The basics of a writing class can underwhelm an instructor with the simplicity of the goals. However, if one takes the time to explore the function and levels of the knowledge imparted in the class, the strategy itself can turn the class into a much more exciting endeavor.

I always like to add extra bells and whistles to the lesson plan if I have a substitute instructor for the day. A little fun guidance, what works well, what they should stay away from. A lot of times I think it puts them at ease with the task in front of them.

I always couch my lesson plan with some activities that we might not get to. Never the lecture or pertinent information, but some extra writing or fun game, just in case the lesson plan speeds past. If I write a long agenda for the day on the board, then they are never surprised when class doesn't get out early, and I'm never stuck with 20 random minutes at the end of class.

I have learned that there is a very good reason to have a “back-up” lesson plan, in fact an instructor should have a back-up, back-up plan for those days where none of your AV aides won’t work, and you cannot get to the internet and all else just plain fails! There is nothing worse than standing in front of a million pairs of eyes with nothing to say or do..

There are subjects that we teach in our Veterinary Technology course that are difficult to translate into a lab for hands on learning at our campus. One example is the subject "Large Animal Medicine". It is physically impossible to bring cows to the campus for students to work on. In these cases we have a contract with an outside facility where the students are able to interact with the animals. They are each given specific tasks that they must complete in order be signed off for the field trip.

Understanding Learning Objectives Though you all know that it takes quite a bit of planning, development, and experimentation… I feel that having a detailed syllabus takes the pressure off of me as an instructor. Everything is laid out day-to-day and week-to-week so everyone is in the ‘know’. Now, if we can only get the students to read them! I don’t know about any of you, but I find that most students tend to want to be told on a daily basis what we are doing instead of checking their class itinerary. Though we review the syllabus and cover the content of the quarterly classes on day-1, they seem to want to be hand-held afterwards. Do you shake your head when you walk into your class and someone asks: “What are we doing today?” What are we doing today?! Why did I hand out a 20+ page syllabus on day-1? I want my students to grow into leaders, not followers. With the cost of education I sure would want to be prepared to enter the classroom with the advanced knowledge of what to expect that day. Maybe I should hand out a quiz on week-2 having them list 10 of the major learning objectives from the syllabus …that would be a start Okay, I’ve vented.

Taking the time to read through all of the supporting material and chapters will help you, the instructor, to become familiar with the material and give you a chance to look for any miss-information or lapses in the material before trying to present it to the students!

Lecture Notes are very important for presenting an effective and organized lecture. If the instructor teaches the same course a number of times, alot of the information will become second nature to the instructor and reviewing the notes will take a shorter time period. Kecture notes help the lecture stay on task, on topic, and on time.

The taxonomy of learning has several benefits. First of all, it provides a common language. Secondly,it determines the educational goals of the course. And finally, it defines the objectives, activities and assessments in a course.

It is extrememly important to prepare good lesson plans and always prepare for the unexpected. It is better to have too much to cover than too little. Extra material can always be saved to cover at another time.

It is very important to know your audience. This helps in a variety of ways when you teach a course, but it also makes the students feel more comfortable when you ask them questions they know the ansewrs to: what is their prior experience, what are their hobbies, etc.

I like to give my students tips on how to prepare for their learning, whether it is taking a test or performing a clinical competency. I suggest that students study in groups, based on their geographic location (lots of our students commute and carpool). They learn a lot from each other and can share their clinical experiences as well as what they learned from lecture. Some students are more experienced and knowledgeable than others, so I also like to team those different dynamics up. If I were to have a classroom course to teach, I would use both visual and auditory methods of teaching. I would be clear about the important points that will be covered on tests. I would also try and apply real world examples so that the student can synthesize the lesson into something practical. This gets dialog going, and some students who are less familiar with the field can easily identify others who have more experience and team up with them for study.

Back up plans are necessary because of adjustments in content to adapt to learners. When an unanticipated need arises we still need to cover the content.

I always create a new test for students who miss and it must be taken in the next class they attend. Its imperitive to give a new test as students are creative in copying and providing their friends with the test.

I love my smart board it makes the power point presentations pop.

Textbook formatted power points can be brief, it is important to elaborate on each slide.

Being organized before the lecture takes place eliminates distractions.

When the whole class scores poorly the objectives need to be covered and reviewed then retest.

When students can make choices about the lecture, they are more compliant.

Power point presentations can be confusing for some learn ears.