Practice, try new methods, practice, watch others teach, and keep practicing.
I am good at keeping the class diversified and offering many ways to learn. However, I know I can improve at connecting all the dots and making sure the students understand why we just did the activity and how it relates to the big picture.
Talk to other instructors - some of my past instrutors that I found particularly helpful and/or challenging.
I find it helpful to talk to other instructors who have experience teaching the classes I am teaching. It helps me understand what may work and what will not work.
Hi Will,
What in your opinion is the professional development strategy that has been most helpful to you?
Gary
That's a great idea - I always keep in touch with local businesses to try and help get my student's jobs, but I never thought of it as a resource for keeping up on trends.
I think the importance of staying creative is overlooked. We tend to teach the same material over and over and I think for many of us it can become stale. By continuing the practices that not only improve our skills, but renew our passion, we can pass that fresh sensibility on to our students.
One way is to attend professional development. Often we tend to stay within our classrooms or our company that we do not know the innovations that are taking place. Another is to observe another teacher. Sometimes we need to see a concept being taught in order to appreciate how it is seen from the students' perspective. Another way is to ask to be observed or coached. Sometimes we may think we are saying or doing something when, in reality, we are not saying/doing it correctly.
Hi Chef,
Great points and example. If the Big Dig example doesn't catch their attention nothing will. We out here in the mid west even use it as an example. The wedding story has to impact them as well because as we all know just one time of not meeting a deadline related to a major life event such as a wedding and you are going to take a major blow to your career.
Gary
Hi Jacqueline,
There are a number of things you can try to get homework turned in on time, they range from food to professional points.
In some classes I reward the class with pizza if for a period of time everyone turns in homework on time. Sounds childish but it really works because we take some time in class to eat pizza and visit with each other. It is a change of pace for the students. This method also has students helping each other because they don't want to lose out on the pizza. They hold each other accountable.
I have professional points students can earn that contribute to their final grade. Homework completion is a part of those points. The students want to get the professional points so they get their homework in.
If neither of these suggestions work for you let me know and we can explore some additional strategies.
Gary
Truth or consequences?
Homework, the task, has to be meaningful to the student, How will this assignment benefit the student? One of those tasked may be to properly mop a floor or do research on Sea Urchin.
In the kitchen, performance is judged at every meal, morning noon and night.
Homework, or in the kitchen mis en place (the set up of a meal) must be achieved on time, late or incomplete has consequences.
I make a joke during lecture: Mrs. Broccoli has her daughter’s wedding, guests arrive at 1 pm.
At 4 pm you are almost ready.
But chef, I am only a little late and I have most of the assignment.
Then I ask? How would your business succeed?
What are the rewards? What are the consequences?
Are there reasonable circumstances that would delay this event?
Many things could happen. Most events would be out of your control.
It was agreed by the students. Being prepared and on time is largely in their control.
Then we all talked about the Big Dig road repairs and Boston traffic. The joke continues
Michael Ciuffetti, CEC
Chef Instructor
Le Cordon Bleu Boston
Unfortunately this is a problem. I thought that if I graded homework assignments it would encourage compliance; however, that did not always work either. When the grading was weighted heavy enough to impact their grades there was a slight increase in compliance. I would be interested myself to see how other instructors handle this problem.
I am looking for suggestions on ways to motivate students to complete their homework. The homework is typically handed in partially completed.
Don't worry about not being the master of all knowledge. These students generally recognize that you are there as a facilitator, not the source of all information. You can help them find answers to the questions though.
Kurt
Hi Marion,
This is the way to do. The students don't expect us to know all the answers to everything so by being candid and saying we don't know the answers then we are showing ourselves as individuals that are willing to learn and put forth the effort to find answers. Using the students to help find the answers is always a great way to get others involved in gaining new knowledge.
Gary
Hi Olatunji,
Welcome to the profession of teaching. I hope your last five weeks have been enjoyable. Don't worry about being able to answer all of the questions presented by students. Just answer those you can and let the students know you will find the answers and bring them in the next class. Another approach is to thank the student that asked the question and then turn the question to the class and see if anyone knows the answer. If they don't then assign them the task of finding the answer by the next class meeting. Students generally enjoy doing this kind of short term research on the topic related to the question. This also prepares them for the detailed essays you are going to assign them in the coming weeks.
Gary
I have the same problem of not being able to answer all of the questions asked of me and I do feel incompetent at times. I have discovered that being honest with the students up front that I may not be able to answer all of their questions, but I will find the answers if at all possible. I also will ask the class to assist in the fact finding process. I try to make it a group learning experience complete with references.
i feel the same way too. no one is a master at anything and students have to understand that. if this problem arrives while im teaching i reasearch the questions with the students at that time. we all learn together. our students have laptops right on there desk. we turn the question into a decussion.
I am in my fifth week of teaching and am also relying on just my knowledge and power points, luckily I have a weekly assignment called tech news where the students have to find out current news on new innovations in industry and then we have a class discussion. I find the discussions most valuable. My next plan is to make them do research and write very detailed essays on different subjects to really get engaged in more discoveries. What I find most difficult is not being able to answer certain questions and giving the appearance of not being a complete master in that subject.
I like to "sit in" during other instructors classes. Doing this gives me an oppertunity to view them, and get ideas on diffent ways to present subjects to students. Also, in my training I take in how the information is presented to me. I am more of a hands on person that learns by touching and feeling. Seeing somthing and understading it. I feel that our students learn best that way too. I have been in some boring sit there and listen classes that I totaly lost intrest in.
