You need to pull yourself out of the rut that you can fall into over time.
Howard,
Right you are. Instructors should not ever get to the point that they are adrift in their instructional planning and delivery. To get to that point is to sell the teaching profession short.
Gary
Joy, these are great points!
The mind loses interest when there is no sense of gaining new information and pushing past previous boundaries of knowledge and experience.
I feel that is is our job as educators to teach students not only the way to see a specific subject from different perspectives, but also to learn to view *anything* from different perspectives.
In this way, we are really passing on a life-long skill that will help them throughout the rest of their educational journey and throughout all other areas of life as well.
Jeremy Bolton
This is a great question! Refocusing is a way to pull ourselves out of the details, look at the big picture, and assess whether any changes need to be made. We all likely have both a “big plan†and “smaller details†that are involved in our teaching style and methods. Usually, our big plan is more crystallized and set, and the details are more flexible to tailor to the specific learners and situations.
However, sometimes we may temporarily lose track of the “big picture†if we feel stressed out. Refocusing is the same as pushing the “reset†button, it is like taking a necessary mental break so that we feel refreshed and recharged.
Teaching is a very dynamic occupation. The best teachers I have had will always stay with me in my mind, because their passion was infectious. I never felt bored or out of touch in their class, because they constantly had something new to add to the table. What was most inspiring, however, is that it was obvious that they themselves felt inspired by the material, and refreshed by the knowledge. These teachers constantly sought to present the information in a new way, from a different perspective, to provide an enhanced understanding of the concepts.
If we do not take the time to refocus, we run the risk of falling into the trap of “auto pilot.†This is a dangerous state of mind. It takes effort and energy to constantly evaluate ourselves, our teaching methods and styles, the information we are presenting, our teaching tools and materials, and our philosophies and strategies – and make changes and improvements. I truly believe that there is *always* room for improvement, even if a person has been teaching for 20 or 30 years. What may work in one situation may not, in another. If we take the time to re-focus, we can create an effective method and plan that is most suited to the particular students, situation, and environment.
Jeremy Bolton
Everyone gets tired of repetition or stagnation. After a while the class can seem like a stuffy room. I would explain refocus as opening the windows and letting in sunshine and fresh air. I am not going to throw away any furniture (lesson plans) I may simply redress them or rearrange them so that the class takes on a fresh atmosphere.
A teacher adrift from his or her subject will will result in a class of students adrift as well. Instructors need to refocus not only to keep themselves on task, but also to keep their students on track.
Curtis,
Right you are. If that balance gets tilted then students are going to be lost and that means they will withdraw from being active participants in the course.
Gary
To sustain relevance and ones ability to impact a class. As I have stated before, the focus can not be lost to delivery, delivery, delivery. There must be a balance between engagement and participation.
Julie,
In what way? What have you found to work with your students?
Gary
focus on the needs of the students.
I agree – refocus can actually improve teaching in many ways. It is natural to get tired, to need a break, and to even become frustrated.
However, if we allow ourselves to take a break and to refocus, we can improve ourselves rather than “burn outâ€.
A refocus can be a long or a short period. Largely, refocus can include introspection and even a recreation of tools, guides, and methods.
It is important to remember why we teach and to reinforce our goals of engendering success.
I love to refocus during the holidays.
Instructors need to refocus because it is easy to get caught up in the day to day challenges. Refocusing allows them to take a moment recharge both themselves and the students.
An instructor must bring energy and enthusiasm into the classroom...every day! If an instructor does not then the students will pick up on the ques and fall into same trap. Consquently, learning takes a nose dive as well. The fact that instructors are as human as the students means that we are not immune to the daily grind; however if we refocus then we innoculate ourselves against the daily grind.
My sense is that most aspects of REFOCUS can apply to just about any managerial endeavor, but especially to teaching. Recognize, empower, focus, objectivize, commit, unburden, and surprise help to rejuvinate a teacher who has lost focus of what is important.
Deon,
Good point and one we need to keep in mind as prepare for each class. Keep them wanting to learn.
Gary
Lydia,
Go for it! Have fun introducing new material and different learning strategies.
Gary
Jonathan,
I agree. This is an important part of professional development. Reflection and result in more targeted instruction.
Gary
To keep that freshness that keeps the students WANTING to come back.
It is very easy to fall into a routine and lose the excitement behind teaching. Refocusing and recharging helps to bring back the excitement. Students will feel your energy and pick up on how you feel by how you are teaching.
oh boy...this part was sooooo true! Gald that the material gave me ideas in how to re-energize my classroom at mid point. Refocus ,re-evaluate and re-inforce what we have already learned so far...great lecture!
