Hi Joshua,
Well said. A mentor does just what you mentioned. Helping students to find the help they need so they can continue their career development and letting the students know you are there for them is what is needed.
Gary
Hi Larry,
Your question falls under the "can't teach an old dog new tricks" category. Once an adult is convinced that he/she can't do something it is tough to move them off this mindset. What I do is to break some of the activities down into small success projects and have the students do them early in the course. I have found that with these little successes the students build some confidence and then some more success and some more confidence. Slowly they get to the point that they feel that they can do the work that is required.
Gary
Hi Kevin,
Right you are about getting to know students in an online environment. This is the part I miss most about teaching an online course verses an on-site course. Still working on techniques that will help this process but still a long way to go.
Gary
I try to have a progress report type of assignment at the end of the term as well as the surveys. This helps me see what they have taken in throughout the term. I seem to find that those who are happy with the course set up... do not rush to the survey. Those who did not like the set up, rush to the survey. This is simply an observation. I encourage all to use it but getting feedback in an assignment seems to present honest and sincere constructive criticism. I really enjoy seeing what they liked, learned from... and have the oppty to respond in feedback about taking certain suggestions... This seems to work well for me.
I like the idea of being a professional example for the students. I think interactive communication will help determine the individual goals of the student and reveal the instructional style best suited to achieve the learning goal
I think the students play a huge role in refining an instructional style. Each class may react differently with a particular style. For example, some may work well with small group activities or others better with the traditional lecture. The reaction or participation from the class can help assist you.
I approach teaching from a place of enthusiasm for the subject matter. I have found that if I am excited about even the "boring stuff," the students enjoy the topic.
However, I have learned over time that I lack somewhat in organization and I have to work harder in this area to keep my teaching and assessment excellent. I continue to survey students about how they feel about the class, the assessment, the subject matter and the application.
I love teaching and I love my students. I want them to succeed. However, in many cases, I don't have the skill set to help them navigate personal problems that affect their schooling (and will affect their professional lives later).
I feel that to be a great mentor you don't have to know how to navigate every problem, but you do need to know where to send them to get the help they need.
We can't do everything, but we need to know who can help.
I like to ask my students what that want to learn from the course. This provides me with new ideas that I incorporate in the course or brings to light how they "see" a topic allowing me to present in a manner that they understand.
Martin Cordero
my course is Cost control -- given that many of our students are not the most academic and many have an outright fear of MATH. I found that if i do a one on one with each student, this helps me adjust to the students learning needs -- and i also "know" where they are on the learning curve with my class -- it is also very helpful in back filling any information or skill they may have missed in previous course. our new 6 week formate has been a real help in being able to have more one on one time with the students that need the extra help with basic MATH.
i do, on occasion run in to student that just have a block on math, they are conviced that they will never get "it"! many have been told by teachers in highschool that they will never get it so "do something else" for a job -- any ideas on how I can breach this wall???
After each course I complete a self-evaluation on what worked, what did not, and make the necessary changes that would reflect best practices prior to starting a new course. I also take into account learner evaluations, suggestions from faculty and staff, and a critical review of my teaching methods.
I believe student surveys can be useful if they are properly developed. As with any tool, it is only as good as its design.
I do feel that reviewing surveys from student, assessments of instruction, and looking at "model" instructors is a good way to develop a plan to improve my instructional style. Many times looking back on things that you have done well that you may have lost over time may be helpful as well.
Some of things that help me get to know my online students are: (1) I ask them to "introduce" themselves on a thread of the Discussion Board that I set up before class starts - I instruct them to go there with my initial instructions. It is about 50% effective; (2) I ask open-ended questions during the Live Chat, especially if the content might present the opportunity for life application... These methods are helpful, but getting to know the students in that online environment is STILL a challenge!
I like keeping track of what works, almost like a trial and error. i know I have reached the students when I see the "light bulb" go on.
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for sharing these examples of how instructors have to be flexible in order to target their students and really impact their learning. One size fits all only works if you are buying a sack for clothing, otherwise the clothing has to be sized to fit you. This is what we must do as educators. I commend you for your efforts to do such with you online courses as well. I know this has to be quite a challenge due to class size and the format of the courses.
Gary
Hi Steven,
In relation to your instructional style being formed by past instructors you have had I think this is something that we all do as instructors. Those instructors we have had served as models for us as well as giving us a legacy that we can impart to our students. This is what makes teaching so exciting and rewarding.
Gary
Hi Theresia,
Thank you for sharing your experience as a new teacher and how you changed your delivery based upon student feedback and your own sense of teaching style. These comments will serve as an example for new instructors to think about as they work through their course content the first few times. As instructors we have to listen to and read our students if we are going to be successful in our delivery.
Gary
Meeting the needs of the online student is a constant struggle. For the online courses I teach, I do 2 chat sessions per week. I try to vary them in order to try to meet different learning styles. The challenge is that without the face to face interaction, determining a student's learning style is almost impossible.
My style is also driven by the level of class I am teaching. Lower level classes typically require a different approach than a higher level class. The key is to be flexible enough to adapt to the level of instruction and learning styles needed for the particular class.