Understanding yourself / Observing Other Instructors
I agree that it is important to understand your personality style. We have done that at out school and I have found it to be very helpful. Not just for myself, but in understanding other personality types.
I also think it it very valuable to observe other instructors. Everytime I do I always learn new method, tips or techniques that I can use in my classroom. I wish that more opportunity existed to observe others!
Hi Rachel:
Watching other instructors can be a great way to sharpen your own skills in every avenue, whether it be classroom managment, delivery style, or scheduling.
Regards, Barry
Hi Nolan:
The nice thing about interacting with other instructors is the likelihood you will gain new ideas to incorporate into your own classes. These new ideas often times end up helping to create a more robust learning environment in your class.
Regards, Barry
Hi Jeni:
The nice thing about interacting with other instructors is the likelihood you will gain new ideas to incorporate into your own classes. These new ideas often times end up helping to create a more robust learning environment in your class.
Regards, Barry
Hi Nelky:
The nice thing about interacting with other instructors is the likelihood you will gain new ideas to incorporate into your own classes. These new ideas often times end up helping to create a more robust learning environment in your class.
Regards, Barry
Hi Denise:
Similarly, each instructor can use a teaching journal and jot down what ideas work and what ideas don't.
Regards, Barry
Understanding your personality style and being able to flex that style depending upon the class climate is important. The more you develop your teaching ability, the more confident you will become in your teaching. In the same way, having the opportunity to observe (and steal) teaching techniques from others can also help to better prepare you as an instructor i.e. deepen your understanding of learning and teaching, find out about the latest learning and teaching theories, and try out new teaching practices, thus developing your teaching ability.
Hi Monte:
Similarly, keeping a teaching journal that describes what worked and what didn't can also help us become more effective instructors.
Regards, Barry
Hi Phyllis:
Similar to learning from other instructors, keeping a daily class journal that describes what worked and what didnt can also be an effective way of becoming a stronger instructor.
Regards, Barry
I'm a librarian, and I do numerous instruction sessions each term. In lieu of observing other classes, I've found one of the best things I do to improve my teaching is to simply informally ask both the instructors and students what they thought of the sessions. I've found that the majority will be open and honest in their constructive criticism.
Hi Mark:
Your experience is a powerful instructional tool that more teachers should plan or take advantage of. So often, we can see ourselves, or ways we wish to improve by observing others.
Regards, Barry
i have had the opportunity to observe three other instructors in the same field and how they run a class. it has made a major impact on my teaching in that it has given me so many other options and ways of doing things.
I also agree that it ismportant to understand ourselves and play on our strengths .
I agree it is very important to understand myself. I also feel it is important to get a feel for each student's personality as well and be sensitive to the fact that they may or may not embrace my personality and teaching style.
Everyday I learn something new from another instructor through observation and conversation. It broadens my knowledge and creativity!
Not only do I talk to other instructors,but when I have observed, I try to incorporate what I liked from their teaching. I tend to also enhance what I borrow from other instructors. There have been times that I have asked for assistance in preparation of a class. That input has been very valueble in that particular lecture and the suggestion has been set in that particular lesson plan for future use.
I spend a lot of time learning from other instructors,talking to them and watching them teach.
I'm with you on both points, Phyllis. The personality assessements we do campus-wide helps me to understand others and myself and helps give us a shared understanding in terms of language to use when describing behavior and how different personalities work together.
Also, watching different insturctors is a great way to learn. I wish we did more of it. I find that I learn a lot from subbing classes as well. I'm so not above copying and altering class activites I learn from subbing others' classes.
