Hi Barry, thank you for the feedback and suggestions. I particularly like the Jeopardy-style competition because I have many competitive type personalities in my classes and it would provide a good review and drive home major learing points.
Hi David:
First, I'll compliment you on the use of stories to help keep attention and focus. Students like stories, and when you can use the to reinforce your teaching point, they're more likely to remember the story - and your point.
A couple of alternative strategies:
* Student-led discussions. Here, the student (or student groups) actually prepare the lesson and present it to the class. You can step in to correct, or wait until they're finisished and add any clarifying points, or add additional emphasis that was missed.
* On a lighter tone, a Jeopardy-style competition between two havles of the class. Present a scenario, and have each group discuss the merits, then present what they believe is the best course of action and why. After both groups share, then you can provide your comments about the better way of looking at the case, and point out the good and not so good comments students made.
* If there is a particularly difficult concept you are going to lecture about, you could use the power of repetition in this way. Say you have have four groups. As you lecture each one is going to take notes to the best of their collective understanding. Then each group will present their summary to the class using different media: Group 1: PPT; group 2: overhead; group 3: flipchart; group 4: Questions with true and alternative answers. The same information is bound to be repeated but it will be memorable and retained, which was your purpose.
Hope these give you some ideas for your own creativity.
Regards, Barry
Hi Barry, I have found that understanding myself as an instructor helps me draw upon various teaching techniques to connect with the students and facilitate their learning. I teach a strategic planning course and at times it can be dry by the nature of the subject. I have observed other instructors with the same challenge. I have used real world examples and short student interactive exercises to not only add greater insight but to also make it more interesting and draw the students out of the recieve only mode. Do you have any other recommendations?
Hi Kevin:
Self awreness is a great way to approach an understanding of ourselves. It incorporates both strengths and areas that need improvement. When aware, we are more sensitive to what may need to be improved. We can also excell at areas that require the use of oour strengths.
Regards, Barry
to know what your strong points are and work on the other areas of your intstruction
Hi Mitch:
Life and learning is all change. Physiologically, change (adaptation) is partly how we define ourselves as "living".
I think the map metaphor doesn't necessary mean different maps but simply that we need to understand our "center", what we believe, know and don't know, dseire and aspire to be. And I think really, this is a life-long process.
I think each class provdes a learning-lab for our growth and maturing as teachers, if we approach these experiences with a desire to grow, and benefit, and be better at what we do.
Regards, Barry
Hi Shoaid:
Recognizing what we have to offer is the beginning, and even finding weaker areas makes us stronger as teachers because we know those areas that need attention.
The key is to first identify where improvement are needed, then being willing to take positive action to work at it. That's really the hardest part for some as their ego, will, pride interferes with the wanting to change part.
I think each class we teach is like a mini lab that, depending on our reponse, prepares - one class at a time - to be be better teachers and learn from our experiences.
Regards, Barry
Does this require a new "map" for each change?
Understanding your self is an important element in teaching process. While you are recognizing your strengths and utilizing them for your benefit, you also realize your weaknesses and improve them.
Hi Terry:
When I am confident in who I am and what I can (and can't) do, it makes for better student learning outcomes. I may brach out a little in my less strong suits, but only a little at a time. This adds growth and maturity to my teaching, and clarity to knowing myself.
Regards, Barry
Hi Tracy:
I believe each class is like a mini-lab geared to teaching me more about myself and making me a better instructor a class at a time. A key to this is being open to change and improvement.
Regards, Barry
Greetings Barry, I am enjoying your reminder of the important quote, "Know Thyself." What I have also found is that the more I teach, the more I learn about myself. This allows me to be willing to be transparent with my students. This inturn helps to create a comfort zone--giving students a safe place to land with their stuff. Thanks!
Hi Kristin:
That's great you were able to identify what worked and didn't work early on.
Many of us find that out but only after struggling for a number of years before that "aha" moment of self discovery. When we are comfortable withouselves, we are more confident, more efficicient, tolerent, patient, and creative.
These are all good traits that more teachers should cultivate in whatever way that can realize their importance.
Regards, Barry
Knowing myself gives me the confidence to be as good of an instructor as I can be. By knowing my strengths, I can accentuate the positive and take advantage of knowing where I shine as a teacher. Knowing my weaknesses on the other hand, gives me the opportunity to continue to strive to better myself. Finding alternatives to tradition by talking to fellow instructors and reading up on subject matter have proven to be effective ways I have been able to improve upon my weaknesses.
My educational background is in elementary education with career education coming later in my career.
I have taught every age group from Kindergarten to college adults. I learned early on in my teaching career that I was not happy nor was I very good at teaching students below grade 3 (age 8-9). Whether it is my personality or my teaching style that determined this, I figured this out about myself and have made career decisions based on this self-awareness.
I have been a better instructor when I am in classes with adults than when I am working with little children.
Self-awareness is a powerful tool for those that use that knowledge to improve the learning environment for their students.
Kristin
Each of us has different personalities based on varying backgrounds, the same goes for students. An instructor needs to "styleflex" his/her behaviors to better interact with student personalities.
It is very important to know yourself in order to have realistic expectations of what you can and cannot deliver well. I believe it helps you improve your technique, working with what you already have down and working to research how to improve what you don't have down.
Hi Anthony:
I liked your analogies to machinery!
I believe every day we teach, we broaden our capabilities as teachers and strengthen our assets and learn from our mistakes. It's true, every day, there are numerous dynamics to the class that we can "experience". Trying new or different approaches cause growth. Being bold and courageous will yield great fruit and benefit current and future students.
Regards, Barry
It is important to know who you are otherwise how are you going to be able to help others grow.
It helps me to know how to structure the classroom for a very diverified audience. Everyone has their own learning style and I can have multiple approaches to key points so those learning needs are met. Understanding not to put my personal values in the mixture helps to ensure that the focus in on the students and the learning objectives of the course.
