It is important to know yourself so that you can adapt or know what your triggers are when dealing with diverse groups of individuals. Are you shy vs outgoing, do you tolerate interruptions or not. How do you handle things that typically bother you? Roll with the punches or stand your ground? It helps you figure out how to be more effective and modify the things that might inhibit you from being the best instructor that you can.
If you don't know who you are, how can you be effective in helping others find themselves in their journey to furthering education and finding themselves?
Hi Staci:
Similarly, by identifying strong and weak areas in ourselves, we can continually strive to improve upon both. Yes, both!
Regards, Barry
Hi Patrick:
Another consideration is that by identifying strengths and weaknesses, you can constantly strive to improve upon both.
Regards, Barry
Hi Susan:
The beauty of knowing one's strengths and weaknesses is that we can constantly strive to improve upon both - become even better at what we're already strong at, and improve our weaknesses until they become strengths themselves.
Regards, Barry
I must understand who I am and how I relate to others so that I can successfully interact with my students. As I evaluate myself, I also identify my weaknesses. Once they are identified, then I can began the change process.
As an instructor I believe it is helpful to identify my learning style and ensure that when I teach that I do not solely rely on that style. I need to make sure I use a combination of all the styles.
Sara Donevant
Each person has a somewhat unique instructional style. It is important to learn what works well for you and what does not. Student benefit from a variety of instructional styles.
For me, the biggest reason to understand yourself as an instructor is to make sure your students are learning what you want them to learn. I teach at many different levels, from career college courses to MBA students. I cannot use my MBA style with the career college or even undergrad students. I have tried to do this from time to time, and I always get bad student reviews. I need to adjust my style to the level I am teaching. This isn't a big problem, but it is something I have to be intentional about.
Hi Johnny:
Good point - by looking at your potential weaknesses, we can start to make changes to become more effective.
Also, we can work on developing our strengths as well to continually add to our repetoir of teaching methods.
Regards, Barry
Hi Gregory:
To be honest, I think we've all felt the way you're describing about feeling frustrated with students.
Keep in mind the ultimate goal: to impart knowledge and then assess if the student has it. Since every student learns at a different pace, one thing that might help reduce frustration is asking yourself these questions at those times when you feel that way: Am I trying to help this student? Do I care about their outcome?
If the answer is yes, then you are succeeding with 75% of the job.
Regards, Barry
I want to be a good instructor, some times its hard to see yourself as others and change the bad habits.
Hi Simon:
Yes,by looking at our strengths, we can identify what works. By looking at our weaknesses, we can help to identify what needs to be imporved for more effective outcomes for our students.
Regards, Barry
It is important to understand yourself as an instructional leader so you can do a full inventory of what you bring to the table as an instructor. For example, if you have a great sense of humor, that is something you can use to keep students engaged. Alternatively, let's say an instructor is an academic, but not the best public speaker, he or she might have to use a variety of media sources (like YouTube) and handouts to keep students fully engaged. Ultimately, I find understanding myself as an instructor is a never ending process(requires constant evoloution).
Instructors need to understand their teaching stlyes/method, but they also need to understand that not all students will learn the same way and they may have to adjust the way they teach. So they need to be open to change and willing to change.
Understanding yourself as an instructor allows you to develop your lessons to fit your style, but also to "build on" to meet the needs of your students. With so many styles of learning in one classroom, a multitude of processes must be used to help the deliver the information. We , as instructors, cannot "deliver the goods" in only one method or we will "lose" students'
Just like we need variety, so do our students. When they are successful.....we are successful.
Self evaluation should always be the starting point. I encourage faculty to do this on a regular basis and we have added a self evaluation form for faculty to fill out before they are observed.
As in any profession, I think it is important to know yourself. If you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you can direct your class to emphasize your strengths while improving your weaknesses. Also, if you can recognize certain traits in yourself, it will help you recognize these same traits in your students. I think this would let you identify more with your students and give them suggestions on how to cater to their strengths.
Having an understanding of yourself is critical to be an instructional leader. How can I reach an audience of students if I don't understand myself. I need to know how I learn so I can adapt my lessons to meet all the learning styles. I need to have insight into my personality so that I can understand all the personalities I interact with on a day-to-day basis. The better I understand myself, the more effective I'll be in a classroom.
Hi Mark:
Very few mention how knowing about one's weaknesses can actually help make them stronger.
One way to do this might be to see how we can remove a weakness that impairs us in the classroom to be more effective in future learning sessions.
Regards, Barry
Hi Patricia:
I agree, it's important to maintain approachability with the students, which ultimately facilitates the communication that's necessary for successful outcomes.
Regards, Barry
Hi Traci:
Good point - by knowing yourself, you can develop a realistic expectation for yourself about what you are passionate about teaching, and for what you may be less than passionate about.
Regards, Barry
