I like to give them ideas and personal experience for topics they will be learning and how it applies to their new career choice. How it benefited me thoughout my career. This generally peaks their intereste and gets them to understand the importance.
I try to make the information about the course relevant to their lives. Adult learners want relevance and therefore they more inclined to be excited about the course.
At the begging of every course I go over the course with gesto and excitment. As the discussion goes on I ask them questions as well on what they would like out of the course. With this attitutude it rubs off on the students and gets them excited about the course as well.
Hi Teresa,
When students understand that the course will definitely be relevant in the workplace they have a higher level of excitement and interest in the course.
Patricia Scales
Course content can excite students when it is motivating and when the end justifies the means. For example, I constantly relate their future to comprehension of the material. Once they become nurses it is essential that they carry a base knowledge to provide suitable and responsible interventions to their patients. The calling is ensure competence, but they soon realize that the course content will lead them to clinical excellence.
Hi Erika,
Students love being shown things that they will encounter in the workplace. I can understand their excitement when you share the court documents with them.
Patricia Scales
I am a paralegal instructor and I have learned that by bringing my students examples of court documents of some very unusal situations, seems to lighten the classroom some. For now, I have the same students most quarters so they are more familar and comfortable with each other, so this allows us to have some great discussions and no feels are hurt as we all know, being a paralegal, there is a lot of "think out of the box" and debates (which I must say, they love to debate).
I'm glad to read that most of the posts focus on the teacher having that excitement/passion about their subject, and also being available/helpful for their students. I think I'm doing ok there! But some of the material I have to present in nutrition is just detail after detail, which gets monotonous & boring. I'm curious as to what you did with the Jeopardy wheel & how you used it in class.
Hi Christina,
I agree! It is my favorite motto as well. I can tell you are passionate about your career, and I know the passion is evident to your students as well. Excitement really begins with the instructor!!!
Patricia Scales
Hi Trinity,
Awesome! Students love hands-on activities! Movement is exciting to students.
Patricia Scales
I think students respond positively to seeing my enthusiasm for dentistry and fully understand why it has been my career for almost 30 years. I also believe you have to genuinely LOVE teaching others what you have learned. They can "feel it" if you do not love what you do! I have always adopted the saying, "they dont care how much you know until they know how much you care!" I think caring for your students combined with that love for your career will be contageous and make the students want to share in your excitement. Once you have their heart, the rest will follow! Christina
My favorite assignments are those that get them up, out of their chairs, and applying the new skills they have learned. This is when I see their excitement and their creativity. I try to do this more than once in each class period, even if they are small projects.
Hi Chris,
Great teaching aides to use to get students excited about the course content. I also love using mock learning, role playing, simulations, peer teaching, scenarios, case studies, and games.
Patricia Scales
It depends on the course - some things I use, videos, powerpoints, real world work samples of the projects they'll be doing in class, guest speakers.
Hi Manuela,
What a great way to get students excited about the course. Students love it when they can take a break away from the class, and yet learn. Even adults get excited about field trips.
Patricia Scales
Hi June,
I love it! Students love hands-on exercises to help promote learning. The reading made me excited, therefore I certainly understand your students excitement from actually doing the exercise.
Patricia Scales
Hi Gregg,
When students understand the benefit of the course to them, they become more excited about learning the course content because they understand the relevance.
Patricia Scales
Hi Cathryn,
I like how you give students something to look forward to as well as you keep them abreast of current events.
Patricia Scales
Hi Brian,
When students get excited from the instructor about working in their field, we have motivated/engaged the student.
Patricia Scales
Most students already know from previous students that my class has several labs as well as a field trip. I am teaching microbiology, and my students get very excited when they hear about a field trip. I let them know about it in the first class period (if they don't already know), this is something they are looking forward to. We are visiting a cave and discuss the White Nose Syndrome cause by a fungus that bats in North America are infected with the impact it has on humans. Further, we collect lake water to observe under the microscope in a following lab to view living microorganisms. Knowing about this already excites them and they are ready for the course right at the start.
