I have a great passion for food.I think that and my desire to be a good instructor naturally come out. But even when teaching food safety and sanitation( which is quite boring ) you can make it interesting and fun by the way we approach it.
The instructor has to remain enthused about the subject that he is presenting in order to keep the students interest and keep them engaged.
Hi All,
It is fun to teach when you are excited about what you are teaching. There have been some great comments about the need for excitement in the classroom which leads to enthusiasm on the part of students.
What are some of the strategies you use to convey your excitement about what you are teaching?
Gary
if you the instructor, reflect, confident and enthusiasm, this will reflect to the student and it will make eaasier for the student to comprehend and retain the message
As an instructor if you present the materials in a way that is boring and has no meaning the students will perceive the content of the course as being irrelevant. The instructor needs to be able to relate to the materials & portray the information with sincerity.
When you are in a car with your significant other and they are upset you can feel the interpersonal climate change. Often you get upset because they are upset. If the instructor comes to class with a negative attitude it changes the climate in the classroom. Students will often mirror the instructor’s mood. This usually promotes a difficult class period and if it happens often it may sway students to drop the course. If that climate is established at the start of class how can it be changed to a positive climate during class?
It is obvious to students if an instructor is excited about a topic or subject. Online instruction presents its own problems. All you have is your voice - that is your primary tool to convey the excitement and enthusisiam
I think we need to bring enthusiasm and positive energy into the first day of class. Then you bring it every day and the students will follow. It is a lot like being the pied piper. We want them to be on the edge of their seat as to what are we going to do next and how the instructor relates it to our everyday life.
Hi Thomas,
This is why we keep coming back to the classroom as instructors. We are helping create a future for out students. They are adults that are dedicated enough to enroll in school and then pursue an education. This gets us excited about and for them and their success.
Gary
Instructor enthusiasm has a huge role to play in retaining the students. If the student view their instructors as a person who is there just to do the job he/she is required to do, then they too will follow their footsteps. I was complemented by a new student on the 2nd day of her admission that she has never seen an enthusiastic teacher in her whole life. I was distributing the perfect attendance awards to acknowledge those students who were never absent throughout the module. I make each student feel valued in the class and receiving an attendance award sets up the atmosphere for a positive competition amongst students as well.
I agree, an enthusiasm transfers to the students and is a must.
Instructor enthusiasm definitely has an impact on student retention and learning. An instructor who exhibits enthusiasm about the subject and students transfers this enthusiasm to the students.
Students in my class are coming to school from other lives that are living. Those lives are probably already wearing them out. I found that if my class is exciting, unpredictable, and most all, uplifting to each student personally, then they will come. These folks are important to me because of why they are in school. They want and need change. They want to develop a talent and I want to be there there when it is happening. That's where my enthusiasm breeds
The teacher sets the tone for the class. If the teacher is enthusiastic, the students will be enthusiastic. If the teacher just goes through the motions, the students will just go through the motions. If students are just going through the motions, they will realize they are not getting their money's worth from this class, and may drop out. We teachers need to be enthusiastic. We need to give students their money's worth.
Hi Leo,
Well said. Excitement is contagious so the more we bring it to the classroom the more motivated our students will be.
Gary
if the instructor is enthusiastic and passionate about the topic the students will get more involved and by the instructor letting them see how this topic has gotten him fired up, the student will pay closer attention. Also the students will be more comfortable and will participate and ask more questions, they will retain more by making it fun, they will want to see why you are so fired up about the topic.
Hi Dragush,
Right you are. If we aren't excited about our subject and being able to share it it is for sure that our students won't be.
Gary
Hi Kathryn,
Isn't so much easier to teach when you have set the stage with a smile and a positive approach? You create an atmosphere of excitement and the students will become a part of it as you well know. Keep up the great attitude.
Gary
In my opinion, instructor enthusiasm is a key factor for the students to succeed.If you are confident enthusiastic about your subject and you want to help others learn the skills of the area you teaching than of course it will influence on student retention.
