Time management
Sliding window of time, prioritizing on-the-fly which is more important can help with time management. Constant reading of how the students are reacting to classroom activities or responding to questions during the presentation can confirm if students are understanding the material and went to move on to the next facet of the subject or a new subject.
James,
Sounds like a good plan. Sequencing segments of instruction carries with it certain unknown variables, chief among them would be student questions, interaction, discussion, repeating, reviewing, etc. Some classes require more, some less, so having solid back up material such as you describe is a smart way to prepare for meaningful use of extra time.
Barry Westling
I have my class outline organized by day. Sometimes one day will run into the next or it will end early and I'll start on the next day. At the end of the class (4 days)I will see where it ends. If it runs short I have a multi-media presentation ready to go that is extra knowledge that the students can use but is not required. It is set up that it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and a half.
Tony,
Breaks are a good thing. I think more shorter breaks is more beneficial than one, single, longer break.
Barry Westling
We have implamented short breaks. I think that helps us break up our information, and helps us use time management. It also helps the students re-focus on the material
Jerry,
Sometimes students need some organization or outlining assistance in order to fulfil their instructors expectations for a project or assignment. I think giving them all the help that's possible only helps achieve a better learning outcome from the exercise.
Barry Westling
I agree. I like to have my students outline their preparation time line for larger projects and outline all the aspects. Teaching pre-production in my field is a huge part of my lecture and leads to successful sessions.
Christine,
Discussion time is really the most quality time we can spend with students, as time allows. Too often we have so much to cover, individual attention is sacrificed, which is unfortunate.
Barry Westling
Time management is eseential for a productive learning enviornment. I try to be mindful of time but, try not to take away from quality discussion time with students.
Janis,
Great. I think any method that gets students to use and apply the material they're learning is a terrific way to cement their knowledge and increase understanding
Barry Westling
Also having the students role play a topic presented is useful in evaluating the understanding of the information that has been provided. This also facilitates other students in sharing ideas with those students who may have not grasped the information fully.
Barbara,
Keeping students busy with activities that are interesting to them is one sure way to keep "idle minds" focused on their studies.
Barry Westling
My classroom is the same. If there is too much "down time", it can become unruly.
Hossai,
Time management ought to be called "self management", as everyone has the same amount of time. It's how we use that valuable resource that really matters.
Barry Westling
Yes, i do believe highly about having time management in the classroom. If we dont use time wisely and structure the class room will become like a zoo. I love to start,discuss, and end in a timely manner.
Toni,
Q and A is always a good exercise. This can even be done continuously throughout the lesson to check for understanding.
Barry Westling
Knowing how the students are reacting in the classroom is a good way to access the students knowledge. I think that responding to students questions during lecture helps them to understand the course material.
Nancy,
Time management could accurtely be re-termed "self-management", as we all have the same amount of time, it's how we choose (or are ready) to to use that time that makes a difference. Certainly, having all needed materials ready with back up is always a good idea.
Barry Westling
We have developed our course out-lines on an hourly timeline to assist in time management of the course. It is also important to have extra pertinent material to incorporate into your class if things move along faster thatn expected.
Gordon,
Great. This is a version of student centered learning, whereas the instructor fine tunes the class to accommodate individual needs. Very nice.
Barry Westling
