Have you ever had an instructor walk into a room with a dead pan face and really bad body language? This just sets the stage for a bad day. The old saying "one bad apple spoils the whole lot" really holds true in this case. What ever mood you are in rubs off on everybody else. If your mad or sad and grumbly then pretty soon everybody else in the class is mad and grumbly. I try to always walk in happy and smiling with a kind word to each person in the room and then they all seem to pick up on it after awhile.
If instructors show a lack of enthusiasm in their subjects being taught, students will show minimal enthusiasm for the subject at hand. When students lack care in their learning, they often times become unsuccessful in their motivation and understanding.
Hi Joseph,
Good point about being realistic in terms of your field but also reinforcing the benefits that will come if the effort is put forth. This is what real world life is all about. There is the "aw" of the career and the then "actual" of the career. There has to be a balance between the two if a person is going to be successful and enjoy do that type of work.
Gary
Gary,
There are many aspects of my field that I personally find tedious and unrewarding. However when sharing those aspects which many of my colleagues share, I am quick to show my enthusiam for the work and for every potentially negative issue that we discuss, I try to introduce at least two positive aspects of the job and I am unable to disguise my enthusiasm about the rewards that are to be had. Joe
Hi Kou,
Good approach. I wish I had had you as an instructor when I took accounting. It was very dry and boring and the instructor worked very hard to make sure that it remained dry and boring throughout the course. What a loooooooong semester that was. Even though the material may not be the most exciting the instructor can bring much life to the classroom which will make the material much more interesting.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
They have to come to class and if the instructor is not enthusiastic, the class is probably going to become hard to handle - thus making it difficult to stay motivated to come to class!
If the instructor enters the room with low energy the mood in the classroom may be altered. Instructors set the mood in the classroom and an enthusiastic instructor can transform the classroom into a positive learning environment.
Once the students see how enthusiastic you are about your chosen profession, I think it is kind of contagious and it makes the students want to learn all that you have to give to them.
If the students' see positive then they look to be positive as stated in the text. A high level of enthusiasm challenges the student to listen for something they may miss if they don't. I believe it plays on the curiousity of the student as to why is this person is so charged about this subject. What do they see in it? Especially, if the instructor has made them feel good about being in class,(respected and supported). Misery loves company but so does enjoyment. People love to be a part of something that makes them feel energized and engaged. So whenever a student is going to a class that is upbeat and educational I feel they look forward to it and with the interest they bring a good learning attitude.
The instructor must have that excitement for the students to catch the very same emotion.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. I have a few classes that I REALLY like to teach and I think my enthusiasm shows. Of the other classes I teach I work at showing that enthusiasm and hopefully the "work" doesn't show as much as the enthusiasm.
I believe if you are passionate about what you do, it will come across as enthusiastic and real. I teach psychiatric nursing and I enjoy the clients and the students. I try to role model for the students in mental health clinicals and I do this by interacting with the clients in the facility. There is nothing more exciting than a student making a connection with a client and sharing this moment later with the class. It is the realization that sometimes just "being there" and listening to another human being tell their story is a successful nursing intervention. It is the part of nursing(therapeutic relationship) that can not be explained.
If the teacher looks bored of the subject matter how can the students grasp the material.
Students want to see an instructor that is actively engaged and excited about the topic that they are teaching. This is important for students because it allows them to get excited as well and better relate to their instructors.
Instructor enthusiasm plays a significant in student retention. If the instructor lacks enthusiasm the students will not be motivated and also lack enthusiasm. This will make it hard for the students to continue to have the desire to attend class. Guest speakers from the field can also help build student’s enthusiasm and desire to attend class.
I remember being a nursing student with several instructors who stood at a podium the entire class time, spoke in a monotone voice, didn't make eye contact, & simply bored the students to death. The info was so very dry & very hard to absorb. . .the classes were lifeless! The "fun" instructors, moved around the room stopping by each student asking each of us questions, laughed, had great voice inflection, had us singing & standing, provided us with hands-on projects during lecture breaks, had us come to the board to draw anatomical diagrams, incorporated games into our test study segments, etc. The time went quickly, & we retained much of the info presented. I have tried to fashion my teaching after those wonderful instructors.
It must be obvious to the students that the instructor is excited about the subject matter that they are teaching. If it appears the instructor is going through the motions and being apathetic, then the students will follow suit, care less, and possibly drop the course. Make them understand why you are so excited as an instructor to be teaching them a course.
The students feel the instructor is "real" in the fact that they care, are paying attention to the student needs, and class dynamics.
I teach accounting and the material in accounting can by dry, but I try to be as excited as I can about the material when I teach it. I always try to smile and maybe crack a joke here and there so that the students are alert.
Hi Susan,
Great to hear how much you value your field and that you love having the chance to share your knowledge of it. Keep up the great attitude and your students will continue to benefit from your efforts.
Gary
