How to be a good instructor
Hi everyone,
The importance of being a good instructor is to present yourself as a person first,never try to proof you are smarter than them is not the way to go this days remember there are students that like to challenge instructors all the time therefore it is better to convence the students that you care for them and the subject you are teaching.
LISA SAMANIEGO
I feel that the first step to becoming a good instructor is to be honest and real to the students. The students appreciate that and tend to accept you quicker. I also learned that you need to be fair, because they are watching you and they won't respect you if you play favorites.
This is absolutely very informative.
Hi Michael,
I really like your F model. The three F's cover the basics of what it takes to be an effective and efficient instructor. You are going to do great as an instructor. I wish you the best in your teaching career.
Gary
I agree with all that has been said. As a new instructor, this is a topic that I have thought about in different variations many times. What I have worked out was a rule of 3 F's. As we all know there are more than three factors that go into teaching, these are just baseline for me and each of my classes. They are:
• Fun: Always try to engage the class in a lively manner no matter the topic (this is where a passion for the material can really help). Students, from my experience, will be more engaged when you are having a good time than when it is boring and dull.
• Firm: I have my rules firmly in place. They are clearly laid out in the syllabus and gone over at the beginning of the first class of each new quarter. Student then sign an agreement form acknowledging that they have read it and agree to follow all the rules set forth within it. This takes care of a lot of the ticky-tack (babysitting) issues that I do not like to deal with.
• (No) Falseness: Show your students how much you care about them as students, but more importantly as people. Do not fake it. Students can sense it from a mile away and it will lose your audience faster than just about anything with no hope of getting them back. When they see that you really care they are more likely to put forth a greater effort (again from my experience both as a student and instructor).
Michael Schneider
I know where you're coming from as some students require little motivation while others want to be coddled and drag you into their personal lives. It's important to care but some sort of boundaries must be kept or credibility as an instructor is questioned. Still, I find myself struggling to not be a babysitter.
Hi Richard,
You are not crazy at all. If you love your field it will show and the students will catch the "fever" as well. A motivated and exciting instructor really helps to engage students which increases the retention level of both students completing and the knowledge retained.
Gary
Call me crazy, but I think passion is an absolute nessecity. You are madly in love with your subject, so much that you cannot bear to keep it to yourself. You want to spread the wealth, so that others become as intoxicated as you are.
Hi Jamie,
Welcome to the profession. I hope you have a rewarding career as an instructor. By remembering those instructors that had an impact on your life you are setting the stage for successful learning by your students. Yes, you are leaving a legacy that will have a life time impact on your students and their families. This is an awesome opportunity as well as obligation.
Gary
Connecting with your students is very important. I beleive it leaves your legacy on the student. It has been 15 years since I graduated from school and I still remember the teachers that cared about me and my development. What they taught me continues to help me overcome challenges to this day. I am a new instructor and looking forward to connect with my students.
Hi Jennifer,
By being aware of where you want to position yourself in terms of being an instructor you are on the right path to developing your instructional style. Experience will help you to settle into your comfort level as a professional.
Gary
I agree. It is very important that the students can relate to their teachers. It makes the course relevant and the instructor accessible.
I definitly am still trying to find my way between being a good instructor/coach without being the babysitter.
Hi Carrie,
Keep up the good work. Remember back to your high school days and how students treated substitute teachers. Many times that is the way new instructors are treated in career colleges. The new instructor has to have the confidence to show the students that they are human, care about their success, but will not be pushed around.
Through the development of rapport with students comes respect and with respect comes the common ground called "learning". The students are learning and you are establishing a learning environment for them.
Gary
I have found that most students love to really challenge new instructors and see how far they can be pushed! I have definatly struggled with that but think I am making headway. I do think it's important to let your students know how much you care about them and their education, I think they see you as more of an approachable person that way and not a scary monster out to fail them
Hi Lisa,
I couldn't agree with your more. You can be passionate about your subject and still not connect with your students. You can learn all the "right" ways to deliver and still not connect with your students. You can know more about your subject than anyone in the world and still not connect with your students. All of these are important but not the "glue" or "main ingredient". The most important aspect of being a successful instructor is to care that your students grow from the learning experience. That they "get it" in their own context and experience. I have been teaching in the corporate and academic world for over 25 years and remind myself everytime I walk into a room of students that it is not about me, it is only about them. If I trully believe that, then I will do my utmost to be as competent in all aspects as possible but squarly focused on them, not me. It also takes the pressure off of worrying about how I sound or look or whatever. Be singularly focused on them and the rest will take care of itself if I'm prepared.
Art
I find that having humility in the classroom garners more respect from your students than ego.
