Hi Curt,
Students love to hear our stories as they apply to the course. Also it would be smart to have some additional exercises on hand in the event you finish earlier than expected.
Patricia Scales
I'm a relatively new instructor as well (9 months so far). I've been a RN for 9 yrs now & there is alot of teaching that RNs do with patients & families. This helped some in moving to a part time teaching role in a RN program. I teach pathophsiology & the material is very cut & dry. I give lots of examples of how this info applies to caring for patients, expecially case studies. I include discussion questions here & there throughout the lecture. But, I'd like to find ways to make my lectures more interactive.
Being a fairly new instructor I find myself talking way to fast and getting through the lectures to quickly.I have begun to slow down and add personel experiences into the lecture .The students seem to like the real world applications of the skills they are learning.
Hi Antonio,
You know the material! Prepare! You many even want to try to mock teach to family members or other faculty to help with preparation.
Patricia Scales
Well put, I think each day brings new challenges to the classroom and we have to be open minded to consider re-adjusting our methods to better meet the needs of each student.
My biggest issue (mistake) was my very technical background. I have a Masters in Information System and being able to bring it to a language the student could understand was a challenge.
The first class I taught on grounds, I was super nervous. I hoped the students did not see thru me. I did teach software to businesses, but that was more of an informal setting.
I think I have made all of them (instructor mistakes), and wish I had this tutorial before my first day of teaching. I may have saved myself some heartache. On the other hand, Professor Delong reinforced that in order to do something well you must do it poorly at first. Possibly one way to avoid making mistakes, is to learn from making them in the first place.
You must realize that you have a job to do and do well for all the students. You are not there for socialization or to make friends. Yes, you want to be liked but this should not take precedence over your quality of work and dedication to all the students.
Hi Vanessa,
I am a 24-year veteran in teaching, and I always look for ways to improve even 24 years later. Professional growth is a good thing.
Patricia Scales
I'm happy to learn that it is okay to look for your best each day and never stop self evaluating. I'm still working to get better at each class,lecture,and lab this part of teaching will never end. That is a good thing.
I think a great way to avoid mistakes is to review my lesson plan and each lecture immediately following to note what I think went well, and what can be done better in the future.
I also like peer reviews. Others notice things we don't in ourselves and a set of fresh eyes can be helpful. Watching other instructors is another way to get ideas.
Hello David,
I am going to teach this to my granddaughter. It is amazing how some teachers can share their knowledge with us at such an early age and it sticks with us after so many years........
Very valuable piece of nuggets.....
Hi Patricia,
In order to become better we have to improve our weaknesses. Continue to strive for perfection, and you are going to develop into an excellent instructor.
Patricia Scales
This is only my second term as an instructor and I have incorporated making notes on what seemed to work well during class and what did not, hoping to learn from what I've identified as weaknessess in myself. My grandmother always said "if you're going to do something do it right" One way to do this is to learn from ones mistakes, we all have opportunities for improvement.
I think it is very important to keep your personal life out of the classroom. As our students will soon learn that they need to be able to leave their "problmes at the door" we need to show them this by being the role models of this exact thing.
Hi John,
You have it! I can tell that you do not play with your students. You are firm, yet fair. Students have to know who is in control, and it is not them in control.
Patricia Scales
Handling disruptive, unruly students can be one of the most difficult situations to be in. Going on about 14 years of adult teaching experience I found this to be the pinnacle of anti-success with a class IF handled improperly. Each situation is and always will be different but the approach can be very simple.
1. Keep a smile or friendly demeanor, if they pull you down to that level you're done.
2. Address the behavior NOW not later, it will not go away.
3. Involve the student(s) as an informal assistant, this might work wonders.
4. Remember your job, teaching, not creating a psychological profile.
5. If all else fails make sure they know they can be removed from class, and stick to it.
In order to be prepared for class, I re-read the chapter for the topic that we are discussing and make sure that I have done the assignments that the students will be doing. Nothing is more embarssing that to be standing in front of the students and forgetting how to do the math problem because you didn't review the chapter or exercises before class. Reviewing the material, even if you have taught it before, reduces the risk that your students will think you don't know what your are talking about.
I always over-prepare. I take notes from different authors, listen to other instructors through video, do more research and check on what's the latest update on certain topics.
I am getting my MS (have a BS and MA) and also have a small child, so I talk to students about how we can ALL manage our time efficiently, as we are all working and going to school and most have kids. They are able to get a sense that I "get it" and also see that it is possible to do it!
