Shawn,
No reason why learning can't be fun. Too much humor can be a turn off. For me, half my students tolerate my humor, but don't get it. So I've found I need to tone it down and substitute it with interesting or unusual stories that capture attention and focus. From there, I can deliver my lessons.
Barry Westling
My personality acts as the solidifier to knowledge retention and application. I use A LOT of humor and I can be a bit eccentric sometimes, which makes my variety of deliverance have extreme efficacy. Learning is best when everyone is having fun! That is my thought anyway.
Edward,
Hopefully every teacher a student has contact with is totally professional in all settings, all the times. The reality is...? It is true students look to their instructor perhaps as a role model, maybe more so as a mentor - someone they perceive they want to emulate.
Barry Westling
In my opinion the instructor is the role model for the class. They will pick up on the model presented and start to emulate it. If you are routinely disorganized and cranky they will also. This will hurt thr final effectiveness of the student.
Scott,
I really like passionate teachers. Their enthusisam and positive tone seem to automatically command attention and focus. Obviously, getting and keeping students engaged this is paramount to the instructional plan.
Barry Westling
Michelle,
I think students enjoy to hear stories(and therefore pay attention) and past situations that relate to the job they're preparing for. It's a style of teaching that has been around for centuries. For those that are natural conversationalists, this would be a wonderful activity and approach to teaching, along with other instructional strategies of course.
Barry Westling
Personality understanding is key. I have always tried to be myself. Playing to my strengths and working on my weaker points. I am very outgoing and passionate. My students observe that on a daily basis. if I used a dry monotone delivery method, they would know that I was not being myself, and the learning environment would suffer
I am a conversationalist and love to use humor and stories to get learning objectives understood. Sometimes I will add voices and or impressions of patients that I have had experience with. This seams to really catch the students attention.
Kay,
Yep! Enthusiasm in a classroom makes it difficult to be a spectator.
Barry Westling
One personality trait that has always inspired me when being taught is enthusiasm. When the teacher is inspired, it is catching.
Thanks for this discussion.
Douglas,
I think we all should facillitate more than lecture, whenever feasible. And being authentic and sincere in our approach can make minor personality differences not seem so important.
Barry Westling
Your personality is critical to effective delivery. There are some things that people are not comfortable with. I have had instructors that are very meek and that let the class run itself. I have also had some that make mistakes and cannot be corrected due to their ego. I feel that I am more of a facilitator. I like to get the conversation going then let the students run it as a guided discussion. I love to talk, but becuase I am aware of it, I have learned to love to listen.
VIRGILIO,
Good. When a teacher presents as a good role model, students will naturally want to imagine themselves in a similar light, especially trure in career or technical fields. The teacher plays an important role when bringing their personality of professionalism to the classroom.
Barry Westling
Among other things, I have to demonstrate to my students that I am efficient and very methodical in my choice of delivery methods for teaching because more than anything else, my students will try to emulate my preparedness on the job.
Kori,
I think you're right (hopefully, material isn't boring in the first place), and an enthusiastic, upbeat, lively teacher is likely to capture student attention and focus more than a dull, monotone atmosphere. When students are interested, they'll pay attention. When they're involved, they'll retain information. With activities that allow practice, they'll remember, and the class will be more meaningul.
Barry Westling
If you have a "fun"/outgoing personality, hopefully you will teach in the same way. Students seem to respond well to my funny attitude. I like to have fun in class. It makes the material a little less boring.
Anissa,
Students respect competent, confident, interesting and relatable teachers. We all have our particular personality traits, and I don't think it's wise to try to be like another. Being approachable, honest and sincere will overcome any personality quirks a teacher may knowingly or unknowingly demonstrate.
Barry Westling
My personality is pretty firm but fair in the classroom. This works in my case because althoughI am over 40, I look like I am 26. So if I become too overzealous or bubbly in my attempt to make the class more "fun", I am not respected as a role model. I have learned that fair and firm works best while being organized, in my case.
Paul,
I think it true that students like to be led (even though they might not know it). Usually, students don't get a choice in who there instructor is (unless they they just drop the class). A strong and effective leader is good at influencing people to do things, or perhaps follow their lead, so this is a great personality trait to have in order to lead the class to the desired student outcomes.
Barry Westling
An instructor should be a leader. Students need someone to follow and it will be a more productive enviroment if the instructor is the one they choose.
