Hi Jacqueline,
Good questions to ask students to generate excitement and discussion.
Patricia Scales
Hi Megan,
Yes, most people are really interested in learning about themselves.
Patricia Scales
Patricia,
I like to ask my students what they find most interesting about the materials were cover in class. They get so excited about talking about the material, then the other students will start a question dialogue. That makes me feel wonderful, because it lets them know that they know more than they realized.
Jacqueline Coleman
The primary course I teach is Psychology. On the first day, I have students take a personality test. I have found that many students are very interested in finding out aspects of their personality. After reviewing their results, I explain that this course will allow them to continue to learn more about themselves as well as others. This trick has seemed to get many student's enthusiasm flowing.
Hi Robin,
Students enjoy hearing stories as they apply to the course content/career! Students get a better understanding through the use of story telling.
Patricia Scales
Hi Dawn,
Even adult students love field trips! Field trips put book theory into real life.
Patricia Scales
I agree with this, students revert to childhood when they sit in the student seat again. They become competitive, which can be fun. They like to challenge each other to see who can do it better.
I give them the course content and let them know what is expected in the field they are entering into. I also tell them stories about different situations that came up in my life as a medical assistant, and what they may expect to come across.
Talking about exciting field trips and the postitive experiences previous classes have had with them
Hi Floyd,
I love it! I visualized my dream from many years ago based on your response. I can tell that you genuinely care about your students, and you truly want to be a part of their success!
Patricia Scales
Getting students excited about course content
by: Floyd Mitchell Raines
I find it is always important to remember that each student that enters your classroom is eager to learn and change their life. Each of them have dreams and an expectation of how their life will change once they have completed their education. I as their instructor must remember to recall some of their dreams and aspirations while they are in my class. Remind them that all this adds up to what "they" want for their life. We educators are just a rung on the ladder...just a part of the dream.
Hi Robert,
Yes!!! Excitement certainly begins with the instructor! Students get excited when the instructor is excited about the course.
Patricia Scales
I get excited about my course! I convey a passion so as to relay the importance, relevance, and applicability of the material to the students' lives!
Hi Joselyn,
Awesome! You excited me just from reading your response. Excitement is truly contagious, and it really does start with the instructor. Continue to be enthusiastic!!!
Patricia Scales
Ms. Scales,
Honestly, I absolutely adore computer programming. The fact that I can relay programming concepts and an appreciation for the art of programming is a joy. I find that my enthusiasm is infectious. Most students who take my classes have mentioned to me that they enjoy programming, even if they do not plan to work in the field professionally. For students who do not share the same excitement, I focus on the “What’s in it for me†concept. I briefly dialogue with the students about what their professional goals are, and cater the course material to that professional trajectory. Since most of my students are already in Technology majors, it is easy to focus on web design, or development, or database manager. Once I focus the course material regarding their career goal, they get excited about the relevance of the material to their future career goals. It is really a joy!
when introducing a course, I like to touch on something we will be covering that will be useful to them in their career,and tell a little story on how it can or will be useful, preferably a past experience of mine. Also I will explain to them what we will be doing in lab,and of course high lite on the most interesting lab that we will be doing.
By telling a past experience of mine on the subject matter,sometimes gets a discussion going from the students who may have seen or heard of it.
Hi Avis,
Yes, I have found that guest speakers, especially graduate guest speakers, spark a lot of excitement.
Patricia Scales
There are many ways in which Instructors can get students excited, many examples are incentives, field trips, a plethora of hands on activities as well as competitions.
Hi Shaelyn,
Awesome use of technology. Students love it when you put their excellent work on display!
Patricia Scales
Hi ROBBIN,
I concur! Excitement truly starts with the instructor. The instructor's excitement is no doubt very contagious. No one likes/wants a dull instructor.
Patricia Scales
