I would consider my teaching styles to be what I refer to as coaching. I feel it has brought in the classroom an atmosphere where students have taken ownership in their works and shown pride in the craft.
I feel like I am always working on being a better instructor and refining my style. I feel lucky that I teach a trade. Culinary arts is very esay to get excited about and you have an audience that is already interested in the subject matter. Our classes repeat every few weeks so we ar in a constant state of continuous improvement!
I hope that my instructional style is candid, and fun - I want my students to feel comfortable, and enjoy their time in class. I also want them to be able to judge my approval or disapproval through my non-verbal cues. I want to motivate students through my own enthusiasm for our subject matter, and help them meet a high standard that (hopefully), they will wish for themselves.
I can use all of the techniques to refine and define my personal instructional style. Motivating my students to excel is an important part of any teaching style.
Good question. I already use lecture,questioning, group activities (2 partners, small groups). In fact, students know that I will have them participate. I think to enhance what I do, I need to state objectives in the beginning and review when I'm done. Since in our situation, we cover a lot of material in 4 hour sessions, I'm looking for new ways to reinforce material presented. I find working adults do not have a lot of time for studying so class time has to be used optimally.
Hi Kathy,
By trying the mix of different deliveries you will be appealing to the different learning preferences. By integrating more kinesthetic activities you will be helping to reinforce the learning that the students have been experiencing.
Gary
A useful technique has been to share with my students experience that they can relate to at some level. For example I'm an ordained minister as well as a mathematician and have served as a chaplain in nursing homes. I've interacted with nursing personnel and have witnessed and sometimes participated in their daily work. This helps a great deal in my statistics classes which are populated mostly with nursing students recently. It also helps me understand what some of their concerns and frustrations are. I'm able to supplement the course with exercises and examples that relate to their profession. I like to talk about Florence Nightengale's original work in statistics, because her quantitative reasoning skills were so effective in amplifying her compassion for the patients under her care. Her presentations convinced the general staff of the Royal Army to make important improvements in military hospitals.
Also, I teach mathematics in another school that trains professionals for the music industry. It helps in algebra to show how changes in mathematics, music, and its technology have occurred together. Also when teaching the mathematics of finance there, I try to use industry-specific examples in order to get them to understand how the music business is just like other businesses.
The most important technique at that school, though, has been to push for major changes in course content to bring the mathematical topics more in line with the professional goals of the students. The administration of the school has been supportive of the effort because they felt it dovetailed better with the overall curriculum. For example, this has meant trading a sequence in algebra for another in technical mathematics to include also some trigonometry and digital theory. I suggested adding electronics kits to the course to give students "hands-on" understanding of topics from algebra and logic. This meant overhauling our whole math program at the school. But that's what it took in this case to get an instructional style suitable for our students.
I think you have to remember that everybody learns differently. Some visually, some by hearing and some by touching/doing. I try to incorporate a little of each in every class. But its hard because they are at different levels as well. So maybe more kinesthetic types of things would help.
I don't feel that way at all. My students love me.
Always organize to meet the class demands each day.
Meet with each student during the production process.
Give feed back on the production and suggested enhancements.
Listen at all times and try to answer even the unasked questions.
Hi John,
Good comments and suggestions. These strategies will help with professional development which leads to increased excitement about teaching. The better job you do the more you will like what you are doing. Many teachers get bogged down trying to survive from day to day and soon lose their enthusiasm for teaching.
Gary
You need to accept the fact that you don't know everything. Feel free and bold to ask your students' opinion about your teaching style. Overcome your pride and speak with other intructors about your weakness and your strength. Feedback from students and co-worker serve best for improvement. Seek for professional development.
Hi Arturo,
You make a number of very good points about professional development. As instructors we need to be on the lookout for ways we can improve our courses no matter how many times we have taught them.
Gary
Hi April,
Yes, this is a good form of professional development. It gives you a wide range added skills that you can incorporate in your teaching toolbox.
Gary
Techniques that can be applied that can be further developed are those on constant education. I feel that having a step up of knowledge in the field that is being taught will put you in a position that is more comfortable when teaching. Making your presence professional and confident as you teach in the classroom will set an example of a positive role model. Constant advanced training course and workshops can be a plus when teaching. Discussions with co-workers about what works for them in there teaching methods and be open minded in use some new techniques.
I believe one of the best ways to enhance your instructional style is to continue learning as an instructor. If you do not allow the subject matter to become mundane for you, and/or if you keep exloring teaching techniques that enhance your own personal style, your enthusiasm will spill over into the classroom. Continuous learning pursued by an instructor is one of the ways that an instructor can be a model. Students can be motivated both directly and indirectly. Keeping your knowledge and skills fresh can only help in both motivating and relaying information to the students.
Cross training has always been good for myself. I also think that seminars and attending workshops are beneficial for growth.
The willingness of the instructor to be a life long learner is key to furterhing instructional style. I do not believe students today are any more receptive to the professor with the old yellowed notes, than I was during my undergrad. Instructors must continue to seek out new ways reach the students, with the knowledge that some will fail and some will suceed.
I always find that cross training with other instructors is a great way to learn new teaching techniques. Also seminars and workshops are helpful as well.
