steve,
I believe the intent is to limit your main points to 2-4 points & each of those is supported with your data & further explanation. If you try to cover too much from a key point/idea standpoint in that amount of time, the students will be unable to retain.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I like to ask questions, referring to the learning material as I go through it, it gives me an idea if they comprehend the material
Voice is very important though I new instructor with a very loud voice, so it brings down the attention because students wants to put a barrier in between themselves and a distracting voice
It has been suggested to incorporate only 2-4 teaching point in a 30 minute lecture. Seems thin in content... How can I balance content points with supportive data?
Listening...to student responses, active observation of their discussion (non verbal cues) and consideration of notions/ideas/points they did not include.
Nonverbal Communication is usually put at about 90% and verbal at about 10%. I think that sums it up.
James,
yes & there are different levels & types of active listening & if we are going to be successful & really help our students we must develop in this area.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Good Afternoon,
I feel that an instructor MUST have a variety of different communication skills to be prepared for the diversity of students we are teaching. I think that speaking skills are at the top of the list. If an instructor can not communicate their message with a clear and concise meaning then their overall intent to teach is lost in translation. Another very important skill is that of understanding and listening. We as teachers, sometimes forget that we do not know everything and might be able to improve our teaching skills just by listening to a different point of view, and finally, though it may not be totally in the class of a communication skill, is the ability to have compassion in certain situations. Sometimes we forget that we were once students too and I am sure at sometime in our college career we needed someone to understand our point of view and not just be told to "get the work done or you will fail". There are other avenues we can travel to get the same result.
I believe that everything successful centers around active listening.
i like to use visual aids as ofter as possible. it is hard to say something that everyone will understand but if you hold it in front of them and show them how it works almost everyone can see and make the connection
Theresa,
this is an excellent point. We are training the "next generation" of professionals, so let's talk to them like professionals & as colleagues.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think speaking in the proper tone of voice to your students is so important. Students are open to what you say as long as you say it with respect and kindess.
the instructor must use examples, illustrations and personal experiences to draw the attention and engage the student. the student needs to feel as though the instructor is real and easy to relate too.
Daniel,
this is an excellent point & probably the best argument for getting to know each of my students as individuals. The better I know them, the better I can help them if they are struggling.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
carlos,
yes, audience analysis is one of the primary skills of an effective speaker & should be for classroom instructors as well.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I completely agree with your statement. Edutainment seems to be a great way to engage the students and make learning fun. I have noticed that it is easier for students to learn concepts when humor is used. Just don't overdo the humor or students may not take you seriously as an instructor.
I believe that it is important to see each student as separate. Try to reach everyone individually, while giving a lecture to the whole class. I try to do this by trying to show each point in a different method, since everyone learns differently.
by developing a relationship with the student it will help to identify any special needs
One of the most effective skills, I believe, is the ability to make EVERYTHING you say sound authentic and "real." That is, we need to be practiced and prepared, but we also need to come across as an instructor who is speaking to those specific students and not just launching into "the spiel" with no real perception of who is sitting in the classroom. I don't want my students thinking that they are all interchangeable and that I say the exact same things to every student, every class, every semester.
I am reminded of the scene in 'Real Genius' when the student goes for the first time to the large auditorium class. The second time, he notices that a few students have left running tape recorders to record the lecture. The next time, more recorders, fewer students. The final scene shows him walking into the classroom where every seat has a running tape recorder - and even the professor has just left a recording of the lecture. The student is the only person in the room.
I don't want my students thinking that they are just listening to a recording or a script. We all have students who retake our class for various reasons. It's a little uncomfortable for me sometimes because I know they're going to hear that I make the same joke, the same way, at the same point of the lecture, or that I make the same comment in response to the same question as last semester. I know that a lot of my material is practiced and rehearsed, but the real key is to make it sound fresh and new. I even want the jokes and the one-liners to sound spontaneous - even when they're not. I want my students believing that the class is *theirs*, and that they help shape the class through their participation in it (which is still true, even if parts of it are prepared in advance!). I don't want them thinking that the class is just a performance that would go on the same way even if they're not there.
Is always important to study the group, the way the comunicate between each other, this way I can do the proper adjustments and speak their same "language".
