It is important for me to have an understanding of myself in order to know my strengths and weaknesses. In other words, it important for me to self-evaluate. After doing so, I am better prepared to adapt/modify my instruction based on the needs of my students. Failure to know yourself as an instructor could lead to self-destruction.
Hi Mariann:
I agree we should be prepared to alter our natural teaching style if we want to be successful in reaching all of our students, because, just as we have different styles, so do students. Knowing our strengths and weaker areas allow us us to use our talents where they can do the most good.
I would add that we need to continuously work on those weaker areas, then be willing to modify or change. For adults, change is difficult.
Regards, Barry
I beleive you need to understand yourself as a person and what instructional style works best that you feel the most comfortable presenting. I us a variety of styles and adapt them according to the students that are in my classes.
Mariann U
Hi Penelope:
As teachers, we all have a self perception of how we appear and perform in the classroom with our students. But we don't have eyes in the back of our heads, so getting frequent and consistent feedback about our performance can assist us in our pursuit of continous improvement.
We probably have a sense of our strengths, and maybe a hint at our weaker areas, but getting feedback helps create the best in us. The key is being willing to identify where improvement is needed, then having a willingness to change or adapt. This sometimes requires great inner resolve and strength, and a commitment to ouselve to want to improve.
Regards, Barry
It is important to have an understanding of yourself as an instructional leader do you can improve.
Hi James:
Sometimes I feel like we need eyes in the back of our heads in order to truely see our weaker areas. To change, we have to first understand what the weaker areas are, the be willing to adapt and change for the better. That can be a hard thing to do.
Regards, Barry
Hi Penelope:
Yes, we all want to improve. The challenge is two fold. One is learning understand where improvement is needed. The second, most importantly, is the wiklingness to make the needed changes. Not all instuctors are open to pursuing both components.
Regards, Barry
Hi Joan:
I agree: Having a willingness to recognize weaker areas and, more importantly, work on improving them is a sign of a good instructor/ leader. I find observing and learning from other teachers and peers can help a lot for me personally.
Regards, Barry
I find it's important to have an understanding of myself because it will benefit my students if I can zero in on my strengths and improve on my weaknesses. For instance I can deal with situations easier if I use my positive attitude in a negative situation and make the student understand the positive aspects in a situation they see as a lost cause. I need to be able to keep the students interested positive and enthusiastic. I can only do this by knowing my own strengths and weeknesses.
Ken Gay
Understanding ones self is a necessary element to being an instructional leader because it allows the instructor to identify his/her natural 'bent', strengths and weaknesses.
Although most people can adopt various styles (according to the need), the instructor's natural 'bent'/personality stlye will have an impact on the type of instuctor that he/she is (peacemaker, socrates etc.), affect the communication and leadership style.
The awareness of ones weaknesses is the first step in self-improvement and the understanding and utilization of ones strengths can be the fuel for the making of an effective instructional leader.
To realize where you are strong and weak so you can make improvements on how you teach.
one must see and understand there weaknesses and what they are strong in to help there students to learn.
Hi Alan:
Good traits for good instructors. We gain knowledge of these (or lack of) through experience, education, training, peer review, student critiques, evaluations, and most important: a willingness to want to improve! Without that, significant cahnge is unlikely.
Regards, Barry
You must have a thorough understanding of yourself as an instructor - strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, personality, etc. - before you will be able to most effectively tailor your approach to a given class of students.
Hi Summer:
Great. Reflecting on your own experience can be helpful, if it's applicable to difficulties your students are experiencing. I've found every class is different and has it's own dynamic. So, as I've grown as an instructor, I'm more flexible about how I approach a class in order to best meet their specific needs.
Regards, Barry
For most of us, we teach how we learned. Understanding that simple fact helps us in the classroom. For example, I was a student that often found myself bored in class. I would always read the books, but had terrible class attendance when I found the class pace was slow. This is always in the back of my mind when I teach. I want the students to be engaged on a daily basis.
Hi Kevin:
Right on! Being comfortable with who we are, willing to be honest with students and natural in our delivery, and of course, knowing our stuff will contribute to emphasizing our positive traits, and may help reveal where we as individuals need some work.
Regards, Barry
Barry,
Understanding yourself as an instructional leader is critical. Students crave leadership in their chosen career school. When an instructor can successfully lead the student to an understanding of the course true learning can be accomplished.
The ancient Greeks said that we need to know ourselves (know thyself). Socrates was one of those who used that terminology as well. If we understand ourselves as instructors, we can know our weaknesses and strengths. We can know how to handle ourselves in any given situation to achieve the best result...putting our students at the center of their instructional needs instead of using the students to make ourselves look good.
I feel knowing how I am preceived by students is important to my personal growth as an insturctor. Asking for feedback about a particular demo or lecture helps me inprove or change certain aspects of the lesson plan when needed. Plus it me shows the differnt learning styles the students is coming from. I feel I am still a pretty new instructor and am always looking for imput to grow my style.
