I find I am more a motivator. I see students who are fresh from high school ( 80%) who have high expectations and when I introduce the industry they wish to get a career in, I see the expectations disappear.
WHen this happens, being a role model from the entertainment industry, I motivate them to starting on what they know and what they will know when the complete the curriculum
Do you experience the same things that I do when observing other instructors?
By that I mean both the good and bad teaching styles of different instructors and especially the reactions of the students. It’s interesting to see what works and what doesn’t so that we can include or delete that from our teaching styles. Some can be formal while others can be casual. We need to also decide which style best suits our own personality. What do you think?
I am passionate about what I am teaching, and I think most of my students really want to learn. I have one student who is great with hands on technique, but "zones out" - almost falling asleep - during any other lecture or activity. I asked him about it, and he said he can concentrate better when he closes his eyes, but that he is listening, and he even gave me a summary of what I had just covered to prove he was indeed paying attention!
So don't always assume students are not engaged, ask them -- talk to them.
Observation of fellow instructors allows me to enhance and refine my style.
Hi Mary,
Excellent approach. You are doing all of the right things for the brains of the students. The flow of your class enables them to concentrate, integrate and then apply their newly acquired knowledge.
Gary
The most important thing I can do to further develop my "style" is to keep being me. Congruency is key to building trust and confidence in the instructor/student relationship; nobody listens to a phony.
Two techniques that I will apply include:
1. Employ active learning
2. Implement a survey of the students at the course midway point
Because I teach health care law and ethics, I lecture on most of the material. To keep my students engaged, I limit my introductory lecture to 20 minutes on the text. The class then gets into their small groups for 30 minutes to discuss the handout pertinent to the lecture material. I do a follow up lecture of 10 to 15 minutes. The remaining 15 or 20 minutes is used for class discussion on the legal and ethical issues. I try to stay very focused on the issues as they are complex. Keeping focused helps the student understand how the material is applicable to their health care careers.
Hi Daniel,
You have laid out a number very good strategies for involving all of your students in different ways. I will be interested in hearing how this works out for you.
Gary
Less lectures. Continue to use more examples in class of real life situations vs. text book examples.
After beginning each class with a group interview about expectations of the class, and ending each class with an assessment of reaching those expectations. I need more assessment during the class other than quizzes, tests etc. I’m planning on creating scenarios that reflect leaning outcomes in practical application and emailing them to the entire class asking them for the solutions. The best and most entertaining will be read at the end of each week and each can be discussed, both pros and cons, as to there value in the real world. I’m hoping to solicit more participation in the class and identify students who may not understand the subject matter. We’ll see how it goes.
Dan
Hi Kenneth,
Great plan. I know your students are really going to benefit from your efforts. In addition I think you are going to have a lot of fun as you plan and deliver these new instructional strategies.
Gary
Hi Glenn,
You are right about the enjoyment of teaching. This is what keeps us coming back each day.
Gary
As part of my professional development plan for '09, I am attempting to integrate more digital/visual display content as part of my teaching approach. My upcoming course assignment is one that I think lends itself to use of video/photo presentations much more than previous courses I have taught. Also, the new courses should lend themselves to more extensive student participation in their own learning, rather that it being more strictly imposed by the nature of the work in previous classes. The students will be a little farther advanced in their studies and will be itching to apply what they have learned. My challenge will be to help guide them toward their objectives in a variety of ways, tailoring my approach as I identify learning styles of my students. Thanks for asking, by the way.
You must love what you are doing as an instructor. The joy of seeing "AH HA" is worth more than $$.
Hi Christa,
Good plan to offer a variety of learning preferences to and for your students. This will help them to become engaged and focused on the topics.
As for the lecture part of your delivery I would suggest if possible to put in some games and small group activities that will help your students to learn grammar without them becoming bored with the content.
Gary
The technique I find of most importance to develop, refine, and enhance my instructional style is to be in touch with the students needs. Each student has a different learning curve. Some are textile (hands on) while others are text book and/or benefit from lecture. My personal goal is to utilize multiple styles in order to provide each student the opportunity to learn. However, I must admit that my lectures can be boring. I know I need to be more “animated” and limit the amount of time spent on a topic to keep the students interested. Especially when I have to teach grammar! That topic is one that I do not enjoy and I need to find ways to make it fun for me and the class.
Hi Amanda,
Good strategy. I think you are going to find a higher level of understanding from your students. They should be able to get into the assignments with understanding about the expectations without too much confusion. There is something about seeing the assignments both online and in print that helps the students with their understanding.
Gary
Hi Stevie,
You have a great professional development plan laid out for yourself. I know you are going to enjoy the benefits of the growth that goes with such a plan.
Gary
Hi Kenneth,
What a great goal. Having as many "aha" moments as you can with your students. Personally when I experience the moments it gets me excited for several days. It is a real booster for everyone.
Gary
