Eric,
Good approach with the question about asking yourself once again “Why did I decide to teach in the first place?â€. This way you can keep your enthusiasm concerning the reason you are in the classroom in the first place and that is for “studentsâ€.
As with any adventure small steps lead to bigger completions. By looking at the big picture you will remain creative and focused on you're students and your field of study.
Gary
Because it is easy to get caught in the trap of teaching something the same way you have in the past, especially if you are short of time or low on energy. Refocusing allows you to ask the question, "Why did I decide to teach in the first place?", and hopefully be able to recapture some of your earlier enthusiasm. It is easy to get burned out if you don't look at the big picture once and awhile.
Ken
You have captured the essence of staying fresh in the classroom/laboratory. If we as educators continue to put ourselves in our students' shoes, if even for only a few minutes we will be able to refocus our efforts and intentions for student success.
As instructors we have to make sure that we look for new and inventive ways of presenting our material so that we don't present our information in a repetitive and boring fashion. If we get bored with our teaching, we know our students have to be.
We need a “heads up†approach to the classroom/laboratory each day.
Gary
