My biggest classroom mistake was trying to be too friendly with my students. That sends a wrong signal and it is hard to get control after that. Keeping a professional distance is the key.
Hi Gregory,
Again you've scored, students want their instructors to be consisent. I've noticed if you ever deviate from the norm, almost the entire class will let you know quickly about the deviation. Students hold instructors accountable for everything, therefore as instructors, we need to hold students accountable for everything.
Patricia
One of the mistakes I have made is to assume that the students are as interested in learning the material as I am at teaching it. Best practices seems to be setting the limits and standards from day one and sticking to your plan. The students like consistency even if they don't always agree with methods and tasks to be learned. I use some of my own personal mistakes to help show the value of learning the needed technical skills. I am giving them a way of investing in the class and their progress. I think advising other instructors to use well planned lessons and time management gives them a clear road map for success in the classroom.
Hi Terry,
Take this mistake as a life lesson learned. If you do not know, simply say, you do not know. We have very intelligent students in our classes.
Patricia
Hi James,
Being prepared is a must. It is best to inform your boss if you do not feel as prepared as you should be, but you must mork hard in order to get prepared. I am sure you boss was understanding the first time, but you do not want to got to your boss too many times saying you are not prepared.
Patricia
Hi Salvatore,
Wow! I took you literally, obviously, about home. I would have worded it just as you did. Seattle is a long way to drive to get shoes.
Patricia
Hello Kenneth,
You have it, short, sweet, and to the point. What good are you in the classroom, if you are not going to take full control? It would be total chaos in the class, if you did not control things.
Patricia
Hello Bob,
Why would an instructor talk down to their class? Perhaps, only to make themselves look good. I teach at a very simplistic level so that I can capture ALL students. Can I teach above everyone's level? Certainly, but what good is that? I will lose all of my students. I am not in the classroom to make things difficult for my students. I am in the classroom to take them to a level of understanding about the various concepts.
Patricia
One of the biggest mistakes I have made in my class is giving a made up answer. I did not know the answer to a question so I made up a answer and a student call me out. I lost a lot of trust with that class.
not being prepard for a new suject I was to teach For one if I am not ready to teach I tell my boss I am not ready and I also do a lot of prep work I have helped others by givin tips about the class and sharing my notes.
An incident that helped me to learn that you must be careful to communicate very precisely took place after a long thanksgiving holiday. I was standing at my door greeting students as they came to class, asking about their weekend and so on, when this one young man came in with the wrong shoes, and we require work shoes or boots for lab. When asked about his shoes he told me he left them home, I informed him of the rules about shoes he had been told several time and he would have to go home and get the correct shoes before he could sign in. He said he really didn’t want to drive all the way home, but I stuck to my guns and told him that it wouldn’t be fair to make an exception just for him and I sent him on his way. The student didn’t return to class that day or the next and houred out of class. In fact I didn’t see him again till after the first of the year. When I saw him many weeks later in my class again I ask him why he never came back. That’s when he informed me that he figured that if he had to drive all the way back to Seattle to get his shoes he might as well just stay home for the holiday break. I learned to be more precise in my communication after that. How many smaller errors in communication had I made.
the bigest mistake you can make is not letting the students know what is expeced of them what the rules are , and when a student is out of line you let hem know that his actions will not be tolerated in this class, you must control your class
Talking down to a class.It is one thing to inform your class of your backround experience, but quite another to give them the impression that you are the smartest guy in the universe! This accomplishes nothing other than to give the impression that you are an arrogant jerk. I accomplish more by simply informing my class of my backround, without going into minute detail,and then teaching the material on a level that most will feel comfortable at.This includes not using long, obscure words that most would not understand.
Hi Frank,
Absolutely, you must start off firm and then loosen up if you prefer, other than doing the reverse order. It is hard to tame a wild class!!
I truly admire your straightforwardness. You are on point, all rules are good for all students--simply be fair and enforce the rules.
Patricia
I found that it is easier to be strict at the beginning of a course and loosen up as time goes on than the other way around. Be clear on what expected, interpret the rules evenly for all, and follow through.
Hi Lyle,
Positivity is a trickle down effect, and positivity must start with the instructor. As an instructor, always be on the institution side in front of students, but out of the students' presence voice your opinions stronly with appropriate personnel about the curriculum, books, rules, policies, procedures, etc.
Patricia
Hi Robin,
Take this as a life lesson learned. I sometimes teach and monitor from the back of the classroom, actually my students never know where I am going to position myself to teach or monitor. Try this technique, it deters cheating.
Patricia
Hi Douglas,
Students will take full advantage of you if you allow them to. Students must know that you are fully in control.
Patricia
My biggest classroom mistake was disagreeing with the curriculum and sharing my diappointment with the class. This caused the students to believe that they had made a poor choice of schools and the negativity created a poor learning environment. In the future I tried to give input to the development of the cirriculum and to help correct serious errors of information. I also try to make everything in class as upbeat as possible and stay away from negativity. This creates a more positive attitude from the students and promotes better learning .
A big mistake for me was not walking around the class to monitor what the back of the class was doing. The result was that most did not know the material but still got 100% on their test. As it turned out they were using notes and passing them along. Now I move around the room.
