Shawn,
This is a great way to expand your knowledge and expertise in relation to instructional planning and delivery. By going into another area you can just as you mention and focus on the delivery and not the content this I know is valuable and informative. Thanks for sharing this strategy with us.
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.
Angie,
Right you are and we need to use such devices in a supportive way to enhance the learning opportunities of our students. As you say we need to set and then enforce the boundaries of their use.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Cell phone use can help students focus & increase their attention on the learning process. Many students have make of it a powerful tool that allows them to record the class to engage more in participation & subject understanding, than in note taking. Of course, the instructor will need to set the rules of usage that will set the tone in the classroom environment.
Stephen,
Good way to get yourself ready to be an effective and efficient instructor. The more observations you can make the better because you will be able to see different instructional styles and create your own using these examples and your own personality.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Being a new instructor I am observing other instructors during show time, but more importantly I am trying to interact with students. While interacting with students I am observing myself how I talk, how I compose myself and taking notes to improve.
TIMOTHY,
Well put. We instructors need to remember what you have said about instructional improvement being an ongoing process. We need to strive to expand our expertise and increase our engagement factor every time we interact with students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Refining and enhancing your instructional style is an ongoing process that you must work at each day. Finding ways to tap into the motivations of each unique student requires careful planning and forethought. Some students may respond to a challenging assignment, others may be motivated by an experience i share with them about how i used a certain skill in the field to solve a particular problem. Creating a relaxed learning environment where people are comfortable letting the instructor know how they are really feeling is key.
George,
By doing this you will be showing your students the value of the instruction they are receiving. They are there to learn about how to be successful and earn a good income. The more connections to these two goals the more relevancy you attach to your course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Teresa,
Thank you for sharing how you are developing as an instructor as well as identifying your instructional style. As you gain experience you will be able to see how you can be most effective with your students and help them be successful in your classes. I am sure you have seen this already in your 10 months of teaching.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I can show my student how using their newly attained knowledge and the way that they communicate it in a repair order can reinforce their knowledge and their compensation .
For me as a brand new instructor I am just learning what my style is. Being aware, understanding and recognizing what my style is will help me move on to learning how to then improve it. I've only been teaching for ten months now but I am seeing it emerge. And with feedback from students after each session I learn more.
Adrian,
There are a couple of things you can do. One, is after presenting content and/or a demonstration ask students for feedback on their level of engagement and understanding. You can do this by giving them 3X5 cards upon which they can write their comments. Another is to video tape one of your classes or have an experienced instructor observe your class and give you feedback.
Your style will reflect your personality so you can see how comfortable you are in delivering content as an extension of yourself and you will start to see your instructional personality start to emerge. You will find a comfort level in how you work with your students and share content. This then will become your instructional personality and professional persona.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Lakshman,
Listening is learning and it increases the respect your students will have for you as their instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to use a variety of techniques in order to stimulate my students. Lectures, examples, group discussions, and field trips to give them a well rounded perspective on their learning.
The techniques of listening to your students. Pay close attention to what they are saying or asking.
I am a new instructor what would be a method to use in discovering my style of teaching.
Jessica,
This is good advice to give yourself as you are doing your instructional planning. When you ask the question about how you would like to be taught you will come up with ideas that can be translated into instructional steps.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think remembering how you would like to be taught a new skill is important. We often take for granted the information we already know, being aware of the skill level or experience of your student can help meet a instruction style that is most effective.
Meters, I can enhance my instructional style by stopping in between the power point lecture and asking the students if the understand what I have just gone over. Just so everyone's on the same page.
