation to progress. How do you as an instructor meet their needs? By being only one type of instructure you are not willing to help shape someone's life. I find myself having different instrutional methods for each class and sometimes within the same class. You need to nurture students but they must also know that there is a line you may not cross. By understanding yourself you are able to meet these needs.
if you dont understand your self you would not be able to understand the needs of others
Hi David:
Yes, anything that gets you better prepared to teach is going to be beneficial.
Regards, Barry
this gives you a way to improve yourself
Hi John:
I think students mostly appreciate an instructor who makes sure all students are aware of the rules and then fairly and consistently enfoirces those rules in a kind and couteous manner. Goo approach!
Regards, Barry
Looking at the different type I would have to say that I am the dead poet instructor with a dash of drill sargant. I can bend but rules that are black and white I am firm on. this aproach has kept my class in control while having fun. I don't think they even realize they are learning until they reflect back.
Hi Marta:
I assume you're addressing the comment made by Samuel. I cannot comment for him.
But within the scope of the discussion of Understanding Yourself as an Instructional Leader, flexibility could imply using different teaching styles (to match learning styles of students or specific topics), or it could imply altering a standard approach to presenting a topic in order to improve student learning.
Perhaps a deeper meaning of flexibility would be a willingness to be open to self examination or peer-review or assessment in order to see oneself in a different light. This takes a bit of courage because it's hard to take personal critique. But the motivation is a true desire to become a better instructor.
Regards, Barry
Hi Marta:
I assume you're addressing the comment made by Samuel. I cannot comment for him.
But within the scope of the discussion of Understanding Yourself as an Instructional Leader, flexibility could imply using different teaching styles (to match learning styles of students or specific topics), or it could imply altering a standard approach to presenting a topic in order to improve student learning.
Perhaps a deeper meaning of flexibility would be a willingness to be open to self examination or peer-review or assessment in order to see oneself in a different light. This takes a bit of courage because it's hard to take personal critique. But the motivation is a true desire to become a better instructor.
I want to better understand what 'flexibility' means in the context of this comment. Again, even in this discussion format, assumptions and presumed meaning become confusing. In this comment are varied teaching styles the flexibility or is it something else?
Hi Mohammed:
True introspection requires a depth of honesty that will truly reveal areas that may need strengthening in an instructors competence and proficiency. In short, one has to be willing to adapt and change, which is a difficult thing for humans in general.
So, while we may want to understand ourselves, the more difficult part will be to respond to that new understanding.
Regards, Barry
Teaching is a art. To be a professional instructor it is necessary to evaluate ourself. Lack of information will be affect into syudents' learning process. So understanding ourself is essential to be a good instructional leader.
Hi Anthony: Your anaolgy about a family is very applicable. The way an instructor relates to his/her students can be linked to essentially all of the core principles utilized in rasing children. What's key in the family model is that love for the children is at the core.
Of course I'm not intimating that teachers love their students in a wrong way, but if that empathy, care and concern is underlying the instructors motivations, I think it will be apparent to the student that the instructor truly cares.
Regrads, Barry
I was very impressed with this section because after waiting 32 years to get the opportunity to teach I find myself in front of a class and loving it. It is funny that before my students get into my class they have a preconcieved notion that I am a hard case that loves to give downgrades. After they have the class they say that their perception changed considerably. My training manager sent in a brand new instructor and told him to observe a firm but fair approach to instucting. It is almost like being a parent in that although you may not enjoy having to discipline you have to take it as part of the job to create an environment that learning can truly be achieved. I find that a firm approach tempered with true caring about the success of the student and letting them know that you care works well for me.
Hi Anne:
Sometimes its good to do just a kind of freeflow of writing to convey your thoughts. It helps clarify your thinking, provides an avenue for self expression, and conveys a message to the reader.
I think your summary of what works best for you is very telling about the kind of instructor you are. Your "learn-by-doing" comment is very important.
Thanks for bveing willing to share some introspective comments about yourself. They should help us all.
Regards, Barry
