Being Prepared
Come to class early to set up equipment because sometimes it takes a few minutes for certain programs to load.
being prepared is very important, it shows the students that the instructor is prepared and professional.
I always try to get to class early, as well. I also use a piece of notebook paper or a large notecard in order to help me organize the day's lesson. Once I get to class I put the day's outline up on the whiteboard so the students know when to expect what. After a few days of class, the students know where to look in order to find out what we're doing, and if for some reason I don't get to class in time to put the "agenda" up, they ask, "aren't we doing anything today?" or something to that effect. I think that it really helps them to get into a routine.
I also like to set my materials, handouts, etc. out in advance so that I can find them when I need them!
Hi Bruce,
I am like you. I have to get to my classes early as well. I like to get settled in, with everything laid out and then I can take a deep breath and be ready to go. My classes run from 4 until 10:00pm so I am dealing with same issues as you in terms of keeping the students engaged throughout the class after they have put in a day's work.
Gary
I need to get to class early so I can have all my materials laid out. I teach two night classes. Each class is more than 3 hours long.
I get a little flustered if I can't find something right away or have to dig in my bag to retrieve it. By getting to class 20-30 minutes early and having everything organized makes teaching much more enjoyable.
It sets a good example if you are in the class greeting the students when they enter. It shows them how dedicated you are to them and your profession.
I agree. I have been to a course in which the instructors were not ready, then they had technical problems and about 20 minutes of class time was wasted. Everyone was frustrated and it set a bad tone for the class.
It always say it is a best practice to arrive early because often times you must set up equipment and possibly need assistance to learn the way of the land. For example, I have had to call IT because the portable computer would not take my login information; and then i find out that because it was a portable computer system it used a university universal login ID. Gold-figure. This could have caused an intense stress rise in myself due to i was a new instructor, and viewed by students as being un-prepared.
