New Instructor
The expectations of an Instructor are overwhelming for the first class.
I could not agree more.
The mental preparation and physical readiness of a new instructor is almost too much to handle, but over time and practice it will become the best decision you'll ever make.
Dr. Meers, Thank you for the suggestions. It will surely be helpful.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I wish you the best as a new instructor. I have been in teaching for many years and still can't wait to get to the classroom. (Granted there have been some days that are better than others.)
Do some ice breakers, get the students talking, put them into small groups and then have a large group sharing time. The point is you want them to have interaction and see application of the course. I use an exercise where they use some simple techniques to solve problems and tell them we are going to build on this foundations throughout the course. I work to earn their respect and develop rapport with them from the very beginning.
Have a couple of things they can take away with them at the end of the first class. This can be ideas or strategies for course success, etc. Review the syllabus with excitement so they can see where they are going to be going in the course. Before you know the class time will be up.
Gary
I feel the same way, I am starting my first class on Monday. Any good techniques to successfully captivate the students on their first day.
Mentors are wonderful for any new endeavor but in teaching I feel it can be essential. I am fortunate that the college I began teaching at had a mentor program as part of their training process. It has been more than helpful and has made the difference between me being an okay instructor to an excellent instructor.
Yes, students tend to compare you with recent intructors, and are testing you not to change to what they have become familiar with, your skills, knowledge, and hands on experience will blanket these fragile threats.
I understand. I teach my first class tomorrow and am finding myself very nervous. I feel unprepared even though I have been preparing for a while. I think it is the unknown that is getting me worked up. What to expect the students to be like, how to manage time, and how to make sure everyone understands the material. I guess experience will make me more comfortable but unitl then, I'm a nervous wreck.
Hi Sara,
Sorry to hear about you coming up short on material. If it helps any it has happened to all of us. The key is how you fill the time that first day without totally embarrassing yourself and keeping a sense of order about things. Sounds like you did a good job of covering the time and learning that it won't happen again because you know better how to plan. Keep up the great attitude because you are on your way to becoming an instructional delivery expert.
Gary
I agree, though my first day went fairly well, I had NO idea what to expect. I had been told numerous times to prepare way more that I thought I would need, but even in doing that, I still ended up short on material. A mistake I will never make again. It is hard to know what exactly to expect, and there is a great amount of pressure. Though it was a good experience, was definiely very overwhelming.
I agree that mentors would be beneficial. I was lucky that my first year teaching was as a graduate student and was provided with two mentors. I think having a mentor who can show you how the expertise can be transferred into the lesson planning and implementation of the course is very beneficial. In a elementary or secondary environment, many teachers go through a student-teaching experience. However, this is not a requirement in post secondary teaching. We can read all the books we want, but until we are in the classroom and writing the lessons, there is no way of knowing how difficult teaching really is!
Hi Jimmy,
Thank you for these comments about your first day teaching experience. It is always good to hear from instructors that have experienced their first day and teaching and survived. Your advice for other new instructors is good and I know appreciated as they get ready to step into their own classes.
Gary
Overwhelming at first indeed! I was extremely nervous before my first class. Although I have extensive knowledge in my field, I was worried that I would not be able to confer that knowledge and practical skill to the students. The end result of my first day doing a demonstration is that I did the whole thing too fast and the students ended up retaining very little. Luckily for me, I was shadowing another instructor who later gave me constructive feedback. For our career college, we have an excellent system of support that allows us to shadow first and then proceed to partnering with more experienced instructors to teach a class and then move on to leading a class alone. I find that system to have benefited me greatly. Also, my two cents for a first day: prepare!! I looked over the materials to be taught that day and discussed my demo with the lead instructor well in advance of presenting it and I was still not perfect. Imagine if I hadn't prepared! What a disaster that would have been!
Hi Mark,
You make such a good point. Career colleges need to offer mentors to their new instructors. What happened with you was that you had to deal with support issues, such as technology so you weren't able to spend the time you needed to on content and delivery. Sounds like you were able to put it together and survive but only because of your dedication to your students and your field.
Gary
I certainly agree. I have an MS with a focus on education, but had no practical experience in teaching until earlier this year. I was assigned a subject in which I have extensive knowledge and experience, but was given very little direction/guidance about how to convert that knowledge into an instructional framework. Repeated requests for assistance were usually met with bland reassurances, but little real help. I spent a lot of time developing lesson plans, competencies, quizes, etc, only to find that I was going in the wrong direction. On the last day of the quarter I was STILL learning how to handle some of the basic technology. New instructors need mentors who are commited to help them.
