If you don't understand yourself it is hard for someone to understand students. Knowing yourself can lead to a higher quality of education for the students my letting work on your weak areas and utilizing your strengths. I can look at other instructors with a totally different personality and fine the same goals just gone about in a way that suite them.
Hi James:
Great. Thanks for being complete.
Regards, Barry
Hi James:
Your willingness to want to be your best and adapt as needed is a good sign and an indication of the way good instructors operate their classrooms.
Regards, Barry
I forgot to add that I guess I am a dead poet society Instructor
I have to know who I am,and what I know in order to serve my students well.It is extremely important that I know my limitations,and my strengths so that I can work on both to stay at the top, as an Instuctor.
Hi Joseph:
It is true that we'll end up better instructors the more we know about ourselves. Just as important is being willing to make adjustments in our style or methods once a weaker area is identified. Its hard to change. But that's the only way to progress.
Regards, Barry
I must draw on my strentghs and recognize my weaknesses if I am to be an effective instructor. A clear understanding of those aspects of my personality is vital in my role as an instructor. This will determine my teaching methodology and persue my course of action. This will aslo bring to light any areas that I need improving upon, so that my students will receive from the best that I can be.
Hi Glen:
Your self realization is probably worth the whole effort of this program. Congratulations!
Regards, Barry
Hi Joseph:
Well you've certainly touched on a number of salient points regarding your readiness and involvement in conducting successful classes.
I believe each teaching experience is beneficial not just to the students, but to my learning as well. I always try to reflect on how I'm doing, the effect on the students, and how it could be better the next time. Few professions give individuals so many opportunities to continiuously make adjustments to our work as does teaching.
Regards, Barry
Hi Adam:
Sometimes an instructor won't know they have a waek area unless someone is willing to be open and honest about it. One method is student evaluations. Although they're not totally objective, they can reflect trends. A good instructor will be open to feedback and the resultant adjustment(s) they may make from their reflection on the feedback.
Regards, Barry
After reading the section, I have realized that I was extreemly rigid and thought that following the rules was the only way to conduct and control the class. I have seen the flaws of my thought process and have tried to change my approach. It seems to be working and the students and myself are more relaxed.
I feel that in knowing my own personal style, I am more self aware of other styles. The classroom is a melting pot of learning style and ability and for me to be truly effective in delivering material I need to know the rules of delivery. This would be equivalent (say in professional sports) to knowing whether you were prone to be better at offense or defense. Coaching, team captain or player. By knowing how I present I can address the differences in learning styles better. Self accessment and feedback from students can aid in this process. Our class room environment is set where each course changes on a three week basis so we are constantly getting new situations to analyze. This keeps class fresh but challanging at the same time as you learn a new set of names and the number of students of a specific learning style change almost seemingly overnight. Having been involved with theater since the mid 70's you realize your audiance changes each day and the jokes, drama and presentation must accordingly to be successful at delieveing a good proformance. Teaching really is not different when you boil it down...I have a syllabus and lesson plans to follow which are like a script and I must figure out the best way to reach my audiance. If I am successsful they will learn, participate readily and leave at the end of the course with the knowledge and skills they practiced. If I ignore my style and loose focus then I will not communicate efficently to my students and they will have a poor learning experience which will impact their overall view of the school, course, specific trade or skill they are attempting to learn and can ultimately lead to retention issues.
We say we are changing one life at a time here..the cool part is that I have a class full of one lifes to change (yes, I meant to say lifes not lives)...
I have used feedback to evolve my teaching style over the years...teaching or learning, viewing or doing, change is constant so knowing where we start from is key.
If you don't understand what your strong & weak points are you can't improve yourself as a leader in the classroom. Students pick up what you lack as an instructor. So if you can't improve on what you are weak on you can only do so much to get the information to the students.
Hi Steve:
Every class is going to create some opportunities for an instructor to learn. They may come as challenges that require attention or correction for students. Or, it may come as something an instructor will have to adjust or experience. In any event, with the right attitude, all events can become teaching moments if the instructor approaches it form a standpoint of wanting to improve.
Regards, Barry
I believe it helps you use your strenghts and sure up your weaknesses.
Hi Robert:
Your self awareness is very important if you want to maintain that balance o9f how you perceive you're coming across versus how the students view you. Also, being willing to adapt is a great perspective to possess.
Regards, Barry
My personality traits lend to my instructional style. By constantly staying aware of how I tend to instruct allows me to try to maximize the students'opportunities for training and development. I have also found that being self aware allows me to adapt the delivery method to benefit the students' learning.
Hi Robert:
Great! Promotion of the learning process- I like that phrasing, because it indicates that there are multiple critical steps that are involved in seeing that happen.
Regards, Barry
I have found that my personality lends to my instructional style. Knowing myself as an instructor is important so I can better recognize how my instructional style and personality promotes the learning process in the classroom. By maintaining an awareness of how I instruct, I can try to maximize the number of learning opportunities available to the students.
Hi Louis:
Presenting the image of a confident willing player to students will also convey a competent, generous individual who will earn the respect of most students quite rapidly. Good Job!
Regards, Barry
