I think communication is key to great instruction because it allows you to connect with your students and motivate them to learn.
I use different techniques such as :
- I refer a lot to personal professional stories to illustrate the topic.
- I like to combine demos and lectures to keep students a little bit more attentive . I have observed a better retention of the material covered.
- Writing on the blackboard key words always helps me as well.
After teaching 4 years at the LCB Atlanta and cross-training in about every cuisine class that we offer, I think that I have a pretty good knowledge of the subject and the overall program that our school offers. Each class is different however, and as a teacher , I have learned to adapt to each class and its different dynamic.
I would still enjoy exploring other ways to deliver lectures and also learn how to develop techniques to improve my interpersonal skills.
I would like to develop skills to draw students into the material. I teach required general education classes and some students do not want to be in the class and some even are resentful. Some techniques I can use include connecting student learning to the career choice by using real world examples or having the student connect their own experiences to the material. I would like my style to be a hands on aproach.
Even something humorous (but related) is useful for starting a new unit and gaining the students' interest.
I always try to add at least one new 'activity' that might replace one segment of lecture each quarter. My classes become so much more interesting and I hear more comments such as 'that class went fast!'
Hi Christine!
I think our mentorship meetings may help us with this as well. We have so many different personalities and styles in our instructors at 'our' school.
I was surprised last term when I gave a quiz that had something on it that too many students got wrong, after I had said 'this will be on the quiz' (even though I know I shouldn't teach towards the quiz. I reminded them that I had directly given them a heads up, yet no one knew why they hadn't gotten that question right. It still baffles me.
I really enjoy watching other instructors and seeing what works for them. You can learn something from everyone, even if it's learning that something doessn't work. Incorporating components of delivery or course activities into what I teach is a nice way to make changes.
By reading materials in instructional style, learning style, etc. You can also devleop and enhance instructional style by communicating with others in the industry and reading industry materials.
Christine Storms
I have found that including humorous true stories to highlight specific points in lectures helps the class flow more easily. Demonstrations of more difficult science topics helps with students that are not focused on science but rather culinary issues.
I think I can include more group activities and perhaps present more visual material. I have used a couple of guest speakers in the course to vary the teaching. But the course, which is fairly abstract, revolves around lecture. It is a general education course being presented for the first time at my school and, right now, I've got all I can handle to keep up with the book and a lecture. I've used some materials from the instructor resources to varying degrees of success. Field trips and outside class activities don't work because of students' other class commitments.
I have spent the past year-- my first as a full-time teacher-- working on developing and improving my instructional style.
I am generally pretty flexible about students choosing individual approaches to learning the content. I prefer selective guidance to hand holding. But I've found that what has come naturally to me has not been rigid enough for a few of my students. For example, I think we all learn best from making mistakes and solving some problems as independently as possible. The problem with that sentence is the "we ALL." In short, I've realized that I need to be more moderate and adjust my instructional style to the needs of individual students.
Taking this course is partially an attempt to work out a balance between what I think the students need and what they want. On average these students seem to demand spoon feeding and the only thing I feel rigid about is NOT spoon feeding!
I think that my instructional style is appropriate within the mission of my school; it matches the realities within the field my students wish to enter (according to my converstions with potential employers in the field); and my colleagues have expressed positive opinions on my general approach as well.
My plan is to work on clarifying my expectations-- making sure that students understand that the objective on a particular project may be about discovery of potential problems and solutions rather than "succesful" completion of a set task. And then I think I need to follow up with an assesment that reflects the objective clearly.
All that is to say that I hope that the answer to this is not to abandon my style, but rather make it fit my students better. Refine, not change.
I could sit in on other instructors classes and see what they do differently and observe what works for the students. I can go back to when I was in school and think of what worked best for me to learn in a classroom environment. I know that what worked best for me will not necessarily be best for all students, so I need to use a variety of methods to reach the most students.
The first thing I attempt to do is get there complete attention. This can be tough. They tend to whisper to each other or send text messages. I try humor and ask them lots of questions letting them know that I expect their contribution. I repeat important facts over and over to the point that I leave out a word and let them fill it in. I also add in stories that they may relate to. I show my excitment for the subject even though sometimes I may exagerate a bit. It seems to get their attention.
Sit in on other's classes and observe their instructional style(s) and adapt what I feel comfortable using myself. Constantly question myself, based on the student's comprehension and mastery of the subject I'm teaching, how I can improve on the delivery of the course content. Try, whereever possible, to incorporate different methods of delivery i.e. visual, hands-on practice, real-life examples (guest lecturers or field trips) versus standard lecture methods.
I feel students need to have an active part in their learning. I like to to get interaction with my students. The more you get students active with the lesson the more they learn.
Hi Ginny,
Yes, they will. If they don't the food isn't going to be good and the kitchen will go broke. The idea of the "aha" moments is what keeps instructors in the classrooms. Keep up the good work with your students and their math concepts, it is critical even if they don't think so at times.
Gary
Hi Kimberly,
Great to hear about the success you are having with your students. For the 5-10% that are "deleting" the information is there anyway of making the content even more graphic that what you are already doing? You are doing an excellent job with the many different approaches you are bringing to them as it is. Can you create case studies of application or flow charts that they work through to get the content they need? I am at a loss on this since I don't teach in this area. What I am basing my suggestions on is the teaching of medical terms so I don't know if there is any transfer of application of teaching methods between the two fields.
Will be glad to answer any questions you might have on these applications.
Gary
Hi DJ,
Great to hear about your personal professional development plan. I wish you much success. You are doing a number of things that will help you to expand your teaching success.
Gary
I find that I am always improving on what I did the class before. I am teaching culinary math and since it can be conceptual at times, I try different exercises to make it real to the students. I enjoy seeing the light bulbs go on when a student finally understands the subject. I always encourage my students that they WILL use this throughout their duration of the program.
