Learning from students
I will never forget the first time an instructor advised me that she learned from me. It was empowering. Not only do we need to be open to the possibility of learning from our students but we need to let our students know when we learn from them. It is not possible to know everything about a topic and we need to be willing to learn.
I love what my students bring to the classroom. Teaching is an education for all of us.
I feel students who see that the teacher is still learning gives them courage to continue with the course/learning at hand beause it shows we continue to learn.
Like many of you I agree! In my classroom I encourage discussion as much as possible. I designate it a no judgement zone, so people are free to express their views and opinions without any backlash. In business classes, we discuss everything from the latest trends to politics. I learn something new from them every day. Understanding where other people come from and why they feel the way that they do actually brings my students closer to their peers and to me. This results in 100% participation and much better retention and learning.
I agree! I teach college mathematics. Although many students have never been introduced to the problems and problem solving methods I am teaching, some students have and have been taught a different problem solving procedure. I welcome them to explain their thought processes and procedures. I have learned from their explanations!
I agree that as instructors we learn from our students in both the information we present and our ability to present it. As an automotive instructor it is a balancing act to learn technical information from students which happens often and still convey to the students that I am proficient and excel in the field I am teaching.
On the first day of class I tell students I l ook forward to teaching them, learning with them and learning from them. I also encourage them to share their knowledge and experiences about topics we cover, especially if what they have experienced is different or even challenges what the textbooks say.
Not a day goes by without me telling my students what I learn from them, even if is just information about the next art opening. It makes them feel good knowing that everyone has a positive contribution to the class.
Melissa,
yes & when we do this we help our students learn to appreciate the views of others.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with your philosophy completely. My students teach me something new every day. As you've mentioned everyone has a different life experience and can bring something new to the table. It's all about diversity and looking at things from a new perspective.
The older I get, the more I learn from my students. The lingo is different. they have experienced technological changes that I have olny just begun to engage. Learning is always a two way street full of excitement and expectation.
I always learn something new different from each and one of my students
I am continuously learning new things. You never stop learning. Everyone is gifted in some are of expertise and can offer their area of experience to you. It is good to not have a know it all attitude and be willing to learn from others in the classroom.
Gail,
this is so true & one of the keys is to really engage with the students in the small group discussions & not just step aside.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree! I am very open with my students about the fact that I am constantly learning new things from them. I also tell each class that they will learn a lot from each other and that I am present to facilitate that process. I think a lot of learning occurs during small group projects and discussion!
Oh, that is so true! Many of my students have degrees in other areas and they are looking for a career change. They are smart, bright and full of knowledge in other areas. We can learn something new every day if we have an open mind. And it does acknowledge that, yes, our students have a brain and we, as the TEACHER, do not KNOW it ALL!!! I see much respect with this practice, also.
Many of my students these days are coming from a completely different life experiences than I did. I have learned so much from them about overcoming problems and fighting to get an education, that it has helped me understand some of their learning problems and tailor teaching to meet their needs.
To see them succeed is awesome.
William,
yes & when we show that we are willing to learn from them & their perspectives, I've found that generally they are more open to learning from me.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It seems with every new group of students I learn something from them. And I need to be open to the idea that they are indeed younger but they do bring something that I have not experianced.
After years of being a classroom instructor, I have realized that the feed back I get from my students have helped me in developing and preparing the material I need to prepare for a class, they are the best source of information.
