Valerie,
I think you're not the only one who is having a "senior" moment and it is always good to find humor to it. What can we do? I wish we can stop getting old so that we can avoid those senior moments.
Susan
I do something similar, but I usually refer to it as a seizure or an aneurysm!
What are some ways you can avoid commonly made instructor mistakes?
I noticed that a number of the responses to this question were presented as lists. The main thing that I would add to these lists is to first make the lists and then constantly review and revise them.
A) First off, keep a list of ideas while you are teaching class regarding revisions for the next class. Make notes as to what works and what doesn’t work
B) Have a lesson plan, schedule and syllabus well ahead of time. Be familiar with them and stick to them.
C) Have lists of subjects and materials to have on hand for the first class, a list for you to be prepared for class and a list for you to prepare the student for class.
D) The last subject on my list is get to know your students name and what do the expect from you and your class
I learned very early in my teaching career (35 years now) that I cannot be a friend to my students. I am the instructor and must gain their respect by showing firmness, fairness, and expertise in my field. Trying to be a friend in the classroom lowers your ability to maintain control of the students' behavior. Students (teenagers and adults alike) will try everything they can to get on the teacher's good side...hoping that you'll be lenient, etc.
take time to identify yourself, your background. before going to your class, test your material on your wife, friends, obtain feedback. know and research your subject. prepare a plan and have material to fall back on if this plan is not working. present a positive image, speak clearly, show you care about yourself, the subject matter and the students. When the mistake comes, it will be easy to work thru it.
Hi Luke,
It is best to have too much information for a lesson than not to have enough. Over peparation definitley eases nervousness.
Patricia
Hi Nathan,
Preparation is key. When you are prepared, you are ready, and you feel so much more at ease.
Patricia
Hi Tracy,
Students will play on you weakness! You are on the point! Plan you work, and work your plan. Stick to your guns.
Patricia
Hi Jerry,
Want do you do to avoid being late for class? We must lead by example. If we expect our students to be on time, we definitely must be on time.
Patricia
Hi Medhin,
As educators, we should always look for ways to improve our weaknesses and how to make things better.
Patricia
Amanda
What a great technique! It is very important to have a check list posted and inform students to easy the work. Moreover, it assists to manage time and work on the weakness that need to be improved for the next term.
Medhin.
I agree with having a plan and sticking to the plan, reminding the students of the plan and not deviating from it in any way. I have learned from experience that adult students especially will pounce on weaknesses if you let them.
I like the over-prepare tactic. I've noticed that when I'm prepared really well, I'm more confident and show more of a passion for my teaching. Keeping notes is a great tip as well.
Practice makes you better, but preparation makes practice a whole lot easier. I employ the over-prepare tactic. I always have a hand drawn flowchart of the lecture or demo at hand. I scribble notes of anecdotes, additional information, and the history of a specific operation or item. Keeping to your notes and having different avenues to travel keeps me on task and on time. Especially during the 'first time' jitters.
you can think before you talk, have a plan in place for each class, and always try to help the students learn how important the topics are in helping prepare them for a career.
I agree that it is not a good idea to try to be a student's friend as it will lead to a blurred line between teacher and student. You need to be concerned about your students but you are still the teacher and the decision maker as to the curriculum and what they need to learn.
Preparation is one of the best ways to avoid instructor mistakes. The better prepared I am the more confident I become. Even when planning for a substitute I like to have extra planned so if they get in a situation they will have choices of where they can go and still succeed. Each semester I revise my plans, by looking to see what worked and with what students.
Hi Amanda,
How organized! I can tell you want to be regarded as one of the best in the profession. I live by post-its. I am known as the post-it-queen an campus, but these help keep me on task, and I never miss a beat.
Patricia
I always make a list of what needs to be accomplished during the class period. I don't use a planning book, but a post-it that I can bring with to class. After class is finished I have a daily schedule typed on the computer about how things went and what to change for the next quarter. While prepping for the next quarter, I can print off my notes to follow to make sure I am not missing any deadlines, etc. and what needs to be changed.
This past quarter someone else taught one of the classes I have previously taught, so the daily schedule to follow was very helpful for her also.
