Hi James,
The blending of tactile activities with cognitive learning is a great way of incorporating different learning aspects. Good job.
Gary
I try to make my instruction as hands on as possible since this keeps the attention of the students the best.
Hi John,
I can only imagine the questions your students come up with as they start learning about cars. Should keep you interested in your teaching because you will quickly realize how wide a range of students you have each course phase.
Gary
Improve my questioning to make sure that my students understand what iam teaching them because i teach mostly new students to the automotive field i have to remember that some of them know nothing about a car.
UPDATED CLASS MATERIAL MORE ON LINE TRAINING.
I have been using question and answer, activities such as student drawings, reviews and presentations.
Hi Joseph,
Great example of why we teach. The opportunity to share our knowledge and train the next generation of professionals is something that we need to reflect on ever so often when we get down about our work load or other life stresses. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi James,
You are correct about there being a wealth of information about how to expand and improve your ability to deliver instruction. What we need to do as instructors is to have a personal plan that will provide us the opportunity to see, learn and profit from our experiences. This will help us to become better each time we enter the classroom/laboratory.
Gary
I agree. Having a past student go out of his way to thank you is far more rewarding than any bonus I ever recieved.
In this day in age there is a wealth of information at our finger tips to develop our own instructional style. One easy way is to assess your past learning experiences with good or not so good instructors. Another way is to observe successful instructors at your campus. Most importantly is to accept new ideas and in-services coming out of your Campus. Your School probably has a certain style they are looking for. The challenge for some is the style isn't clearly stated.
Hi Claudia,
Good plan. I am sure you are going to see changes in how your students are engaged in the learning process.
Gary
I can better balance the demonstrations for computer application classes with lecture to explain why they need to learn the concepts being taught. I can introduce writing assignments earlier in the term for written communications so that students are using the concepts they are learning. This practice will reinforce the quizzes and assignments.
Hi Michelle,
Great outline of a professional development plan. By observing other educators and reading books on teaching you will continue to improve your teaching skills along with the experiences that will help you grow as well.
Gary
In order to enhance my instructional style I put the needs of my students first. As an instructor, I understand that I must teach and meet certain standards but I believe that this can only be accomplished through my willingness to understand the students that I am instructing. I remind myself that each class I teach consists of a variety of learners. As such, they all have their own unique manner of learning, I remind myself that a lesson plan that was successful in one class may not be successful with another set of learners and as such I must be willing to change an existing lesson. Also, I believe that it is important to constantly educate myself in regards to the different learning styles. Many educators have written books that address different pedagogical strategies and by reading these books I have gained a wealth of information. As an educator, I believe that it is important to learn from other educators. It is through this learning that I can enhance my own instructional style and as such, serve as a better instructor to my students.
Hi Sarah,
You are taking a good approach to the class. Use the resources that you have and those are the students. Through group work and discussions you can use their experiences the further the course content plus they will feel involved in the process as well.
Gary
My students are all professionals wanting to advance further in their career, so I don't believe traditional teaching method would bode well. I would like to use facilitation as much as possible trying to get them involved in group discussion utilizing their knowledge, background, and experience to apply to the real life situation that we are often presented at a work place. I am also keeping an open mind on other techniques should this one does not go well, as no group is the same and no situation is the same. Different group and different situation call for different instructional styles.
Hi Renee,
You are right about having to know yourself so you can project that personality and professionalism to your students. What are some steps you have taken to explore the different teaching styles and then decide on which style you are going to use?
Gary
fun and laid back but with the focus on learning.
knowing yourself, and exploring different styles to find out what works best!
Hi Dan,
Listening carefully to students is a key part of being a good instructor. In your experience what are some ways of being an effective listener to your students and how can you use what you hear to be a better instructor?
Gary
