I believe enthusiasm in what you are teaching enhances the learning experience on many levels. An instructor excited about what he is teaching will normally have a better background in the subject because of his interest. His lectures will be interesting and his students will feel asured that they have choosen the right area of study because of his excitment.
I believe that it gives credibility and gives a sense of importance. I love the classes that i instruct and have come from years of experience in the field of medical management and coding. I know that if i am excited then the students will be. I have seen first hand how the excitment is contagious. I love sharing of my experience. The students always appreciate hearing about real life experiences. They ask questions and we have open discussion. Therefore it creates relationships because usually everyone has a medical story. It makes us all human and creates commonality.
Students that are enthusiastic affect other students and the classroom learning in general in a very possitive way.
Hi William,
It is easy to to get sucked into the vortex of negativism. By redirecting your students when they start down that path you are giving them alternatives to such thoughts and as a result they can see how by being positive they will have increased opportunities to have success.
Gary
I always try to have a positve attitude with my students. When i hear negatives from them about school, I try to show them a different way of viewing their experiences and how most problems work out for the better if you just try to do your best and don't get discouraged. I think i have helped keep some students in class this way.
Hi David,
This is a great idea for generating excitement. I am sure the students enjoy giving and hearing explanations about the shirts that are worn to class.
Gary
Hi All,
Excitement about teaching really helps to engage the students. Enthusiasm is contagious and makes teaching a lot easier because the students can see how the course content is going to be of value to them.
Gary
The reason I took a teaching position was to introduce new people into the industry that I am so involved and excited about. I try to keep the material interesting by being enthusiastic and upbeat about it. Some lectures are very boring, even to me, but when I incorporate lecture with visual aids, power points, and hands on activities; those presentations get me and the students through the class. I also bring in my own personal stuff for the students such as material and learning aids. I also keep my students motivated by letting them know about indusrty shows and upcoming events that the students can attend. In my class we even have an industry shirt day. On that day the students and I can wear a shirt that is industry related, but to get credit for the day the students and I have to give a brief explanation of the shirt. I believe i never have had a student miss class on "industry shirt day"
Simple enough...if you enthusiastic and believe in the material that you are teaching, student retention is easy. Possibly without you even knowing it, you make the material more interesting and keep the student's attention on you and the material due to your energy.
I agree that instructor enthusiasm is important however it seems as though the younger generation lacks the desire to get involved in the learning process regardless of your enthusiasm....
Instructor enthusiasm sets the stage. If you're excited about teaching, students will be excited about learning. If you're not enthusiastic about teaching, and you don't have a passion for education, then move aside and let someone else assume the role.
I start each class by welcoming my students. I usually say something like, "Hey guys! How's your week going?" I get a mixture of responses. Then I tell them a little about my week. Then I say something like, "Well, I'm really glad you're here! I know we all have things in our lives that seem to consume us, and I appreciate your committment to learn. That being said, I'm going to make sure we have fun today as we cover {subject topic}. And if there is anything you'd like to add that you've seen over the last week related to anything we've covered in the past, let's talk about it." This always gets them to open up! It also serves as a mini-reveiw of previous subject matter. I also find that students are more attentive to their surroundings and eager to contribute.
I think that my enthusiasm as an instructor plays an important role in retaining students. I can recall my days as a student, in classes where I may have struggled a bit, having an instructor who is a bit laid back, has a good sense of humor, and gets truly excited about his subject matter really made me want to stick it out, improve my performance, and be successful in the class. When I had an instructor who lacked enthusiasm for his/her subject, and I was not particularly interested in the course, it took a lot of discipline to stick with it, and complete the course. Enthusiasm is critical for student retention!
Hi Anne,
Thank you for sharing this example of how an instructor can set the tone for the class and then get positive results from that tone setting. Your students reflected your excitement about the field even though the classes you taught were more lecture than the typical hands-on classes they were used.
Gary
Being enthusiastic requires a high level of energy which allows students to stay engaged in learning. Enthusiasm is a building block for both competence and confidence which ultimately improves retention.
I whole heartedly believe that the enthusiasm shown by the instructor makes a huge difference in the retention of students as well as the final grades. I found this to be very true in classes I taught this past sememster. We are a very hands on learning school and I found myself teaching two lecture based classes. The information is very important and vital for the careers of the students but it could be very trying at times to find a way to keep the students involved. I found the best way was to be very upbeat and excited to present the information for the day. I tried to keep the classes in more of a discussion format when possible rather than just have the students listen to me talk for 3 hours. In the end final grades were higher than they had been at midterm and the students became more and more involved everyday.
I talk to my students about my personal experience as a designer.
And how I feel very fortunate to be paid to do something I love doing.
If you are bored with the subject you are teaching how do you expect your students to become interested in the same?
Simply stated, if the instructor does not care, the students won't care. Instructor enthusiasm means the instructor has a willing to reinvent himself or herself. The willingness to experiment with new educational techniques is a one means to motivate students and impact on retention.
Absolutely, if the instructor is not excited about what they are teaching the students will wonder why they are having to learn it. Enthusiasm is contagious and the more motivated I am, the more effort my students put into learning.
I teach leadership and i think that many of the lessons that i teach in leadership apply directly to being a good teacher. In that class i talk about 10 qualities of a good leader...and one of these is enthusiasm. If you are not enthusiastic then why would you expect your employees to be? Likewise, if you are not interested in the course material and excited about teaching and applying course concepts, why would you expect students to be? They may "have" to take the class but the only chance that these types of students will enjoy the class and learn a lot...if you are excited about the material.
