Hi Janet,
Nice balance between using your life and career experiences as a spring board to introducing yourself and your qualifications and the course requirements. The students get to see you as a caring professional educator that wants to help them to succeed in the course. Plus, you have the knowledge and experience to help make it happen. Good job.
Gary
The first thing I can do is look at and speak with other instructors and my manager about how they teach; I can always learn something from experienced instructors. Getting feedback on my style from the same instructors is educational, I'm sure they'll have great input for me. I both fear and am excited over video taping one of my classes so I can see what I look and sound like to the class, and I'm sure that'll identify many areas for growth.
Hi Janet,
Experience has shown me that to truly know what is going on with my students I have to get feedback from them throughout the course phase. I know you will benefit from doing this in your future classes. Also, as you mentioned end of the phase evaluations only give responses to the specific questions that are ask or what the students are thinking about at the end of the course. Our school uses the end of the phase evaluations for annual reviews and are of little or no benefit to instructional improvement.
Gary
Hi Brian,
Good to hear the kind words about the material and your professional development. All of us instructors have to work on improving our delivery skills no matter how many years we have taught. Keep up the good work and I wish you much teaching success.
Gary
By developing hands-on learning activities, role-playing, and sharing personal business experiences, I can refine my instructional style. I have much experience to draw upon and share with my students. Also, by stating and reviewing the learning objectives, students will see the value of the activities done in the classroom.
One idea I have learned from reading the forum responses and discussing issues with other instructors is that I need to regularly get feedback from the students on what activities and/or practices are working for their learning styles and what are not. End of semester surveys are not always the best barometer of judging success. Continual student feedback will help me develop a style that is mine, but also will enable them to learn. I also need to share more of my personal business experiences with my classes. That connection is very rewarding.
Thank you. That makes a lot of sense and I could certainly use that tool as well since names are not the easiest thing for me to remeber either.
I like the idea of the graphic organizers as well since organization is key to an instructor success.
Hi Brian,
In response to you question about how to help your fellow instructors to capture some excitement about what and how they are teaching I would suggest offering them quick and easy teaching techniques that they can use in their classrooms. For example in visiting with a fellow instructor that expresses a concern about how hard it is to learn the names of students you could suggest that he/she use 3x5 cards on which the names and some significant fact about the student is listed. By doing something simple like this and they have success with it they will be more than likely to come back to you for more suggestions and then you can give them more techniques that will help them with making teaching easier. I have found with my professional development seminars that if I can make teaching easier instructors are more willing to listen and implement. The things I share with them are quick and easy to develop like guided notes or graphic organizers.
Gary
I have really been engaged by this material. I will employ a better management style to my instruction technique, meaning being better prepared and motivated to teach. I also hope to model a more motivational style so that other instructors can be enthused and engaged in teaching the curriculum in a manner that excites and intrigues our students to learn.
I attempt to take the student from a area of the subject that they know and walk them to the new subject I want to teach them. Having taught the previous courses helps in this method of teaching. One way to do this is to have the student explain what they know about the subject and lead them on from their.
I was never a good student until I was taught by instructors that really had a love of the subject as well as a mastery of it.
Once I was shown a love of teaching I was able to grow a love of learning. This has really changed me into a life long learner.
I continue to be a student, as seen by taking this course, and hope to share my love of learning through teaching with passion and mastery.
I have developed, in myself, a mastery of the skills and information I am teaching as well as a passion for the subject matter.
I try to model the the type of student and teacher I want to teach me when I instruct and I want to motivate the students I teach to be not only good at what they hope to do but also to become life long learners.
If I could get one piece out of this puzzle it would be how better to manage and motivate other instructors so that the students can achieve a higher level of learning. What skills do others share with colleagues and staff that help to motivate them to model and teach in a manner that helps develop better learning skills?
Hi Helen,
Variety in instruction is very important to keep students from becoming bored and turned off to learning. Sounds like you have a wide variety of strategies that you use to keep your students engaged in the learning process.
Gary
this helps the student to listen and to focus. It motivates students to initiate their own learning
I use a variety of instructional strategies and resources to respond to student's diverse needs by:1. providing opportunities for all students to think, discuss, interact, reflect, and evaluate the content of the subject matter.
2. using technology (computers) to enhance student learning.
3. varying my instructional strategies to inrease student's active participation in learning.
Hi Cynthia,
Thank you for the kind words about the content. As you apply this newly acquired knowledge what do you see as your biggest challenge and your greatest strength in your classroom?
Gary
I think by learning the material provided by CEE will strengthen my knowledge & skill to be a good instructor. I can blend the information with knowledge & experiences I already have acquired. I appreciate the wide variety of information that is available for training to instructors.
Hi Juliet,
Right on. The key is to find the balance between the 3 fs. Sounds like you have had good instructors in the past that helped you to realize what you liked and respected in an instructor and thus are able create the same within your instructional style. I wish you the best in your teaching career.
Gary
Communication with other instructors on their style of teaching, review past instructions and see how they can be improved, and also look at student evaluations to note improvements.
I think if I can balance the 3 f,s to be firm ,fair,but allso fun. I remember back in highschool the one teacher that tried to make us laugh and make the class fun stands out in my mind the most I respected him the most and I learned the most from him because he made us laugh I looked forward to his class everyday where with other teachers the thought of having to go to their made me nervous and sick.
Hi Pamela,
What a great profile of an instructor that is balanced in her approach and student concern. I am sure that your students really enjoy your courses and the rapport that you develop with them.
The humor factor is a must. What are some techniques that you use to find balance in your humor use in the classroom.
Gary
