The first task of being an instructor: being prepared
Being prepared and ready for class sounds simple but it makes a big difference in how students see you. I could not stand professors who were disorganized, sloppy or unprepared, even if they knew their material. It made me feel as if they didn't care and were trying to be charming to compensate. Now that I teach, I make sure that I am always prepared and ready. Whether I like it or not, I am a role model and need to set a standard of professionalism for my students.
Hi Lynn,
Preparation is a must! Students can quickly tell when you are unprepared, thus causing you to lose credibility.
Patricia
Being prepared is vital to establish the learing
environment in a class setting.
I totally agree with Kristie. My students know that I am organized and well prepared and come into every class with the knowledge level they can and should expect. They also know that I am open to suggestions for improvement. One thing that I do after every class that I have found really helps me is to tweak/revise the lesson plan while it is still very fresh in my mind -- I'm always so thankful I did that the next time I teach that unit.
Hi Thai,
You've heard, you never get the opportunity to make another first impression. Take full advantage of the first impression.
Patricia
A first impression is very important. Students tend to sizu up their instructor early on. So being prepared is very important
Hi Dennis,
Students can tell if you are prepared or not. Students will lose respect for you if you are typically unprepared.
Patricia
Great preparation is definitely the key to a well conducted class, and instills confidence in the students, of your ability as an instructor.
Hi Linda,
Confidence is key! Preparation helps instill great confidence.
Patricia
I find if I spend time to prepare for my clsses, any question a student has I could answer with confidence.
I find teaching less stressful if I spend time preparing for the subject the night before and arranging everything I need to lecture beforehand. I also prep my lesson plan books in advance.
Kristie,
You make a great point. In the film making business we have a term we use for this, PreProduction. Each project is broken down into three phases; PreProduction, Production and PostProduction. I have found that brining these steps into the classroom helps me deal with any issues.
