There are a few approaches that I take. I make sure that I participate in each in service that my school offers. I take graduate courses at a local University to extend my knowledge base. When taking those courses, I not only pay attention to the content, but the way that the instructor delivers the content. Finally, I take courses, like this one, whenever I can.
Hi Monica,
I teach a 6 hour block from 4:00p.m. until 10:00p.m. so I understand exactly what you are talking about. With students that have worked all day and are worn out it takes all kinds of activities to keep the students engaged. I enjoy trying to find new strategies that I can employ to keep the motivation level high each and every time the class meets.
Gary
I teach a 4.5 hour night class, so I tend to use lots of different instructional techniques. It keeps the flow going and makes it so we don't get so bored doing the same thing over again. I also agree with someone who wrote to tap into the knowledge of other teachers. I wish we had more time to observe others in our field!
Cathy,
Obtaining student feedback is an excellent idea. Our campus completes surveys at the end of each course. Unfortunately, these surveys have mainly addressed areas out of our control (facilities, books, class hours, etc).
How have you been able to change their focus from the "out of our control" issues, to classroom and instructor feedback?
Brenda
Holly,
What are you looking at when you watch others teach?
I have observed different instructors with different approaches. The one thing that jumps out at me is that most instructors use only one style. In most of these situations, students are not as interested or involved.
This week, as I watch others teach, I will note their methods and reflect on the pros and cons of each. My goal is to use different methods in order to keep my students' full attention in class.
Any suggestions on anything else I should be focusing on?
Thanks,
Brenda
I can watch others teach, attend conferences and so on to expand my instrucational abilities.
Brenda,
I do not team teach. I think it is a wonderful idea. I observe other teachers a few times a year. I find it very enlightening.
I also ask my students to “anonymously” critique my courses. I ask them to include what they liked about the course and what they would change. There were times that I planned on changing a course project and kept it the same because students stated that they found it very helpful.
Cathy
Hi Brenda,
This is a great way to keep on the cutting edge of instructional improvement. You all can bounce ideas off of each other and share strategies. I know you are going to have a great experience with team teaching.
Gary
I can expand my instructional abilities by participating in training and in-service days at work, by completing courses (such as this one), by interacting with other instructors (observing teaching styles, discussing problems and solutions).
I am currently team teaching, so I am able see first hand what "works" and what "doesn't work" when listening to others. In the same manner, my "co-teachers" are able to observe my presentation and can offer valuable feedback. After class, we are able to discuss "how things went" and brainstorm about "how can we make it better".
I hope to gain new ideas and perspectives through this course in order to continuously improve my abilities.
Barbara,
I also share ideas, assignments, and projects with fellow teachers. It is helpful to work in a team environment. We discuss what worked in our classes and what did not.
Cathy
I enjoy a very active and engaged classroom. My teaching style involves providing the students with basis concepts so they could build off of them. I authentically assess what they learn in the classroom. I assign a course project that allows the students to apply the concepts they learned in class. It helps reinforce the material. I use overhead projectors, handouts, and the internet in class. My students work both independently and in groups.
I learn best through the methods listed above. I am a visual and auditory learner. I try to present material to my students in a number of ways. I find I learn best if I apply what I am learning in a real-life scenario. I like teaching business classes because I can demonstrate to my students how what they are learning in class applies to the real world. I want to expand my learning by receiving training on how to hold online breeze sessions. I attend conferences to interact with other teachers to learn how they are presenting material to their students. I enjoy when my students play devil’s advocate in the classroom. I feel we can learn from them as well. I take education classes to keep up with effective teaching methods. I am a believer of authentic assessment.
Hi Claire,
What a great professional development plan you have. I commend you for all of your efforts in the various areas to improve your instructional delivery and effectiveness. I know your students greatly benefit from all of your efforts.
Gary
I continually seek new ways to present challenging material. Each time I teach a course, I learn more about what works and what doesn't, and make appropriate changes to my course the next time I teach it. At the end of each course, I ask students (as part of their final exam) to provide input on what worked and what didn't work for them in the class, what homework assignments were helpful and which weren't, if any assignments felt like "busy-work," if there were things they wished we'd spent more time or less time on, if a particular guest speaker or field trip was useful, etc. I also have a goal of attending a professional conference on teaching in my field at least every other year. I also love reading books on teaching. "What the Best College Teachers Do," by Ken Bain, is one of my all-time favorite books.
Always keep yourself updated with any new available methods,observe other instructors,
gather feedback from previous classes,and then examine yourself to see if you have any weaknesses that you should address.
Hi Marion,
Great way to keep improving as an educator. With the use of the sticky notes you are making sure that you are getting down your reactions when they occur. That way when your reflect back on how to change something you can see what needs to be done in context.
Gary
I write notes to myself constantly to keep organized. I use sticky notes during lecture if I find an area of weakness, either in my delivery or the cues I receive from the students, verbal or non-verbal. I quickly learned to appreciate that there is a constant need to reflect and improve the teaching-learning format.
I encourage my students to keep a journal from day one for reflection throughout their educatiional journey- and beyond.
Hi Barbara,
These three ideas are great. I really like the use of the journal. By making notes as the course progresses you can really target areas for change or improvement as you get to that point the next time you teach the course. I have found if I don't keep such a journal it is easy for that part of the course to sneak up on me and I haven't made the changes I had planned on making.
Gary
I like the idea of a journal, however, I have not disciplined myself enough to write in it daily. Thats something I want to correct, because I believe using one in the manner you have described would enhance my teaching from term to term.
I always am looking for ways to expand my instructional abilities. Here are three ideas I use regularly.
1. I talk with other instructors who teach the same classes to find out how they conduct their classes. We also share syllabi.
2. I read a lot about the subject I am teaching, e.g., College Success. The knowledge I gain informs my teaching and sparks many new ideas.
3. I keep a teaching journal in which I make notes on which activities worked well and which didn't, on students' questions that day, on new ideas, and on what I am reading. As I plan for the next quarter, I review my journal to see what I can do to improve the course.
Hi Marion,
What are strategies that you are working on to become more of a facilitator in your classroom? If you have any questions about development in this area please let me know. Will be glad to help out.
Gary
