When things don't work right
I was teaching a keyboarding class and demonstrating how to center a table and it didn't work. I knew I had done it correctly but for some reason the table didn't center. My comment to the class was "Oooh, that is embarrasing. I know that is how it is done. Let's see what went wrong." We played with a few things and finally got it to work. (Computers can just be perverse sometimes.) As long as I was unconcerned and could laugh about it, the students took it in stride. I don't think it hurt my credibility with the students.
Computer classes aren't the only ones in which exercises don't go well. I planned a student activity for this week, but it didn't go over as I planned. When I was able to laugh about it, the students were too. One of the earlier videos made a good point which I plan to do: on the back of the daily class notes, write down what went well and/or what didn't. Use the info for future classes.
I think this thread brings up an excellent point. There are many threads in this forum about preparation. You could spend hours preparing for a lecture or chat. That doesn't mean something won't go wrong. I think that a sense of humor goes a long way. It also reminds the students that you are human also (maybe even making you seem more approachable). I don't ever claim to be an expert on anything....
It doesn't matter if I have done something on the computer a hundred times correctly, something will always go wrong when I demo in class! To put my mind at ease, I always go through my demo the day before. Humor does help in these situations.
Demonstrating computer concepts before a class can be tricky at times. I've had a few things like that as well.
Hi Georgie,
It is bound to happen when something just will not work right. Don't panic, don't become frustrated, just think as to how to improvise, and move forward.
Patricia
It sounds like you handled this situation in the best way possible! Incidents like this always serve as a good reminder to me that sometimes students experiences things like this, too, and it's important to be flexible with them if the situation warrents it.
NO IT LETS THEM KNOW THAT YOU ARE HUMAN AND CAN ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTIES TOO
