Greg,
I agree, and I think experience both in the subject area and with dealing with students (diversity makes us stronger) can effectively convey the degree of competence an instructor demonstrates to their students. Students are people afterall, and being able to relate to all personalities types is necessary to approach instruction with optimism and enthusiasm.
Barry Westling
Michele,
Good point. We want to relate and interact with our students in the most positive manner. Gradually and consistently working away at areas identified as weaker will ultimately become among the stronger traits if we recognize the value of self improvement.
Barry Westling
Clay,
Yes, it's important to remember the instructor is the expert, and the textbooks and related resources are merely supllements to assist students in their learning. The instructor is a facilitator of learning, using their own experience and knowledge, alomng with other materials that can create an effective learning system.
Barry Westling
I believe that understanding yourself as an instructor applies to not only the methodology you use in the classroom and the type of interaction you have with your students, but it is a main driver or indicator of how well you will be able to get across to your students exactly what it is they need to know - what is at the core of the subject matter, and precisely what they need to know. This is a very intrinsic part of being an instructor, and it isn't always something that comes with a degree. It involves life experience, personality, subject matter knowledge, and ability to interact with students to a meaningful degree.
It is a good idea to understand your own personality so that you can understand how to make a more positive impact on the students. Knowing personal weaknesses is important so that we don't allow them to get in the way of positive instruction.
When I first began teaching, I was just regurgitating what the book said, and was not getting the results I wanted. I stepped back and looked at my career in design and realized that my experience is the selling point to the students. By looking at myself as an instructor with a unique skill set, I was able to incorporate "real world" uses for the theory I was teaching and got great results.
Lisa,
Good points. I belive we can potentially turn our weaker areas into stronger areas if we are willing to work on improvement. This takes determination and humility, as not every action will result in a rousing success. But with persistence, we can become beytter instructors, thus helping studenjts better.
Barry Westling
I am so glad that Brenda brought up learning styles as an area of understanding ourselves as instructors. We teach most naturally in the style in which we learn the best. Discovering our own learning style, helping our students identify their primary learning style, and then working to expand our teaching methods to include variety is so important. Providing students with methods to study that fit their personal learning style will help each individual student become more successfull.
Brenda,
Great self analysis and description of your past experiences. As instructors, we have to learn continuously, and make improvements as we go.
Barry Westling
When I first started teaching, I taught the way I learned - in an auditory style as I went to Catholic school and "learned" (!) from the strict, rigid focused approach of the nuns who stood at the front of the class, ruler in hand, and only ever talked.
So when I first started teaching, I realized that I wasn't connecting with the other learning styles in the room as I was locked into/comfortable with my own "auditory" style.
I quickly learned to look at course content and ask myself "self, I need to teach this in at least 3 styles- how do I do this?"
As I incorporated this in class, a lot more "light bulbs" when on over the heads of the students!!!!
As the old expression goes - "all roads lead to Roma" but I learned that instructors need to travel all the roads too...
Lima,
When we have a good understanding of where we shine (and where work is needed), we can be most effective relying on what we know will work best. But we also need to not avoid weaker areas that need improvement, and I think a personal goal should be to work to make the weaker area among the stronger areas. With this attituide, we can expected continued, ongoing progress and improvement.
Barry Westling
Understanding yourself as an instructional leader is very important. You will have an impact on your students for the best or the worst.
As a good instructor, you want the impact to be positive and also to contribute to the retention and progression of the students. In this light, an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses is of paramount. Maximize the use of your strengths while working on improving your weaknesses. An instructor is a change agent thus the change must start with you by taking small steps to improve in area of your weaknesses.
Daniel,
Very nice! Confidence always strengthens the foundation of a course. You're right, no one has all the answers, yet giving all we have (and getting unresolved questions answered) shows preparation, competence, and models a professional demeanor.
Barry Westling
When attempting to get the attention of the students on a classroom, showing confidence in every aspect is crucial. Knowing your strengths and weakness represents a clear advantage, since you can make emphasis on what you are knowledgeable of, but can you also state that you might not have the answer at that time, but can have it ready for next class. Students appreciate when the instructor has enough self-confidence to say I do not know.
Luciana,
Right! Self understanding is so important. It contributes to both our confidence and competence as instructors, and also makes for a smoother and more relaxed setting and learning involvement.
Barry Westling
I believe that it is importanat for one to know themselves. As the famous saying goes, Know Thyself. If you know yourself then you will know what is acceptable to you and what is not. You will be able to better instruct, I believe your students.
Daniel,
Great self reflection, Daniel. Experience can be a great teacher, but only if we learn from mistakes, adopt a willingness to adapt attitude, and assume our responsibilites seriously with the anticipation of great student outcomes as the result of our efforts. Being real, genuine versions of ourselves rather than an imitation of someone else is also important. With these traits, we can arrive in the classroom competent and confident with ourselves and and the content we're accoutable to teach.
Barry Westling
I believe that you must understand who you are as an instructor and the type of instructor you are in order to grow your strengths and change bad habits. I tend to be a student focused instructor and believe in working on things a little at a time in order to form a solid foundation for the student to build upon. I was once however encouraged to push my students harder early on in the education process in order to “weed out†those that may not be up to the task in the long haul. Needless to say it was a bad outcome for both me and the students overall, it was also a very short lived attempt. In the end knowing who I am and how I can get the best results has been my greatest tool. I am much more comfortable being who I am and the students respond much better seeing my confidence.
Joan,
Glad you recognize the uniquenesses and traits that good instructors can use for the benefit of our students. Willingness to change can be a really hard choice, or easy to adopt as a general approach to instruction.
Barry Westling
Good point Barry. Coming from healthcare background which evolves continually, fosters an attitude of being open and flexible for the next "change" in how we do things, and how we teach. The students watch very closely for this flexibility, and striving to present being open to change prepares them for a more successful transition into their chosen career.
