I have the pleasure of teaching Anatomy & Physiology, which I love and am very interested in. Unfortunately, this is not the juiciest subject matter. I find that I am constantly looking for ways to keep the students engaged. Throwing out a fun fact or a little tidbit to relate the subject to something else always helps bring the students back into the class. I do feel that a bit of entertaining never hurts. Sometimes the students jump in with their own now.
i agree that educators also need to entertain. We need to be able to incorporate new material to students in an enjoyable way. I always think back to my college experience and think of which instructors i learned the most from and why.
Chris,
So true. We need to have passion for our field and be enthusiastic about teaching our content. Both of these elements will help to "sell" the course to the student so they can see the relevance and value of what is being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is very important for instructors to be enthusiastic. Because if we can sell ourselves or the program we are teaching, there's no way we can hope the students will be happy with their choice of attending. And they will not take anything away from the experience.
Gary,
This is a good point in a way of doing reverse learning for students. I like your idea about early success in the course. I have found that early success reinforces the confidence of students and gets them engaged in the course and then from there they can expand their instructional base. Thank you for sharing this strategy with us. I know this information will be of value to other instructors, especially those just starting their teaching career.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Making learning enjoyable is a key element. Never liked busy work that seemed like there was no point to it. Beginners don't need to know every little thing on a subject. They need to know the basics of how it works, how to diagnose it, and how to fix it. Example I don't need to know what wood the guitar is made out of or what a diaode is made from. Show a way to use a electric tuner and a basic 3 chord song they have heard and can practice till next meeting. Show them a diode is electric check valve, how to diagnose with a simple multimeter test, and how to replace it.
Get them a win early on then add to it. Learnig about a guitar isn't enjoyable - playing one is. Engineering information on a diode bores us - using tools and seeing the item repaired is enjoyable.
Jennifer,
Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching about it are the two elements that help to create the learning environment for the class. Excitement for learning is catching so the more we can spread it to our students the more engaged the students will be.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructor enthusiasm influences student retention because when an instructor is excited about a particular course or topic within a course that excitement is apparent in the teaching and to the class. Enthusiasm and appropriate entertaining can help to make a boring topic interesting (or at least less boring), help a student pay attention, and motivate a student to continue attending class.
Daniel,
I teach from 4 until 10 pm so I can relate to your comments. It takes a lot planning and a host of activities to keep students engaged and focused on what is being taught. It is always a compliment when they say the evening flew by, which means they have been a part of the learning process and have not paid attention to the time.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think having an instructor that's enthusiastic helps students greatly. While it's ultimately up to the students to learn the material in the classes we facilitate, anything that helps to make it a more positive experience for all concerned is a no-brainer. In my evening classes (which last 3 hours), if I weren't enthusiastic then my class would most likely either start to dread coming to class or worse yet, not come back at all. Either way, the outcome would not be good and it's my responsibility as a professional to do the best I can for the students.
Laurel,
As a former elementary teacher myself I can relate to what you are saying. I use a lot of my elementary strategies with my college students. I try to keep in mind that college students are just taller kids. They like to play games, will work hard to earn recognition or even a piece of candy and like to have fun. We do need to keep our activities professional as you mentioned but can still use activities, color, and team competitions to enhance the learning that goes on in our classes.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As a teacher of both elementary and career college I often stated that someday I would receive an academy award for one of my performances. Students often commented that they enjoyed my classes, they were fun. I am not saying that we "have" to entertain the students, but learning does not have to be all lectures and dryness. We can have fun with the students while they are learning along with hands-on activities to break up the monotony.
James,
Thank you for these good comments about enthusiasm. Enthusiasm as you know is catching so the more we bring it the more our students will catch it and realize that learning can be fun.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Dave,
We instructors need to have passion for our field and enthusiasm for teaching about it. With these two elements we are going to moving our students forward in their learning and helping them to see the value of what is being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that instructor enthusiasm is critical for student retention. If the instructor is not excited or even interested in their material, the students can then fall into the same state. The example we pose as instructors will be replicated by our students. It is very easy to see whether someone has enthusiasm or not. I sometimes tell my students that it's the same way I can tell if my server in a restaurant genuinely cares about me. People are great at picking up subtle gestures, movements, etc, and this can prove critical in managing a successful classroom.
Great Point - If I'm dull and boring, the students will be bored and not learn. No matter how I'm feeling that day, I must be enthusiastic and engaging. I beleive teaching is not for everyone and having the passion for teaching makes it you a "natural" for keeping your class engaged and learning.
Herbert,
You make a very good point about how you use enthusiasm in the instructional setting. The goal is to convey enthusiasm in a way that engages students. Some of the enthusiasm and delivery techniques will be entertaining but you are right about being first a communicator of knowledge and not an entertainer. You used a word that I think belongs in each classroom and or lab and that is passion. I like to be around individuals that are passionate about their field and enthusiastic about teaching it. These are instructors that earn the respect of their students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In reading the thread here, I was a bit concerned about what appeared to be a confusion between enthusiasm and entertainment. I am and have been for over thirty years extremely enthusiastic about the subjects that I teach. I love my work as a teacher and love the subjects that I teach. I had enthusiastic teachers in college and graduate school and (perhaps) caught some of that enthusiasm myself. But, in my teaching, I simply try to share that enthusiasm with my students. If students think I'm entertaining them, I guess that is okay. But, I never walk into a classroom or lab setting with the intent of entertaining my students. My intent is to help each student obtain a bit of enthusiasm themselves about how this subject area is going to help them in their careers. Perhaps over the years, I have deepened my enthusiasm with passion for my subject area and for my profession as a teacher.
Lee,
Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching about it help to "sell" the content of the course. Students catch the enthusiasm and this makes for more enjoyable classes for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructor enthusiasm makes all the difference in the world. Our students are here because they are interested in this career. They are excited about the future and possibilities. I truly believe that this is a great career. When I talk about things that I am passionate about, the passion shows naturally. You can not fake passion.
