Planning
Does anyone else feel unprepared no matter how much time and effort you put into preparing for the first day? How do you handle it?
Hi Jaffee,
Good to hear. Experience is a great teacher. Even though you have had extensive experience in the field you are still embarking on a new endeavor and that is cause for a bit of anxiety. That's ok. Now after two weeks you can see how you are going to conduct your classes, how you can put your personality into your teaching and how you are going to deliver the instructional content. All of these items will get stronger for you as you get more confidence. Keep up your professional development and you are going to have a great career as an instructor.
Gary
I recently found myself in this situation. As an instructor at a court reporting college, I have taught in the night school program two sections of what we call theory, which is teaching the students how to use the stenograph keyboard and how to build words and word parts with it. This month, I went full-time and was scheduled to teach in the speedbuilding classes. I had no prior experience teaching these courses, and so I was extremely nervous.
I tried to prepare myself for this, but until I got in the classroom two weeks ago and had real experience reading on the clock, I really was unprepared. Now after two weeks, I am just now beginning to feel comfortable in my new role at the school.
I do not know what you are teaching or at what type of school you are at(elementry, jr./sr. high, trade school, college, etc), its just that every school type will be different. I am at a trade school so my approach might differ than yours.
Have I felt under-prepared the first day of a new class? Sure I have. My major issue was trying to figure out how to start the class. Although I take a binder with a complete outline of notes to class with me, I have learned to take a machine and the support equipment in to show the students how it works. I set up the equipment and let the students see first hand how everything works together. I will call 4-5 students up at a time, and then I show them the probe and all other associated equipment and explain what is going on. My next step, I show them how to calibrate the machine using the calibration blocks and signals that appear on the screen and go over with them what each signal is from. This settles me down into cruise mode and after each person in the class can see what the display and signals look like, the students, over all are more engaged in class and willing to take notes so they can get into their lab quicker.
Again, I do not know what field you are in, but maybe something simular might help.
