Hi Larry,
There are four major categories of learning styles within which students prefer to receive input. As instructors we need to make sure that our instructional style is diverse enough to reach all of our students within these four major areas of reading, viewing, listening, and manipulation. Sometimes it takes teaching a course a number of times before we really settle into what a style really is.
Gary
Hi Larry,
You are right on in your effort to improve yourself instructionally. By observing other instructors you develop your presentation and instructional skills. By observing industry you help yourself to remain current. When you blend these two, you are in a position to be a very powerful positive influence in the classroom.
Gary
Hi Barbara,
Ever since the beginning of time, when the first person shared how and how not to attack a wooly mammoth, we have been sharing our experience. If the same mistakes were repeated over and over again, the mammoths would be reading about us instead of the other way around.
The idea of attending other classes and observing other teaching techniques is the component of modeling we need to keep focused on. We learn from others both the good and the bad. This gives us a base from which we can select our teaching style.
Constant feedback from students and peers will help us to refine our style and be effective in the classroom. No, we don't want to repeat the same mistakes, because then progress is never made.
Gary
By taking the time to assess individual student needs as well as what industry is requiring from our students. That generally means that we are constantly updating our skills as instructors. In addition it allows us to observe other instructors in their enviroment and to hone our own teaching skills since we are students and instructors.
By taking the time to assess individual student needs and providing the materials to meet their needs.
By taking the time to assess individual student needs and providing the materials to meet their needs.
I am a firm believer in attending other classes in my field taught by different individuals. This gives me a better scope of what other methods might work and why they might not. I also get a chance to "be" the student and listen to other students concerns and delights in the class presentation. I find this emensly helpful to keep from repeating the same pitfalls.
Hi Gary,
Your instructional style needs to include an attitude of helpfulness in relation to the basic knowledge that is required for your course. You mentioned that the biggest problem is that students don't have the basic knowledge required for success in your course. Granted you should not offer a total remediation course to get your students up to skill level, but you can offer basic information at the beginning of your course to assist them in assessing how much they know about the area. This form of instructional style will help you to develop rapport with your students and encourage them to work hard to acquire the required skill levels.
Gary
After working in the trade for over 30 years my biggest problem with some of the students is the lack of basic knoledge .
It seems that you must always remember to find out the students knowledge level
.It has taken a lot of practice not to talk over there heads.
The other thing is to make sure that you dont assume that the student should know this or that.
Hi Jason,
You are on the right track in developing your instructional style. In many cases instructors use their learning style as their instructional style resulting in confusion on the part of many students. By developing an instructional style that is a combination of your personality, good instruction, and modeling from previous instructors you will develop into an instructor of merit.
I would suggest that you use or develop a course evaluation format that gives you the feedback you really want from your students. Many course evaluation forms are so general that they don't give more than a broad picture of what you did as an instructor. I have developed a evaluation model I call “Strands of Strength†that enables me to hone in on exactly what I want to know from my students in relation to how I am doing that specific instructional phase. I keep track of this information and then use it to prepare for the next phase.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
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Hi Joseph,
You are on the right track for refining your teaching style. By looking to educators in you past you have opened up an opportunity to select best from them and to drop what was not effective instruction. This model puts you ahead in the refinement of your style.
In using class feedback to help you in your professional development I would suggest using a system or method that really focuses in on what you want to learning about your teaching style. Many instructor evaluations are so general that they really don't give any feedback that is useable. I have developed a model that I call “Strands of Strengthâ€. This method enables me to really hone in on what I am doing that instructional phase and how the students are receiving the instruction that I am sharing. It is custom made for my use, thus I get the information I need to be a better instructor.
Keep up your effort to refine and expand your instructional style and I know you will reap many benefits from your efforts.
Gary
I have only taught in a classroom setting twice so I'm still working hard to develop my style. In developing myself to the point were I'm at today I've been a student in many settings and observed a variety instructional styles taking a little from each then adding my personality. A Dale Carnegie course has also adding in my delivery of subject matters. I think the refinement comes from student/peer evaluation at the end of each class/semester.
I Developed my style at the start by looking back at past educators. From there I haved refind them by class feed back. Also with the help of other instructors around me. I work in the tool and die every day.So knowing what to teach is alot easier than knowing how to teach it in a way students can understand. So knowing my student help me refind my style.Also lots of seminars.
Hi Steve,
You have a clear picture of what it takes to be an instructor of merit. By continually keeping your finger on the pulse of your students you can catch many of the problems within the classroom before they really start to impact the learning community. By picking up on those students that are not asking questions you will be trying to find out what their needs are and how you can best address them.
Teaching is much like a giant jigsaw puzzle. The only problem is just about the time you have the puzzle put together, the pieces (students) change and you have to start all over again. The thing I have found is that I get quicker at figuring out the puzzle the more I teach. Nothing beats experience, keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi Amer,
In developing your instructional style you need to make sure that those instructors that you are modeling your teaching after are those that work close enough within your field to insure that the methods you will be using are transferable. Ask yourself questions about why that instructor was one of your favorites. Was it delivery, accessibility, modeling, expertise, etc.? This way you can be sure to “pick†the strengths of that instructor and make his/her examples a part of your instructional delivery.
Gary
Hi Thomas,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I have been on extended travel the past two weeks and now back in my office and ready to communicate with students once again.
Your response about instructional style is an excellent one. You are doing all of the right things to insure that you are meeting student needs. The points you make about individual student help, seeing yourself as a student, and learning from other instructors are all ways in which you can formulate a concrete instructional style for yourself.
With your self improvement plan to keep yourself current through attending seminars, reading trade publications, etc. is going to assist you in being the best instructor that you can be.
Be sure to keep some kind of diary or notebook about the things you are doing to insure that you can reflect on those methods that really worked for you and those that you might choose to not do again. I keep this record to insure that I can chart growth for myself and expand my horizons as an educator.
Gary
I teach as a part-time instructor at an institute where I am fortunate enough to have small classes. The advantage of that is that I can usually "mold" my course to suit the needs of the students. I use their course reviews at the end of the class to help me refine or change things that I do. I am a firm believer in "hands-on" teaching. I feel it is a good motivator and helps develop a student's confidence. I also listen and deal with each student individually to help with their particular "problems." The goal for me is to keep my students progressing with useful knowledge that they can also build on for success in their job.
I feel to be a good instructor,it helps to have been a student. That is one way you can develop a style of instructing; by learning how other instructors handle the task. Take their examples, and apply them to your own style. You also need to keep up with any changes in your field. Technology moves rapidly. I attend seminars, read trade publications, etc. These all help me develop my own knowledge and methods.
One can develop an instructional style after considering what kind of methods were utilized by one's favourite teachers.
Experimenting diverse class activities and having an evaluation feed back from students from time to time can be a sourse of refining your instructional style.
I'd have to say that the most important area of focus would include staying in tune with student responsiveness and progress. I agree with the statement that we need to focus on the learning and not the teaching. I find that when it comes to the application of a subject, I need to concentrate, for example, on those who did not ask questions during the classroom phase or lesson.
Steve
Thanks for the comments Gary,
I have been keeping track of these things, not in a consolidated notebook, but as notes to myself in the margins of my texts and workbooks. But I have also lost some good ideas because a book got "borrowed". Guess I'll spend a buck at Staples and get comp. book just for this!
Regards,
Al
