Allow students time to comprehend and understand
When assigning completion times to tasks I consider how long it should take then allow a litle extra time for those who just don't quite get things so quick. I find learning new topics very difficult and need time to focus and understand the material. Students learn at different speeds just like me.
All students, need to read about a subject,
then they need to get there hands on the topic to see it work for themself.
Shelley, I'm glad to know that you've picked up a great technique from another student in this course. Documenting the demands in your day is an excellent way to plan for the future. When we have a good sense of what happened in the past, we can move forward confidently.
Dr. Melissa Read
Madeleine,
Your practice of writing down the length of time each activity, etc. took during your class is an excellent idea. I consistantly operate under the idea, "If I don't write it down, I won't remember it." When the courses at my school only repeat every 10 weeks, it is often difficult to remember how a specific class went last time. Thanks for the suggestion! I will start encorporating this into my lesson planning.
Shelley Ford
Blake, These are really tough questions and ones that many instructors struggle with. The answer really depends on the individual students, their capabilities as well as their motivations. If you have a student who wants to learn and who is motivated but can't seem to grasp the topic, it often does make sense to invest a little more time in them. This investment can happen outside the context of normal class hours so as not to disrupt the flow for other students. On the flip side, if you have students who are not motivated to learn, you've got to prioritize the other students who care and who are trying.
Dr. Melissa Read
I instruct many "hands on" lab classes and competency of the material is a MUST for these students to be able to perform well in the clinical setting in hospitals. I begin with lecture, then demo the tasks myself, then allow for an ample amount of time for the students to practice a peer check off before coming to me for a final checkoff displaying competency.
I find myself doing more and more on my end to make the students excel and it works wonders for many of them, but there is always a select few that just never really get it and limp through the material. I teach 10 week courses and it gets to the point that if I wait around for these guys to master every concept I want them too, we would never have time. What do you do? The strong students who read move ahead as scheduled, but the poor students who do not do their part and read never really get it. Do I slow the class down as a whole for the sake of a select few who are not serious about their education or do I move on and try to get these students to come in on their own time, which they never do?
Madeleine, Sounds like you've ironed out a great routine for your teaching. It's really nice when you are asked to teach the same class again and again. After the initial investment spent preparing, there can be a real savings. Administrative duties are a little less predictable to your point.
Dr. Melissa Read
Daniel, Yes we've got to allow time for getting adjusted to new materials. This is true for new materials administered to students, teachers and administrators alike. Even if new materials make things easier in the long-term, short-term transitions can be a little painful.
Dr. Melissa Read
In my program, I teach the same courses every 5 months. At the end of each class day, I write down (on my lesson plan) how long each activity/lecture/lab, etc. took the students to complete. This gives me a frame of reference for future classes, though some groups are faster and others certainly need more time!
I wish that my duties as clinical coordinator could be as predictable as my activities in the classroom!
New concepts and information sometimes take a while to process. Some individuals need more time than others. Allowing time for absorption seems to be beneficial for all involved.
I find that as an instructor I have had to learn to do this not only when assigning homework or out-of-class assignments, but also when lecturing and giving in-class work. When I first starting teaching I was planning my lessons where they almost entirely filled up class with lecture. My end of term reviews from students were showing that I was pacing too quickly. I have come to develop a more effective teaching plan that slows me down and gives my students time to truly process what is being said in class. This can be done by stopping for discussion or a short pop or oral quiz/review. I found another course on lesson planning very helpful with this. It talks about breaking your lessons up into 15-20 minute chunks, and I have seen great results with my students and comprehension.
Michael, It's great to build in a buffer to your schedule and tasks. It's always nice to have some margin for error, to account for the unexpected.
Dr. Melissa Read
