My fear is leaving out information that is vital to the students success. I think aiming to teach from the objectives on the syllabus and then if time allows add information from the book is going to help me for leaving something out.
David,
It's a good point to consider that students don't understand seemingly easy topic the way we as instructors do. I like to check for understanding as I move through the lesson. This helps avoid going too far into the lesson without being assured students have grasped where we are in the lesson.
Barry Westling
one mistake I have made is that sometimes a task that seems overtly simple to me will not be given adequate time for the students to fully grasp and master it since it is new to them.
Gina,
This is not an unusual problem for excelerated medical programs. New information is always emerging. Foundational theory can be challenging to cover thorougly. You touched on one key, and that is to be sure essential information is always thoroughly covered. Creative activities that involve students engaged and participation in their own learning is one method that can help fill-in some of the potential gaps.
Barry Westling
Teaching an accelerated course, I thought it was necessary to cover all the chapters that were assigned in the syllabus. Now, I will look at the syllabus objectives for the course and make sure I cover those and the rest of the material will be a bonus. There was just way too much material and everyone, including me was overwhelmed.
Kathryn,
To address this particular situation, as much as possible I try to get the most important information covered at the beginning of the class (not always possible) to insure that if time goes over some or runs out, I will have at least taken care of the most important material I want to give.
Barry Westling
Trying to fit in too much. I am always experiencing this problem. Thinking that the students can handle more than they actually can bc I am looking at it from the wrong point of view.
Carolyn,
We all make mistakes, and in a way, being experienced suggested we've been there - done that. We've made mistakes and have learned from them. That's why we're experienced.
Barry Westling
I try to teach the course sylabus and use information from the textbook to fill any time left
Kathy,
Serious college level students have to be able to allocate time outside of class for reading, digesting information, and reading and studying their notes in order to grasp what's discussed and applied in the classroom and/or lab. Too often students do poorly if the only focused attention is when they are in class. As you point out, there is usually just too much information to master to be covered in class alone.
Barry Westling
This is so true. I find that it can be overwhelming to fit what is in the text into lecture and lab time. It's great to remember not to sacrifice an objective for in depth learning of another section. This is where reading and outside work and complement what is being taught in the classroom. The one thing I've heard students say as they are preparing for a professional exam in their field is "I wasn't taught that," and it is so hard to here them say that. I am constantly looking for ways to adjust those key content areas in lecture and then inspire the students to always seek learning in their field.
Kathy
carlos,
I think of the syllabus as my expectations as to what I expect and the students to understand what is required of them. One mistake I've learned is just because it's written in the syllabus is no guaranttee that students will follow it or adhere to what I expect.
Barry Westling
i consider the sylabus to ba a contract between me and my students, even though it is only a guide for the class content I try to cover every single item in it. If I cover all the material included in the sylabus then everyting else is considered "added" value and students sure apretiate that extra mile...
Myrna,
Rest assured, a tincture of time and experience will translate into superior selection opportunites that will create efficient and effective lessons that are both memorable and enjoyable for your students.
Barry Westling
I find that selecting course content is my weakest area as a teacher. I am usually very passionate about the material that I am teaching making it difficult to eliminate any content. I understand that the course has objectives that need to be met but these are often vague. I try to use my own experience in the profession to determine which content areas are more relevant but still find that I have too much material to cover. I hope that as I teach the courses, over time, it will be easier to make appropriate selections.
Paulette,
Right, that can have a direct impact on the outcome. Related to that is not having enough, or even less wonderful is too much material to be presented in a given setting.
Barry Westling
The biggest mistake instructors makes in selecting course content, is not knowing the audience before hand. Many these instructors are driven by what they are instructed to teach. However I think they also have room to adjust the material they are presenting in order to achieve the best outcome for the audience they have to deal with.
Amy,
Good point. Breaking information into digestible bites, addiding variety, frequently alternating between delivery formats, involving students (teaching portions of the class, leading a discussion, small group discussions, questioning, reviewing, stronger students tutoring/mentoring weaker students, etc.). Just a few methods of keeping things moving along, briskly, while keeping attention and focus, and creating an interesting and enjoyable classrroom experience
Barry Westling
Trying to give too much information too quickly will cause some of the biggest issues for the students. You will confuse of lose them. They will tune out because they feel they cannot keep up with what they need to learn.
Breaking the information into smaller bite size lessons will help them to see the information as manageble. Also you need to make the information applicable. If I am teaching theory I need to show how the information will be used in practice so that it becomes relevant to the student.
Elizabeth,
Good points all. Being aware of the recipient students ability to receive material in a meaningful and memorable manner is important to keep in mind. Failure to do so is a big mistake. We may be able to dish it out, but students can receive only so much of the same type of delivery and content. Variety and breaking the lesson into segments help keep material fresh and interesting.
Barry Westling
