Natalie,
One thing for sure is that it will get easier so don't despair too much. Yes, you are investing a lot of work at this time but as you gain experience the lessons will become more familiar to you and you will get to enjoy more interaction with your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
First, I believe having a clear understanding of your material is helpful, but since I am struggling here as a 1st time instructor, I must study, prepare and plan out how I intend to convey the info to be more equipped.
Ashley,
Good rule to have and this way you can maintain control of the learning environment while reducing disruptions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree. I do not allow my students to have their cell phones out. I personally feel that it is a distraction to the student as well as the teacher! Classroom time is a time to learn - not text and surf the internet. If the student MUST use their phone for then they can step out of the class room quietly and use their phones if necessary.
Sarah,
This is why you need to break up the flow of instruction and do other activities such as role playing, case studies, small groups, etc.. This will enable the students to reset their brains and keep their focus for the duration of longer classes.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When having classes are stretched over a few hours more important then breaks are visuals and hands on learning. When lecture gets to an extended amount of time not only do your word go in and out of students ears but will soon lose meaning as your speaking
Stanley,
A great list for an instructor to have as he or she prepares to get ready to go into class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Plan and organize my training to more reflect student needs and Show passion and enthusiasm for the topic and do not forget that a little Humor is an important tool for coping with stress and anxiety in the class room
Evan,
This is my policy as well because I teach evening classes like you. By letting them have access to their phones in this way they feel that they are being treated with respect but also know that as their instructor I do not want distractions that would interfere with their learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
David,
The key is to use the technology in a way that supports learning for students and doesn't become a distraction. You are doing just that with your policy about cell phones and the taking of pictures.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Cell phones in classrooms are a big challenge today. I teach evening classes which usually has students who have kids at home and work a full time job. So I allow them to have their phones on their desk but keep on vibrate and if needed they can step out for a minute to take a phone call. But I do not allow them to be playing on their phones during class.
My school has/had a strict policy a few years back that cell phones were not allowed in the classroom. I am unclear as to whether that policy is still in effect. During quizzes, I instruct the students to turn their phones off and put them away in their backpacks or purses. Obviously, the camera could cause problems if they were to shoot the quizzes. I often post examples of excellent student projects and do encourage them to shoot those, however, so that they can refer to those examples when preparing their own assignments.
Miriam,
This is a good way to bring the human factor into the classroom and get everyone settled in and ready for class. By listening you are extending your professionalism to them because they know you understand their life challenges and you are there to support them if they are willing to extend the effort needed for success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
To improve my instructional style, I have small talk with students at the beginning of the class. We talk about traffic, lack of time to do homework, and we tell appropriate stories (about 5 minutes) - it always works! Students are more relaxed thinking that all of us have something in common and if they did not do their homework, the teacher knows that there are many good reasons for it and students are ready to start the class.
Shawn,
This is a great way to gain insight into how other instructors present content and do instructional delivery. The idea of selecting a subject not in your field is something other instructors should consider so they can focus just as you mention on the instruction and not the content. This will give them opportunity to really concentrate on the key aspects of how to expand their expertise and knowledge of what it takes to be a master instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am a big proponent of mentoring and observation. I like to partner myself with a more experienced instructor of a different content area so that I can pick up new strategies. I've always chose an alternate subject because it allows me to focus on instruction instead of content when I am observing.
Sheena,
Great ways to expand your knowledge and expertise as an educator. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to read up on good practices from fellow instructors. I like to observe instructors and pick up on certain styles that they use in the classroom and bring them to my classroom.
Tom,
This is a good way to open up the class and get the students settled in to what is going to be covered with that day's topic.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like this idea and am going to implement it in my classroom.
One thing that I have been doing is starting each class with a question of the day or a short video that I follow with an open discussion about the topic. This usually works to get most students involved with the class.
