Keeping focus on your students.....and yourself!
I believe it is a two way street; a good instructor must constantly be engaged with his students personalities, needs and learning progress, yet he must also be aware of his own instructional strengths and weaknesses, in order to provide the best learning experience for his students as possible.
That's the key, isn't it? That balance between connection and ability. Easier said than done, of course, but still crucial for true effectiveness in the classroom.
I also feel as though that identifying weaknesses is a crucial idea, as long as we don't always just accept those weaknesses. That is, we see them as opportunities for change rather than areas to avoid. For example, if a teacher is weak in the area of organization, but excels in student rapport, providing exciting learning opportunities, and evaluating student performance, he shouldn't just give up on organization.
Hi Martin,
Good points all. This is what professional development is all about. We need always to look for strategies that we can make a part of our instructional delivery.
Gary
This is a true statement. We must keep our focus on the students needs, not our own. The student is the reason we have a job, and it's our job to teach, to be able to deliever to them a situation where they can learn. We must understand all students are different and even time tested lesson plans don't always work with each student. We must keep our minds open to new teaching methods to make sure the students are able to understand the material. We must focus on them, but yet also understanding our weakness and strenghts
I agree. Since I teach in an accelerted environment, I may teach the same class three times a day over a six week period. One class may have a large number of career changers with a tremendous amount of discussion. An early morning class with very young adults is a challenge just to get and keep them awake. This type of class I must constantly introduce surpises and prizes (food) to keep them motivated.
I agree with you Donald!
A good instructor must be genuine in her approach to students and learning and constantly assess strengths and weakensses.
Renee Bipes
This is probably the most challenging aspect of teaching. It is not enough to just understand the content and give it to the students. To be an effective instructor it is imperative that we meet the learning styles of the students so we can give them the best chance for success.
well said the best days are auto pilot days.
This is so true. No two classes are alike. Some are rough and others run smooth. We must think on our feet. Be aware of how the class is going and what I have to do to help pull the class together if it is breaking down. Other classes run on auto pilot you just have to steer in gently where you want it to go and the students are off and running.
Hi Wardell,
Good point about how to approach each student. Instructors need to read the student and then bring an approach to the student that is supportive and encouraging based upon what the needs of that student are.
Gary
I agree. Just as the instructor has to modify the delivery of the course material to fit with different students' learning styles and experiences, he must also modify his own personal approach to each individual student based on their personality.
