New to Teaching
Dr. Meers,
I recently began teaching for the first time. I believe I have the confidence needed to succeed, however I have a few students who I believe try to intimidate me. Since I am a younger instructor, I know they try to see what they can get away with because I am a "rookie".
Is there any advise they you can give that will help me gain a little more control over my class?
Sara,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I know this will be valuable for other instructors to consider and try to avoid in relation to the confrontation or if it comes have alternatives to work through with the students.
Gary
I understand where you are coming from. I just began training to instruct A & P class. I was warned that I would be in situations of confrontation and I would be tested for weakness by the students. I really didn't read to much into the warning. My first time instructing alone which happened to be the class before their first and biggest test of the term, tention was high. I found myself in a test of my own being doled out by the dominant and strong personalities that seemed to be heavily concentrated in my small class. By the end of the day I felt as though I had just finished my 3rd 14 night shift on the weekend in a busy ER.(background is BSN- emergency RN). I will pay attention always when I am warned of experiences by my more experienced coleagues. Lesson learned, and lesson taught, Hopefully.....
Hi Katherine,
Great to hear about your teaching success. Right on with your assessment of how movement helps enhance engagement and learning.
Gary
I have found that moving around the classroom during lecture makes a big difference. During group projects, I always make an effort to visit each group and check their progress, but when I lecture, I tend to stay in one place. Once I tried moving around, I noticed a big difference in student attention, and would see the students' eyes follow me, instead of becoming glazed over. Moving around also allows me to subtly tap awake those students that fall asleep, without stopping the content and disrupting the other students' learning. Thanks for the tip!
Hi Catrina,
I talk about behavior in relation to the class which is reflective of how they will need to perform in the work world. The more I build a connection between the class and their potential career success the more they are willing to perform as required in the course. This also takes away the behavior issues as just my rules but places them in the work world context.
Gary
Gary
Thank you very much for your advice, i do have another question, how do you address it with out making anyone upset?
Thank you
catrina
Hi Catrina,
One of the things I would do is to put the students into learning groups of approximately 3-4 students each. This shifts the competition from individuals to the groups. I give my groups case studies and problem solving situations that they work on together. So they have to cooperate with each other if they are going to be successful. This takes a little time but they soon develop into strong working groups. They get to be competitive but as a group. This reduces much of the exchange back and forth in relation to individuals.
When disrespectable behavior occurs on an individual basis I address immediately so the class knows I will not tolerate it in my class. You have to be consistent in your enforcement though or it will continue and soon you will have lost control of the class.
If you have any other questions about this please let me know.
Thanks.
Gary
Hello, I am a new instructor. I have always been a trainer one on one, but never an instructor. When i first began, I did not have very much confidence at all. My confidence is continually growing. However; I seem to have a problem, with students disrespecting one another and trying to compete with one another, it is very distracting. I do not tollerate disrespect under any circumstances, each and everyone of the students are all there for the same reason and that is to learn and grow with job skills so they may better themselves in the field. Why do you think the students feel like they need to compete to much in class? Do you have any suggestions as to what I might say when someone disrespects someone else in class?
Thank you
Catrina
Hi Jessica,
You are going to have to address the talking of these students. If you don't the talking is only going to increase. In addition, they are depriving the learning of the other students through their talking and that is not fair. I would talk to both of them before class and ask for their cooperation and silence while the lecture is going on. This way you have not singled them out in the class. If they don't stop talking, then you are going to have to stop the class and ask them to be quite. You shouldn't have to discipline adults but trust me I have to do it all the time because they in many cases act like babies.
Gary
Hi,
I am also new to teaching and I have a very small class (10 students). Two of the students chatted through parts of my first lecture. It was obviously rude, since the class is very small, and very noticeable. I was thrown off and did not directly address them. I continued to speak over their muffled conversation. I wonder what advice you would have for addressing this behavior. I was overall very pleased with my first class and felt confident, but this incident has stayed on my mind and I want to be prepared should it occur again next week. I'm not used to having to think about disciplining adults.
Thanks, Jessica
This is great advice. I am also new to teaching and I will certainly take the advice from others.
Hi Nicole,
I started as a young instructor as well and I hope you won't make the same mistakes I did. First, I took on too much. I was working clinically 24 hours a week, teaching three courses, and going to school full-time. Those poor students suffered because of it. Two, you cannot be friends with the students. Third, give your students boundaries. I once had trouble with a group of girls showing up late consistently but I was reluctant to use a sign-in sheet like other instructors did because I thought it was juvenille. Sometimes you have to do things you never thought you'd need to do with adults learners.
Hi Nicole,
Since you are confident in your ability to instruct you are ahead of the game in terms of maintaining control of the class and I congratulate you for being in this position. Many times this is a missing element as well.
When conducting class make sure you move throughout the classroom. This way you are sending the signal that the entire classroom is yours and that you are not intimidated by any one group of students. Many beginning instructors never move into the area where the more intimidating students sit.
Be organized and prepared for each class. Start the class on time and move right through the material so you show the students you are ready to teach each class session.
If none of the above work have a individual session with each student and ask for their help in doing a project or activity. Sometimes they need to the extra attention to feel a part of the class. If all else fails and they continue to disrupt the class and infringe on the learning of the other students then I would remove them from the class. This sends a real message that in spite of your age you are a competent instructor that insists on adult behavior from all students. Be consistent in all that you do and you will develop a reputation that you are an instructor that gives and expects respect.
Gary
