Get Your Students Hired
It seems to me that instructional style has to fluxuate with the audience and the time of day. Morning classes are alert and alive; afternoon classes are not as alert and sometimes beyond attentiveness. In a recent seminar I attended, the instructor maintained the same style until 2 PM when he announced that all instructions for what he was about to demonstrate were in the handout, so please put writing implements and notes away, relax, and just observe. It was a comfortable ending to a very long day.
Developing and refining one's instructional style is one of the most challenging tasks facing a new instructor. I believe that it is essential for a new instructor to first of all understand his/her audience. Understanding the uniqueness of adult learners and their issues is essential to being prepared and effective in the classroom. Having a comprehensive and effective new teacher orientation program that provides information on adult learners, teaching techniques, classroom management, etc. is essential for someone who has only been a practitioner up to the point of entering teaching. Mentoring, practice teaching, and observing the more expereinced teachers are also essential components in preparing a new instructor for the classroom.
Experienced instructors should always be cognizant of the need to refine their classroom skills. Student feedback, supervisor obervations and feedback, and looking for and understanding the nuances of their students' reactions are all ways in which an experienced teacher can continue to improve in the classroom.
Hi Larry,
Great response to the Forum. You are right about needing to improve while maintaining a high level of consistency of instruction. As humans we are resistant to change so when the opportunity for change comes our way we sometimes miss it.
Your attitude of seeking instructional change when you see application is a good one. I like to look at instructional improvement like a buffet line. I see all of the choices and from these choices I will make selections that are both good and good for me.
A suggestion I would make is to constantly seek feedback from your students about how the class is going. A quick weekly assessment from the students can be very helpful. By handing out 3x5 cards and having the students write comments about a test, assignment or project will help you to shape your instructional growth.
Gary
The first step in developing and refining your instructional style is to acknowledge that you can always learn new techniques and continue to improve as an instructor. I have now been a full time instructor for about 7 years. During the first few years I was always working at developing and refining my instructional style. However, now it is more difficult to change because I have been very successful with the teaching style I have developed, and I like to think I now “know it allâ€. It takes real effort to consider new techniques or styles. Once I make the effort to consider new ideas, I always find things that I had forgotten or which, when considered, are actually great ideas. A current example is the use of PowerPoint presentations. Our school recently installed projection systems in all of the classrooms. This allows the use of PowerPoint images as a teaching tool. I have found that utilization of this tool works well when incorporated with the other techniques that I had been using. I have to admit that many of the other instructors were way ahead of me in utilizing the helpful tool. I resisted because it was easier to maintain the status quo. I began to get inquiries from students as to why I did not use PowerPoint like other instructors. I committed to try it and now I like it. You are never to old to learn new tricks.
Hi Andrew,
You are facing a challenge. Many subject matter experts can only copy what they have seen in their own learning experiences. So they may be trying to copy a style that is really not their own. What I try to do with new instructors is to clearly define the three roles of an educator, that being the model, manager and motivator. By giving them clear approaches, examples, and implementation strategies within each of these three areas they get a sense of comfort and it “buys†them some time to really develop their own style.
Once they understand their role as for example a model, they can focus on how they can be an appropriate model for their students, while they are learning how to present the curriculum, develop skill with the classroom technology, plus receive additional input from other educators like your self.
The key is to give them a sense of confidence in the classroom right from the beginning to they will keep trying, while developing their skills.
Gary
I have a unique challenge in trying to guide "subject matter experts" that have never had instructional experience into defining what their style should be and how to measure if they are successful.
I obsereve other instructor and their teaching skills.Taking timeto assess individual students and their needs.
Hi Melissa,
You are well on your way to developing a teaching style that is suitable for your field and comfortable for you and your students. By being open to suggestions and help from other professionals in the field you will advance quickly in your professional development.
Your mention of timing brings up an area that all educators have to deal with. How do you find the right mix of time to spend on each area? Experience will help you greatly with this area but what do you do in the meantime? A suggestion would be to solicit constant feedback from your students. Handout 5x7 cards and have the students anonymously evaluate the just presented lesson or demonstration. The students will give you a very accurate picture of how you did, whether you gave with too much explanation or too little. They can also give you input into your demonstrations, study problems, etc. This form of evaluation is very low risk in that the students can say what they want without fear of reprisal and you can get the feedback you need. By using this method you will get a very clear picture of areas of strength and areas needing improvement, plus you can correct any major problems mid-phase. This method can also help you to develop confidence in your abilities as an educator. Keep in mind you are good in your field, you are now sharing it instead of practicing it. What you want to know is how you can best share it with your students.
As a new instructor, I am still developing my instructional style. Much of this involves trial and error. I try to take full advantage of teaching guides that are available to me, and I try to use lecture aids (transparencies, handouts, etc.) whenever possible. I think a big part of my learning process is in determining how much time to spend on certain points. Over-explaining a point is just as damaging as under-explaining a point. This has a lot to do with making sure you are clear and concise. Lastly, I am always open to new suggestions and ideas. All comments are welcome from both faculty and students.
Hi Brenda,
Great ideas for capturing the interest of your students. As you know many times the students do not see a reason for learning the new information or find the effort boring. Anything you can do to get them involved in the process is a step toward learning success.
Keep up the good work. Teaching is fun when you have an opportunity to be creative.
Gary
I find it helpful to present an interesting, (sometimes humorous ) historical background of an important mathematical concept. These presentations help to: A. Encourage "cause-and -effect" discussions B. Generate questions such as "Can we further simplify this problem?" and C. Provide insight into the importance of this concept. I feel that I have now learned and can recognize the differences between "assume" and "presume"!
Hi Juan,
You have a very comprehensive approach for developing your instructional style. It should be very successful for you.
A suggestion I would have in getting to know how effective your instructional style is for that class. You might want to use 5x7 cards and have the students respond to your lectures assignments, etc. As the comments are anonymous you will find that the students will give you clear and very helpful information about how you are doing. There is less pressure on both you and the students, since you are getting the comments at a time that there isn't a test pressuring them.
Question—What methods do you use to identify what changes you need to make in delivering information (lectures-demonstrations) to your students?
Thanks
Gary
As discussed in the topic, there are various ways of developing and defining one's own instructional style based on knowledge of your past, your college, your students, your colleagues, and yourself. After probing and assimilating all these information, you begin to use a style of instruction which you percieve to be the best for you and your students.
I can develop and refine the instructional style(s) i am using (or will eventually use) by treating each class as unique and each group of new students as having different characteristics which may or may not be present in the other classes. By being flexible, i will try to adapt my style to these characteristics and make the appropriate changes in delivering information in order to hopefully be successful in my objective of making each student learn each lesson. Whatever works for one class might not work for another so i should learn to be flexible and be able to adapt to any given situation. The first exam i give as well as questions i ask during the lecture should give me a good first impression of how effective my style is.
Hi Tammy,
You are on the right path to instructional improvement. We can only base our future upon what we know about our past. By looking at teaching styles you have experience in your past you will have a general idea of what being a successful teacher is all about. You can also pick and chose from those experiences as a part of your own professional development.
Through the use of different feedback strategies, like videoing your teaching, student feedback cards, and course evaluations you can create a path of development that will enable you create a teaching style that meets the needs of your students, gives you a sense of comfortable about what you are doing and fits the philosophy of your college.
Gary
Hi Iesha,,
You are on the right path to develop into a highly respected educator. You are working on improvement areas that will be of benefit to you.
A couple of suggestions I would make would be to use an ongoing method of student feedback. You can use a 5x& card system that will keep you knowledgeable about how your students are perceiving what you are doing in the class. These cards can be filled out weekly, or at the end of a major assignment-problem solving activity-etc. The responses are anonymous thus giving the students the freedom to really express themselves. Experience has shown me that the students give really good feedback and that I can improve the assignments, delivery, and retention through what they share with me.
Taking and reviewing video tapes of your teaching is an excellent way to improve your delivery style. A key point is to have someone else also look at the tapes with you. Sometimes we get too critical of ourselves and we over compensate to correct an annoying mannerism to the point that we lose our instructional flow. “Fresh eyes†can help us to improve without destroying our effectiveness.
Gary
Being a first time instructor, I think the best way for me to develop my instructional style is to know (evaluate) my past. I think it is important for me to incorporate teaching styles from my past that encouraged my learning process. My past experiences can be used as a foundation for my style. As I learn my students and their personalities, I will be able to refine my style so that I will beome more effective in my classroom.
How can you develop and refine your instructional style?
I am a begining instructor and I believe the best ways for me to develop and refine my instructional style is to:
I'm open to any additional suggestions.
Hi Ken,
Good ideas on how to improve on your instructional delivery. A suggestion for the video feedback is to have someone else view the video with you. I have found that a “fresh set of eyes†can help with the improvement process. Sometimes we tend to be too critical of ourselves and focus on behaviors or mannerisms that are not even factored in when students are listening to us and yet we miss the bigger mannerisms that are driving the students nuts.
Another thing I have found helpful is to use a check sheet of key things I want to look for when reviewing the tapes. Hope these suggestions are helpful.
Gary
1. Watching other Instructers
2. Credible Student Input
3. Video Taping. I have found taping myself in a class and watching is very helpful. We tend to be very criticle of ourself.
Hi Larry,
Though simply put this is often harder to do than we think. We must make sure that in assessing the individual student needs we are using an instrument that measuring the true learning needs of the students. Then we must adapt, modify, or create materials that are suitable for the students. This is true even if we are using a standardized curriculum. We have to make it our own, so the students will make it their own. This is the challenge we face each and every day we teach.
Gary