Colette,
Very true. With so much adjustment to the career college arena, often with chaos in the backside of their lives, students need all we can do to assist them in achieving their career goals. To arrive at a class unprepared is just plain unsatisfactory, with few exceptions. Our instructional role requires the time and effort in the planning of each day -- delivered with an interesting and upbeat tone, and with passion and enthusiasm. In my opinion, that's the least we can do.
Barry Westling
It is vital to be prepared for teaching.
The course we teach in career college settings are fast paced - no matter what the content is.
We have a short amount of time to deliver, demonstrate, and access the student's understanding of the material. No time can be wasted.
Also many of our students come to us at great sacrifice to themselves, their families and their finances - being aware of and respecting those situations should motivate us as instructors to be prepared.
Martin,
When material is organized and laid out well, students will pick up pretty quickly that the instructor is serious, knowledgeable, and will expect the same from their students.
Barry Westling
Julius,
Unless students have had the same instructor prior to the current class, there is only one opportunity to make a (good) first impression. I believe students are generally open to their instructor, but our job is to create an upbeat, interesting and beneficial learning environment consistently in order to maintain that momentum.
Barry Westling
I teach 3 different classes. If I have not taught one of them for a period of time, I always give myself more time before class start's to prepare for that day.
Being prepared and organized before class is important because it gives the students an aspect of respect for the instructor. By the students seeing the instructor is well prepared for the class, it will give the students a thought of being prepared for class as well. It's showing an example of what the instructor expects from them.
Michael,
I think students want and expect their instructors to "have it all together", and arriving unprepared or disorganized can certainly create a sense of disorder, which can make students wonder if the instructor really knows their material. Impressions create perception, which is the reality the students depend on and pass on to others.
Barry Westling
An organized an prepared instructor shows respect for the students you are teaching. The main goal is for students to learn and being disorganized takes away from classroom time. For example, an instructor who is taking time to get organized during class time takes a way from classroom instruction. It is important to have all of your materials ready, in front of the classroom and available for students before the start of class.
Robert,
Yes, and they look to us for guidance and leadership. Good organization shows effort has gone into preparation for the class. This contributes to building trust in the material we are providing, and respect for the instructor as a competent educator.
Barry Westling
If students see you as not ready for class, they feel you are not ready to teach them anything. They are also less likely to be attentive when you do become ready. Students like to know you are there for them, not a last minute thought in your day.
Sharita,
I agree, competence and confidence go hand in hand. Students want and expect their instructors to be prepared, and ready for class (even if they are not). We are in control of the class, and that includes adequate preparation and providing an organized learning setting.
Barry Westling
It is important to be prepared for class because the instructor and the student need to feel ready and prepared for the day. When an instructor is prepared for class he/she can manage and teach course materials with confidence and power. To be a leader a person must have the time to prepare and know the subject.
Larry,
Great. Relating non-technical material to career students is often a challenge. I don't know how many times I've heard "what's this have to do with my profession". A good key (as you've described) is to try to make it relatable to their course of study.
Barry Westling
Allen,
Good points. To build trust and respect, we have to be ready, knowledgeable, and confident in our abilities to transfer our understanding of needed material to students.
Barry Westling
Joseph,
Students want and need clarity. I believe only prepared instructors can fully provide the kind of clarity and understanding students need.
Barry Westling
Shelby,
All great comments. We have to value the students time and spark interest in their understanding of course material. This is unlikely to occur without adequate preparation.
Barry Westling
simply it is the difference between teaching and babysitting!
when you are dealing with adult leaners, they need to know why are they spending there time in your class room -- if you are not prepared to answer that question you will lose the student and the class -- my student come to our school to cook so when i have to teach them math -- most are not, shall i say not look forward to it!!
So i need to well prepared to explain why and how this will make them better cook i.e. CHEFS!
It is important for instructors to be organized and prepared for each class because it demonstrates professionalism. Having a clear plan of action is important because class time is precious and every moment should be centered on the material--real life experiences, scenarios, exams, discussion questions, etc. Also, being professional shows the students that instructors are dedicated to helping them earn their degrees, so instructors should have the material for each day planned out and ready for implementation.
It shows to the student, that you are prepared, and it shows professionalism. It is a good first impression to have with your students. If you expect them to be on time and prepared, then the instructor needs to be also.
Careful planning and organization before class is important for many reasons. First, it helps build instructor confidence knowing you are covered for all events, and student confidence when they see you are organized, on time, and prepared to start the class on time and give them the education they are investing in. Students prefer to see instructors using new material and a variety of media instead of boring lectures. Second, having several activities prepared also prevents embarrassing waiting periods when unexpected problems foil the original activity. An unprepared instructor would lose the students' attention and respect if he/she did not recover quickly with another options. Third, it allows the instructor to keep the students learning and applying new skills, even when the class moves faster than expected through the material.
