Motivating Faculty
Let's face it, right after the midterm, students and faculty alike sometimes hit a wall, and don't put as much effort into their class as the beginning of the term. The excitement is gone, and the final is far enough away that they can't see the 'end is near'.
It's very frustrating to see adjunct faculty dismissing their classes so early. What happened? Don't they realize they are cheating the students?
These faculty don't realize they are not doing the students any favors, on the contrary, they are putting the students and the institution in jeopardy.
Hi Tamika,
Well said. We have to bring energy to the setting. If we don't the students notice it quickly, just as you did with your instructor. Plus, it is fun to be excited about something you love doing.
Gary
I have seen this happen before. But I feel that as long as the teacher/instructor acts within the classroom with the fire and the passion of why they choose their field in the first place...then their teaching becomes more dynamic and complete. When I think back to my Instructors they loved their careers and it reflected in their teaching thoroughness. And I remember having one that seemed inconsistent and bored almost and I couldn't stand the class. Teaching with energy and involving the students in the class creates an environment to me where there is almost not enough time in the day. Not every teacher can be on their 'A' game each time, but even a relaxed day should be fullfilling and complete.
Hi Mark,
Well said. An instructor is an instructor no matter when they teach or what their title is. You have expressed the situation very well and why we as instructors have to do our best anytime we are working with students.
Gary
The tag of "adjunct" doesn't hold water when dealing with instructing. As a faculty member, we are obligated to pass on our experiences as well as material from a text. The overall time that we get to spend with the students is short. However in that period of time, we can make a difference in the lives of those sitting before us. There is a wall, and we have all felt it around the mid-term period. Let's face it, students are looking forward to their next courses or graduating. Instructors are looking forward to seeing new faces in front of them. We are obligated to those who are in front of us for the entire period of time that we are allowed to mold and shape their thinking. If we don't take advantage of that time, we are indeed cheating the students and ourselves.
Hi Jim,
Good point. Too many times instructors just go through the motions to get a check. What we do as instructors is critical to the future of our students and we need to keep this in mind at all time.
Gary
I think one of the reasons this happens is instructors tend to get complacent in the course they are teaching. They then get to a point in every term that they go on cruise control. The students pick up on it and do the same thing. If possible having an instructor change courses and classroom can make a world of difference in there outlook. We all need to be challenged and when were not, we become complacent and boring. As an instructor I believe you have to continually remind yourself of why you are teaching. If it has nothing to do with changing the lives of your student, then it's time to find another job
Hi Bruce,
Great question not sure I have an answer. I have taught for over thirty years and am still very excited about having the opportunity to teach. I have fellow instructors that are making marks on the calendar to get them to "official" retirement. The retired on the job years ago. I'm not sure what would get them excited about teaching.
For my own professional development plan I have targeted a part of one of my courses that I wanted to improve and concentrated on that. Once that was done I moved to another area. As a life long learner I have worked very hard to stay current in my field so that has kept my excitement up. Not to expand on my personal journey through education but to mention that is what I have done. For others they see their teaching as a requirement to get a check and that is all the energy they are going to put into the effort. I feel sorry for them because they are not happy doing what they do. If they would take a part of their course and try something new and see the results maybe they would be pumped up about being a teacher once again, assuming they ever were excited about being a teacher.
I believe college administrators need to help instructors to see how what they are doing fits into the "big picture" for students. They need to reinforce how valuable they see the faculty as being so the instructors know they are essential and contributing to the mission of the college.
Personal attention to the needs of the faculty is another big factor in helping them to see their contributions. Everyone likes to know they are a part of the team. Sometimes college administrators don't spend enough time getting this message across.
Gary
Hi Amy,
Great point about professionalism. I to get frustrated with faculty teaching on either side of my room that don't seem to have any standards when it comes to instruction. They seem to be there only for the extra income rather than the desire to impart knowledge.
When students complain about being in class and having to work in my course I remind them that I requiring of them what their career field requires. I assure them that they will meet the standards of the field if they complete all of the course requirements. I try and ignore those other instructors as I only get frustrated if I pay attention to their lack of professionalism. I work hard at my instructional delivery and strive to develop rapport with my students. As a result I receive high evaluations for my courses and my students return to thank me for effort I put forth.
Try to put yourself in such a position and you will enjoy your teaching and not be as frustrated with fellow faculty. Your college administration will have some challenges coming if they don't create some standards for those faculty that aren't putting forth the effort required. Yes, the students are being cheated and that has to stop if they are going to be prepared to be successful.
Gary
Definitely a common phenomenon in my experience -- and perhaps a tendency I have to struggle against sometimes. Human nature, perhaps? That is, going the easy road? Whether because of time (teaching the course for years), personal problems, health, or busyness, if the result stems from a common tendency to expend as little energy as possible, perhaps the question becomes, "How can we help teachers continually see the big picture?" What kind of intrinsic motivating force can we develop that would help the teachers maintain a higher regard for others (students, institution) rather than themselves?
