Observing other instructors is helpful, as you can always learn from others. Also, lots of preparation is important.
Hi Joelouie,
This is a great plan for professional improvement. You can see how as you accomplish each step of it your expertise will be greater and your teaching more effective.
Gary
Content preparation is always important. Knowledge and experience must be brought to the classroom. Make the students feel comfortable. Have fun with delivery of the material. Use and take advantage of aids and power point material. Thrive off your students' wisdom and expereince. Engage them and their knowledge. They will feel involved and appreciated and focus on the material and class content.
This answer could be broken down into many components and responses. Too many for this forum.
Dennis,
Great points and I am in total agreement. I instruct in an online University and technology plays a major role in class delivery and participation. Quite a few of our course text materials are now published as eBooks and with the dawn of Kindle et al type devices, a new paradigm has entered the scene.
What I find interesting is the fact that most adult learners are accustomed to "old school" reliance on their course textbook, wherein I relegate most texts to being one of many learning resources, but not necessarily the sole source of research.
With the advent of the Internet and virtual libraries, today's students have access to vast educational resources online, making most textbooks somewhat irrelevant as a primary source of information.
Since I am also a faculty mentor, I see the same "old school" mentality in use by some instructors who still use the text as a "crutch" as opposed to utilizing an expanded base of learning materials typically available online.
I find the concept of limiting oneself to a course text as being rather myopic as opposed to garnering a "world view" perspective derived from multiple sources of learning.
I can expand on my instructional abilities in three parts: improving by ability to model my passion on the topic by being sincere, demonstrating interest on the subject my educating myself, reading articles, attending forums, "living" what I am teaching etc., better managing my time (I often find that the information I have is too much for the hour, so maybe managing the information so it doesn't pass the alotted time) and by giving constructive feedbacks that address the strength of the student as well as their room for improvement.
Student environments are constantly changing with technology. In the past there were notes, then phone calls, then emails, then chats, then tweets, then ....
The savvy solution probably utilizes modes of communication that are appropriate to the need at hand. Instructors must not stop with a convenient mode, nor should students ignore the past. As technology changes, collaboration must also change. These new collaboration and networking opportunities need to be part of courses.
I can expand my instructional abilities by taking Maxknowledge courses and applying these concepts in the clasroom.
Availing myself to various educational seminars, events and symposiums would be a practical way to augment my instructional abilities in the Adult Education Online arena. The University I instruct at provides numerous in-service seminars, which I partipate in, as an attendee and presenter from time to time.
Observation is the key. It can also be recorded instruction as well as live instructions. I also ask my students what do you need from me to help you learn. Asking the students this questions helps me think outside the box and research new avenues.
I plan on observing other instructors and taking more instructional courses. I will check with our college to see what other courses are available to me, and seek courses on my own.
There are many ways to expand instructional abilities from taking professional development courses to attending seminars and conferences devoted to expansion of knowledge and practice. However, what I find most effective is visiting other classrooms. Not only do I see my colleagues in practice, I learn ways to expand my abilities in methods I think are fantastic and also, those that I don't agree with, which can be just as useful. For my experience, I am usually awe struck by innovation and new methods for instruction that I was unaware of prior to my visit.
Enhancing abilities can be done through collaboration and sharing of best practices with other faculty members. It is important to obtain feedback if a faculty observer sits in on a class session. It is helpful to observe other seasoned facility and carefully review the results of course evaluations from students.
It is very useful to employ a variety of teaching methods (mini-lectures, class discussions, cases to illustrate concepts being taught, video clips, etc.), and also have students come to class with prepared discussion questions based on the readings. I tend to switch activities every 20 minutes or so to keep students interested and engaged. Students have different learning styles so by providing different teaching activities, this helps to make the material more meaningful to the students.
-better prepare myself for class(I'm a director also)
-use more technology
-keep up with changes in my field
Hi Terry,
Let your personality guide you and then expand your delivery to include it. This way you will be yourself but also an effective instructor. You can't be someone you are not but you can refine your delivery to include such things as humor or a bit of acting to get points across.
Gary
As a new instructor, I am trying to find my nich or style. I am trying different teaching styles to see what works for me. I was told to be natural but what is that since I haven't taught before?
I could expand my instuctional abilities by keeping current in my skills and through introducing evidence based practice in the area of instruction in order to keep up with the latest trends in health care.
One of the main ways that I expand my instructional abilities is by speaking with fellow instructors to find out how they do things and incorporate what I think would be beneficial to me and my students.
Another way I have expanded my instructional abilities is by going to seminars or workshops that are relevant to the courses I teach.
By continuing to read literature about current happenings in art and keeping abreast of current teaching practices in adult education. I also use PowerPoints and refresh then as needed to keep abreast of the current trends and terminology being used in the field that include exercises that are done with the PowerPoint. Students complete an in class assignment that shows me their understanding of the medium used and a follow-up homework assignment is given to asses understanding and comprehension.
I believe that I can expand my instructional skills by trying completing more instruction courses and getting used to educational software that can enhance my lessons.
I am consistently looking for workshops and conferences that will renew my enthusiasm and increase my knowledge base.
I find the better I know myself, the better instructor I become.
I also like to observe classes of my fellow, seasoned instructors whom I have great respect for. I will then emulate some of their tactics and utilize the resources they have suggested.
Jeaneen
