It is important to have an understanding of yourself and how you learn in order to find the a way that will reach your students best and draw them in. If you dont consider how you learn then you can not truly understand how the students will receive your information.
I believe that it is important to have an understanding of yourself in every aspect of your life. When we know ourselves as instructors, it is easier for us to let our students know who we are and how we are. I am a Socratic Instructor because I enjoy challenging my students and seeing their minds grow as they embrace critical thinking.
Hi Barry:
Good points all. I don't think we can tell students to trust, rather the faculty has to earn their trust. Ways to do that include: be open and honest, accessible, caring, assisting, and offer encouragement. There are more attributes but these would be among the important ones.
Regards, Barry
Hi Paul:
Good thoughts, Paul. You're right, it has to come from within. Openness to change is hard for some but has to be for progress to occur.
Regards, Barry
Understanding yourself will help you plan where your class is going to go. Like the material said, change is the only constant and if you understand how you handle change, you'll have a better grasp of how you will lead your students down the "learning path."
Leadership is the first rule in imparting information. Your students must trust your leadership, your skill set and your knowledge base/position in the community before they are willing to invest their full attention in your teaching. Instuctional leadership and leadership among your peers is a key element of the trust spoken of previously.
Hi Bennett:
Great! Staying on top of those lesson plans keeps things current and results in well thought out learning strategies.Also getting input from other faculty is a terrific strategy.
Regards, Barry
I review the week or so before the class what is the material to present. What do I know about it and what are some sources to gain additional material. I write out a lesson plan of day by day coverage of the chapter or key concepts. I ask previous instructors about the class, how to key into their perfered style of learning. I pray each day for a successful outcome for the class, myself and the college.
I feel it is difficult to understand the types of instructional leader, become aware of which you are using and modify it to the situation at hand. I have a few "blended" and a primary style of teaching, but I wonder about changing and how to measure the results say on a Monday or Friday to cover the material so all are engaged.
Hi Donald:
You've got a pretty good handle on yourself. Since we don't have "eyes in the back of our heads", it's great when an instructor is willing to subject themselves to ongoing correction and improvement. That's easy to say but hard to do.
A simple test is to ask a colleague to sit in one of your classes with the express purpose of critiquing it. Accepting what might be uncovered is the test of humility and willingness to accept that there may be area that could be modified or imnprovement needed.
Regards, Barry
Hi Lois:
It's great that you have an understanding of a few insights regarding your instructional attributes. Very generally, if an instructor truly care about thier students learning, many lesser qualities are likely to be overlooked by the student because they'll feel you're honestly interested in them.
Regards, Barry
Anthony:
Several pearls of wisdom are tuked in this post. Good observation!
Regards, Barry
Hi Philipp:
I really like one of the points you make in your post about maximising the experience of learning the different personalities you come in contact with. As students, they will quickly pick up on the fact that you are truly interested in them and their success, and that can go a long ways towards contributing to their academic success.
Regards, Barry
Hi Judith:
You bet! We all have self perceptions that - right or worong - are reality to us. Therefore all efforts to get a good dose of reality by working on both strengths and weaknesses can only be beneficial in the end.
Regards, Barry
Well, it is important because understanding that I am instructional leader will give me added confidence dealing with the students and most situations that arise from the classroom environment.
Marcelo:
Very nicely said.
Regards, Barry
Hi Cynthia:
Very nice - adjusting to your students learning styles. I'm sure that proves to be very helpful to both you and the students as they progress and begin to understand your methods.
Regards, Barry
I have found that having a good understanding of my teaching styles allows me to access the different styles as needed. At the start of a quarter I tend to be more strict especially in my class policies, procedures and my expectations of the students. As the course goes on and I get to know students better my style then changes to serve the needs of that group of students. In other words I tend to come on strong and adjust to the students learning styles as the class progresses.
I truly enjoy being able to learn more each and every day about how important it is prepare to manage my class room
Dear Barry
I believe that the Educational field is probably one of the most "enhancing" experience you can develop.
We as teacher/motivator/communicator have the precious gift of constructing bridges between our colleagues and students as well.
Be sincere to yourself and strive to offer "all of your knowledge". This I beleive, is the first step toward understanding yourself and your type of conducting the class.
As longer you remember that it is not about you , it is about the student, the synergy will flow
