I exude excitement in my delivery. It has been my experience that people, in general, want to either BE as excited as the next person, or at least learn what all of the excitement is about. Therefore, I project an enthusiastic and energetic persona when presenting the course material.
I like to tell stories of my experiences. It engages the students in questions and I allow them to "think outloud" which will inspire others.
Hi Shereene,
I like your idea of simulations, and I especially like how you are utilizing youtube. Most of our students enjoy engaging in tv, radio, and youtube. The metioning of these engagements will help you reach a lot of students.
Patricia
Have open class discussions where students can share their real life experiences. If students are unable to relate at first I find exciting ways to bring them into the subject matter. This can be accomplished by talking about something they saw on tv, heard on the radio, or viewed on youtube. Simulations provides a great outlet to grab students attentions.
Hi Linda,
Students have a real interest in the subject matter whenever they realize that the information is relevant. They have even more excitement when they understand how the content can be used both in the personal and professional lives.
Patricia
Hi Andrew,
Generally, when you make it real to the students, they get it. The students really become interested, and they have an eagerness to learn.
Patricia
I use materials to make the subject real. For example, I teach Color Theory, which can sound like people in white lab coats measuring light waves. Instead, I show object that both contain color, such as minerals, gems, and plants, and those that don't but can be manipulated to produce color effects, such as "interference" materials, iridescent objects. I explain where these materials show up in everyday life, in clothes, paint, even make-up!
The first evening I always go over what the contents and the scope of the course will be and initiate a discussion about how it might be relevant and useful in every day life and in the students' career choices. I include at least one activity each class period in which the students work on a group project during class so the students can interact with each other in a small, informal setting. We also discuss, with each module, how the contents relate to our lives. One of my extra credit opportunities is to find an interesting article in a periodical or from the Internet about the subject we are studying and present it to the class. We have had some very interesting (and funny) presentations.
I like to give my students real world examples of just what their new careers will be like when they graduate. There is always a gap between book knowledge and clinical knowledge.
I also link the writing process to their first encounter with trying to get a job. I tell the students that if they have a lot of mistakes on their cover letters or resumes that they can be dismissed before an interview.
Hi Patrick,
I like the idea of using unlikely sources. I bet this works really well for your highly creative/imaginative students.
Patricia
Hi Nicole,
Students need and want to hear about in-field experiences. You are right, students become really interested in learning the course content when we share what we have done.
Patricia
I teach a writing course and I make sure to let students know that their writing skills tell the world a lot about them. If they have poor writing skills, people will assume, whether we like it or not, that they aren't a very intelligent person. It's human nature. On the positive side, learning some simple everyday grammar can give people a positive impression of you when they read an letter, e-mail or even a text.
Unlike Math and Biology, you can't hide poor writing skills. We all write on a daily basis.
I always try and use my own experiances (good and bad) out in the field. I find that hearing some of the stuff that could happen to them out there real gets them interestd in what they are about to learn.
Hi Laura,
Laughter is good for everyone. It amazes me how people can memorize jokes easily. It is humor in jokes, therefore people do not want to forget the joke.
Patricia
Humor usually always works with a group of students, especially new students. When I discuss methods to remember items in our "freshman" intro class, they often remember the ones that we make humorous.
Being in the kitchen I like to give them a sample of some of the items that they will be preparing. It seems to get them jump started and excited on what to look foward to and some thing to talk about.
Icebreakers are often used at the student orientation but not enough in the classroom environment, I will implement the use of icebreakers for future classes as a way to get students involved and excited about the course content.
Being in a kitchen setting I bring out all the thing we will be preparing and be tasteing. How these items will be used in there over all daily preduction. I have samples for them to taste when I talk to them on the first day to build them up. It tends to work for me.
Hi Nancy,
Visual is a sure way to bring about excitement. Students really become interested whenever a good PowerPoint contains superb theory as well as pictures that pertain to the course lesson.
Patricia
