Hi Joshua,
You can do this! Personnel would not have hired you if you couldn't. Get tough, and I am sure your administration will support you. You are qualified, move forward!
Patrica
Being too lenient and doubting my own ability to command the classroom when necessary are my biggest pitfalls. I'm quickly learning to trust myself as an instructor. It seems to come naturally and I'm definitely learning from my mistakes.
Hi Mildred,
It is much better to be well respected than well liked. Students are not looking for another friend. They are looking for professionals to model themselves after.
Patricia
This is so true, I cannot count the numbers of times students with expertise/experience in a subject item contribute and make the learning real-world based which their fellow students remember. I encourage that activity - - any problem with that?
A common new instructor mistake is the desire to be liked by the students and to become their friends. I agree with the instructor in the video, students want good instructors not friends.
Hi Joe,
Whenever you teach a course for the first time a lot of overtime is required in order to do an effective job. I can tell you want to do well because you go the extra mile to make sure you are prepared. Each time you teach the class the overtime hours decrease, soon teaching the class becomes second nature.
Patricia
Hi Ken,
I fully understand! I really like the title of the forum as well. The title is fitting for what is being done. I tell my students we are always one big happy family, except at test time we are unable to help each other; sudents chuckle, and they are extremely helpful to each other, otherwise.
Patricia
Being a professional and letting them know the real world application of your profession and how it relates to life experiences.
A common mistake in my humble opinion, is that instructor's sometimes feel they are the end all of knowledge in a particular subject. Instead, I call upon my students to help each other. I create a forum for them called "Help Each Other" wherein they can come to one another's aid. This helps both students and shows the breadth of experience resident in the class. It also helps shape confidence and self esteem in those who do the helping.
Ken
I take a LOT of notes on the last page of my outline page, and reveiw the next time I teach that section to improve.
I create an organized 3 rign binder dedicated to each class, and use the binder/outline for each class period as a road map; going over to look at my map occasionally. I also plan out the outline in terms of time increments the first couple of times I teach a new course. After that, it starts taking form naturally.
Being hyper organized was a stretch and out of character thing for me, but it made me a successful instructor from day 1. I put in a lot of overtime the first two or three Mods.
Hi Ginny,
That's right! Have everything you need and then some, just in case. Preparation is a must!
Patricia
Like it said in the module, be over prepared. I'd rather carry around tools or papers that I MIGHT need and not use them then to not carry them and need them.
Hi Robert,
That's right! Mistakes are bound to happen from students and from us. Use each mistake as a life lesson learned.
Patricia
Totally agree on preparation to the hilt. However, one can learn from new experiences that come up that weren't predictable to be more seasoned for the next time a similar situation comes up.
Hi Ann,
I like to thoroughly prepare to avoid common mistakes. Preparation is the key to success.
Patricia
I feel you avoid mistakes by learning from them. We as instructros are going to err, I feel it is how we respond and learn from those mistakes that is important. I can not avoid something that I do not see coming, and many mistakes do not announce themselves.
Hi Walter,
It is nice if all students liked you, but it probably is not going to happen. Just remember, you are not there to win a popularity contest, your main focus is to educate them. Everybody is not going to like you, face it, accept it and move on.
Patricia
My biggest is trying to get all my students to like me - in a large class ( 15 and above ), that's not going to happen. I would hope that they would but it is not likely. The next pitfall for me is allowing a student to get 'too close"...i.e...knowing to much about them personally...there is more bad to this than good..I like to keep a professional distance..in fatc, many schools handbooks have suggestions for this behavior...
Students may ot be as enthusiastic about the subject and start working on homework from other classes I will usually have a portion of my class that allows for review or the option to finish other work
Hi Jeanette,
I agree whole heartedly! Excellent response! Mistakes need to be dealt with and used as a life lesson learned.
Patricia
