"The only way to do the right thing well is to do it poorly first."
I love this quote. I try to be overly prepared. I have made the mistake of having not enough material and activities to fill a class. So I plan ahead. I also plan activities that can be worked on during the entire term. That way when those speedy students finish an exam or in class assignment they always have something to work on.
Most new instructors worry about the "what ifs". Don't worry about the "what ifs", instead focus on avoiding common mistakes instructors make. Instructors should focus on creating a positive instructor image, presenting a professional image of competence, and managing their class. Avoid "being a friend"; students want to know an instructor is concerned, but do not want to be friends with the instructor.
Instructors need to accept that he/she will not always do the right thing well. As discussed in the Harvard Business School video, instructors need to go through the quadrant of "doing the right thing poorly" in order to learn and progess to "doing the right thing well."
I have a binder for each course I teach, it cotains ppt lectures handouts, quizes tests even final exam with answer keys,if another instructor is teaching the same subject can easily utilize this binder and if needed add to the test bank as well as any new handouts.
As far as I remember,teaching for some 13 years,I really have come a long way, in the very begining,when dealing with disruptive or disrespectful student,I would take that very personally and get upset and leave the classroom, this showed the weak side of me to my class,which did not help at all,now,I know what makes the student tick,I keep my cool and do control myself,as I do this I am in control of my class.
If for any reason I have made an academic mistake,I am never embarrased to admit it,but always try to research on any new topic before I present to my class.saves time .
Hi Amina,
Any mistake you have made in your teaching career, not being prepared, an academic mistake, dealing with students, etc. The field is wide open here with what you can share.
Patricia Scales
what mistakes are we refering to?I did not actually understand the question,are we talking about the mistakes made in class by the instructor?something said that was not supposed to be by the teacher in class?or the actual teaching errors.please do let me know,as I am not sure how to answer this question.
I have a very long list,but need to catogorize.
thank you.
Hi Melissa,
We live and learn. Once instructors feel the embarrassment and frustration from not being prepared, most of them will get their act together quickly.
Patricia Scales
Be prepared. Some instructors are not knowledgeable about their content area - master your content. Give clear and concise course expectations, and enforce rules consistently.
One technique I find useful is to adopt a mentor for the courses or institution involved and enjoy the wealth of knowledge from someone who "knows the ropes". This helps to avoid common mistakes and enables an instructor to focus on the pertinent areas of the course than can make them effective educators.
I also beleive that sometimes it is effective to "resharpen our saws" and approach each course with the same enthusiasm as we projected in our first course(s). Anticipating what the student needs may be before they manifest helps us to better prepare and gain that level of trust that is paramount with students at the first session.
I highly recommend that all new instructors seek a "mentor" in their institution to aid in learning the ropes and avoiding common mistakes. To get into the classroom we all must have acceptable credentials to do so. The mistakes that are commonly the pitfall are ones related to "soft skills" or those processes that are not covered in our textbooks and coursework.
By having an experienced instructor who is familiar with your course or institution, you increase your chances of not making the same mistakes, as well as exploit your opportunity to learn from someone who has been there....
I think every new teacher probably has to experience being under-prepared (or not entirely prepared) to recognize just how true that is. The time before class is more important than the time in class (sometimes).
Hi Vida,
Binders are priceless! I have an organized binder for each course that includes, tests, answer sheets, answer keys, quizzes, assignments, chapter notes, etc. Binders have made my life easier as an instructor.
Patricia Scales
Hi Melissa,
Experience really is the best teacher. You live and learn. Preparation is key! It is better to have too much than to not have enough.
Patricia Scales
Hi John,
I like how you put them in charge to catch you doing something wrong or to point out you doing something wrong. When my students catch my errors, I commend them, and I say great catch. Students strive off of finding instructors mistakes.
Patricia Scales
Some of the ways in which I have avoided common mistakes is by relying on feedback from my students on assignments. where the assignments beneficial? Did they enhance learning? Did lectures cover objectives? I also create a binder with everything that I prepared for the class and I use it over and over again adding and deleting items.
Other instructors use my binders and have come to create their own for each course. It makes it easier when preparing for the same course again. You have a starting point.
I'm agreeing with most of what everyone said about preparation. I think, not only does preparation reduce mistakes, but it makes you feel more confident. I especially wish I'd thought about preparing MORE material than I thought we had time for, since the first few times I taught, we had lots of extra time and I had nothing planned. Experience is painful, but necessary.
Hi Michael,
You are on point! As long as we live, we are in a trial and error period. Accept mistakes, learn from them, and move forward.
Patricia Scales
From the first class meeting I recruit my students as watchdogs. They enjoy catching me out, and we all laugh about it while quickly correcting the error. Even if I fail to slip up they will pick up openings where they think that I may have, which shows me that they are paying attention. This provides invaluable feedback on my delivery and course structure as to areas upon which I can improve.
John Stuckey
We are only human, but preperation is the key.
Learning from mistakes is what we are all about, whether student or teacher. Own up to your mistakes, and teach humility.
I am still new at teaching so, I have and still make mistakes. Some of which I can cover up and the students never realize it. But, some they definitly know about. When that happens I explain what went wrong or what I forgot and they are pretty understanding and accepting that I am only human. I then learn from it and hope that it never happans again.
