Daniel,
What a wonderful turnaround! This just reinforces the point that students need and want direction, competent instruction, and classroom management that is conducive to optimal student learning outcomes.
Barry Westling
I have many years of teaching experience and know well the importance of being organized. Last Fall I took over for an instructaor that was not organized at all. The students were bitter, had little motivation, etc. I went to the first day of class with all materials ready, followed a schedule, and helped students track their progress. Within a matter of a few days all bitterness and other negative behaviors were gone.
Holly,
Classes run smoother with less problems when we are adequetly prepared. We do owe this to our students.
Barry Westling
There are several reasons to be organized and prepared, including illustrating mutual respect and good study habits. While we require homework from the students, we should expect the same from ourselves- time spent on the work we will be presenting. I have found that going over the material a few days before class can also trigger something I want to include, such as an example of case study that I recently read. Being able to work those ideas into the lecture ensures that I am not jumping all over the place on lecture day and everything flows well.
Nicolette,
Here is a great example of the benefit good back-up plans offer. These are simple activities that can fill a small segment or a whole period of a class. They are low tech, related to the topic, easy to implement, and interesting or fun for the students. With prior preparation, these can be "pulled from the shelf" whenever the need arises.
Barry Westling
What can you do to seem prepared even if you are not? We all have off days, and you wouldn't want to lose the confidence of your students.
Michelle,
Right, we are examples. Of course it's in the students interest to be prepared, but we are paid to be prepared and our classes organized with the materials and resources to conduct classes effectively. Respect for the instructor is likely to diminish if this was a continued pattern.
Barry Westling
If the instructor is not prepared for the class, it gives student's an excuse to not be prepared too. They don't take the class as seriously because they know the teacher doesn't take it seriously. The instructor should be a professional example for the students to follow in their college career and beyond.
Cynthia,
Good teachers do good things for their students, such as being weel preparted and organized in readiness for classes. An afterall, it's our job, we're paid to be prepared!
Barry Westling
If an instructor is well-organized and prepared, the students will feel that he/she is committed to teaching. The instructor is showing respect to the students and their profession.
Richard,
Time is our enemy, and all effort to get a lesson prepared is worthwhile and ultimatley beneficial to the students.
Barry Westling
Students are sharing their time with me at a considerable cost. If I am late to lecture or unprepared,than I risk loosing their respect.Even if I am well versed in the material,I still like to thoroughly review it before presenting the lecture.This builds students confidence and also mine!
Jason,
Very true. I think a good first impression is important, and also maintaining that level of activity daily so that students see consistent and sustained demonstration of readiness. They benefit by the content that is delivered and by the role modeling that occurs.
Barry Westling
Lisa,
Yes, students are perceptive to even the little things an instructor does, and having class resources organized and readied, and daily lesson prepared is least among those. It is assumed the instructor has these basic aspects of thier job in place.
Barry Westling
I agree completely first impressions are very important in the classroom,what a student experiences on the first day of class set the tone for the rest of the session. Being prepared and organized can provide students with confidence that you are a serious and professional facilitator.
It is imnportant for an instructor to be organized because instructors are the model for the students. We need to respect the class time and use that time for what it is for- teaching. Class time is not prep time and the students know if the instructor does not appear to know. This gives the impression that the instructor may be winging it and that is not the message that needs to be sent.
Amanda,
Very true. I think also, there is less stress by both instructor and student, and that helps keep information freer and everyone more relaxed, which I think helps the learning process.
Barry Westling
Sokpheap,
You're right. Our job as instructor includes and requires we be prepared for classes. Students are quick to pick up when an instructor is less than fully prepared.
Barry Westling
An organized instructor is more relaxed and better able to get class started and keep students engaged. When the teacher is not worried about what comes next or when to fit in in-class material things will run smoothly.
Students want to see that instructors are prepared for their class. They want to know if the instructor spend time in reviewing what they are about to teach and not just making it up as the class go on. It also help run the class smootly.
