Balance
In my opinion, one important differentiating factor that distinguishes a highly successful educator is his/her ability to balance rigorous standardized instruction with flexibility of customized delivery method. Often, instructional delivery is based on predefined goals and objectives for the course. The overall syllabus cannot be changed due to the curriculum or accreditation requirements, and textbooks and other resources are preselected. This may present a challenge, as the material may seem outdated, especially in the highly evolving field of technology. Additionally, the class overall skill-level may not be adequate when compared to the the list of prerequisites. With capability and willingness to balance, however, an instructor can successfully work within predefined constraints to adjust his/her methods and materials in order to deliver high quality instruction.
I teach in a Professional Massage Program and I find I have the opposite problem. The students are very good in clinical but get disinterested in the lecture portion of the class. I try to make lecture correlate with what they are doing hands-on so they pay attention. It is hard to find the balance sometimes.
Lawrence,
You make a very good point that instructors need to remember. Checking for understanding should be done in both the classroom and the lab so you know how students taking in the information and making application of it. By knowing this you can adjust your instruction in a way that keeps all students engaged.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As an instructor at a trade school I definitely find students all learn at different levels. That is one advantage I have with my teaching including both lectures or academic material as well as hands on teaching. I have found some students don't want to admit they don't understand when they are in the classroom, but I can tell by the way they react in the shop that it didn't "click" until we went into the shop and applied the lesson. It fells good when I accomplish a "balance" between the two.
As an instructor who provides a detailed overview of daily lesson plans and assignments to my students on day 1, I believe strongly in making students aware of the importance of each lesson. The balance problem here (and I'm agreeing with you) is that we are also not always going to be able to follow that so strictly. Students may not succeed in acquiring the skills scheduled for one lesson in only one lesson. We may need follow-up that the schedule doesn't allow for. Students may quickly grasp knowledge we planned multiple activities to teach.
If this occurs too frequently, the teacher appears flaky and deadlines seem to be of little consequence. If a teacher charges through material without adequate review of material, the course becomes overwhelming.
It's a strong argument for constantly taking notes after each lesson in order to refine the course each time it is given.
