I think that watching other instructors lets me see things that I may incorporate into my teaching style. I my line of work I never stop learning. Good teaching tips need to be used even if it was not my idea. Some instructors may feel that they do a good job and dont need any body elses ideas. I like that fact that I work with many individuals that are very talented at what they do and I can always find new ideas for my teaching style from them.
I agree with most people on here that passion is of the utmost importance. This became especially relevant when I was forced to teach a math course (I am a writing instructor). On my student evaluations many students commented that I was not excited about the topic, nor was there any passion. (I am the first to admit it was true!) I felt like a failure after that class, though, because my students didn't seem to care much about the content, but why would they when I didn't? In the future I will focus on my passion for teaching rather than my passion (or lack thereof) on the subject.
I believe that the techniques that I can employ to further my instructional style are: Knowing my past and Knowing my Subject. In teaching any course, I tend to reflect on how my best and even my worst instructors taught it. For example: One of my best instructors told me that it is not fair to give students 100 questions exam if you hated them when they were given to you. As a result of learning this concept, I tend to give at the most 20-25 questions on my exams.
However, in order for me to be an effective Online Mathematics Instructor, I must know the subject that I am teaching. Beyond that, I must be able to work with the online technology that is required for me to effectively teach my students. I need to also show my students more than one way to solve a problem. In this instance, if they forget one method, there are plenty of other methods to utilize in solving the problem.
What are some other techniques that you have used that have worked in helping you to improve your style?
I think a great way to further develop is to sit in on classes with other instructors. You can take away ideas that they are using. We encourage our instructors to do this all the time.
I am finding that my material, PowerPoints, etc. are becoming outdated. My mission is to rewrite some of my material so it is relevant to my students.
I learned a lot from years of coaching young people. I had to develop rapport with a diversity of personalities and leard to adapt and change when some approaches were not so effective.
As a veterinarian and now teaching a career college it has been a little more of a challenge to think about what style I want to employ in my classrooms. Vet school was a lot of lecture, but I know as an individual that I learn better if I do the task at hand instead of just hearing about it. By realizing this in myself, I try to make my classrooms as much hands-on as possible. When I step back and think about how I teach I know I still have a lot of lecture days scheduled, but I am trying to incorporate more activities into the class room setting. I am constantly trying to brainstorm for more ideas.
We are who we are, but as professionals, we need to not only be able to identify our own strenghts but also those of our students. We need to be able to recognize what our students bring to our classes and use those experiences as a steping stone in our teaching. The wealht of experiences and backgrounds, provides us with a great tool for teaching and reaching to our students. Two different sections of the same course being taught by the same teacher might look completely different just because the students are very different. Even within the same class we are going to find many different learning styles. The activities that go on should adress all those differences as a way to provide our students the necessary experiences to achieve the goals and the objectives of our lessons.
We have our own teaching / learning style, but we are not the audience of our teaching. We need to keep in mind our students and what works for them.
We have peer observations on a regular basis here that help us with week points in our style. Suggestions are made by our peers and deans to make us aware of issues we may have. I think this is better than watching myself on a video. I appreciate the views of others and they are a great way to to adjust because of input from others. You still may not see something wrong when you observe yourself. It is a good technique but I prefer to have another set of eyes and another point of view.
This is my second reply to this. In the forum it was suggested to look back at your teachers styles. I know what I look for in a teacher and what I want from my education. If I have tyhe teacher that works for me then I get more from my classes. What do I look for in a teacher?
-Create the best conducive learning environment possible.
-Keep students on point the best that I can using all tools available.
-Have understanding towards student’s needs and problems that may interfere with their schooling as long as the problems are legitimate. Maslows hierarchy!
-Treat all students the same when discipline is needed.
-Make sure that students know that their success is directly related to their conviction and dedication to school.
-Do my best to help them maintain conviction and dedication.
I teach culinary arts so other instructors and I communicate all the time to figure out better ways to teach a given technique or lesson plan. The diversity of the students every cycle may create cause for adjustments. Disscussions and observations are necessary on an ongoing basis. This is the best way to stay sharp in our teaching environments. We as a group of teachers here are very willing to work together to make our learning environments better and more conducive for the students. We are very agressive at this.
What techniques can I employ to further develop, refine and enhance my instructional style?
In the pursuit of developing my instructional style, I like to observe other, more seasoned instructors. I like to see what they’re doing well and watch how their students respond to their presentation of the material.
In addition to peer observations, I try to solicit feedback from students whenever possible. I feel it’s important to get honest feedback about my instruction from those I’m trying to reach.
In order to inspire students to become perpetual learners, I feel as instructors, we need to remain students of our craft.
I also use audio and record podcasts for audio lectures. This is a good way to enhance online curriculum and I listen to the audio lecture on ways to improve. There may be legal and privacy issues with videotaping a classes under FERPA if students also appear in the videos.
I have been teaching the Martial Arts to 3 year olds on up to retirees for 17 years prior to teaching in higher ed. A tip that I recieved from another instructor was: before entering the classroom to say "this will be the best class I have ever taught". It helps to bring more energy in the classroom.
While I haven't yet employed this technique in my current classes, I have used this technique before, it is to video tape a class for my own review. It has helped me to correct bad habits such as saying OK too often or maybe being a little long winded. It is also a good way to see if I am getting the material across to the students in a clear and concise manner.
I also take notes after lectures based on some of the questions asked. I also will adjust the lecture if I felt that it didn't flow in the way that I wanted. I do this so that when I cover this material again I am hoping that it will continue to get better.
I find discussion with, and observation of and by, peer instructors to be very helpful in developing/refining/adapting my instructional style. I also belong to NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and find the workshops at their regional conferences to be a good source of ideas for instructional styles.
I can keep up to date with current practices and trends. I can do this by joining professional teaching organizations and take advantage of the publications that they offer. I can also enroll in classes that assist me with developing various teaching skills.
My style is to know my students and their backgrounds first. This helps me teach them better.I may have to have a private meeting with a student to find out more.The meeting will always be scheduled at their convienence so that they can not cut the meeting short.
If the private meeting is out of general concern for the student, questions would be used to gain the information I need. WHAT questions, instead of WHY questions will be used.
EXPAMPLE:
Instead of asking a student why they were late I would ask what were the circumstances that caused them to be late.
WHAT questions require more information to answer.
Lack of certain needs in the Maslows hierarchy pyramid should surface.
The information gained will help me understand the students life and concerns outside of school which will help me guide the student through advising them so that they may perform better in class. Other information that may be gained is the students life style or living situation before school. This can and almost always reflects a students outlook of school.
Everyone has a photographic memory, but some people do not have film.
There are many teaching styles based on your personality and personal preference. The most effective styles will be based on the teaching environment (classroom or laboratory), the subject matter (technical or application), the type of students (age, experience, prior knowledge), and course requirements (accreditation standards, school policies, contact hours, and resources). As with most tasks, the more experience one has as an instructor, generally the better that person becomes at instructing. With each new course offering there will be new students and opportunities for learning to take place. The instructor and course must adapt to best fit the needs of the students.
Students preferentially take in and process information in different ways: by seeing and hearing, reflecting and acting, reasoning logically and intuitively, analyzing and visualizing, steadily and in fits and starts. Teaching methods also vary. Some instructors lecture, others demonstrate or lead students to self-discovery; some focus on principles and others on applications; some emphasize memory and others understanding.
When mismatches exist between learning styles of most students in the class and the teaching style of the instructor, the students become bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get discouraged about the course, the curriculum, and themselves, and in some cases change to other curricula or drop out of school. Instructors, confronted by this, know something is not working. They may become overly critical of their students.
My career as an instructor began as an assistant coach for my high school soccer team, as I also played for a semi-professional club team. My style, as dictated by the head coach, was to demonstrate all of his instructed techniques to the players. The head coach had never played soccer and just read from a "Soccer Coaching for Dummies" type book. He mostly just sat on a folding chair uninterested in our team and was just there to collect his $500 coaching bonus. I was the acting head coach and team captain.
My next instructor position was as an assistant professor at a large state university. I taught freshman and sophomore courses while I was a junior and senior. While I was about the same age as my students, I earned their respect by being a subject matter expert, as a computer genius.
In the almost thirty years since completing my first college degree, I have taught in a variety of settings, from corporations and federal government offices to private schools and public universities. I have taught a variety of subjects, including astronomy, physics, aerospace, sports medicine, computer science, mathematics, and horticulture. Each time you need to adapt the course to the teaching environment, the subject matter, the type of students, and course requirements. You learn along with your students. I know that I have become a better instructor through my experiences. Learning is not a destination, but a life long journey. Each time you teach a course, your instructional style most evolve and change as needed. A quote by Charles Darwin helps to summarize this idea. "It's not the strongest species that survive, not the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change."
1. To better understand my students. Not all of them learn at same pace. Realizing that some of the students take a longer time to fully understand a concept that I am instructing
2. When going over details of a specific course, giving the students time to ask more questions so I can have a better understand their needs. This would allow me to alter my lectures to these needs.
