I would like to take some coarses so that I can be updated with the latest in my field of expertise. I also sometimes go and volunteer in hospitals and clinic to get the latest from there so I can pass it to my students.
Catherine -Yes, I agree... lifelong learning means we can learn from everyone .... even those we 'teach'... -Melanie
An instructor's instructional style must also conform with the subject matter and the level of understanding of the students. I teach both degree and certificate courses and I have found out through years of teaching that there are classes that can take more challenges than what are required in the courses so in these cases I would go a little bit higher and would give them more and made the subjects broader. At the same time there are classes that are supposed to be harder (degree) and the students would have difficulty adjusting, in those cases I had to be more flexible and spend more time in making them undestand and looking for more ways to engage them and at the same time give them techniques through my way of teaching on how to find out in what ways they can learn best
Well I am very hands on, however I do enjoy having discussions with my students. One technique is to do more research on the topics I teach since things change on a daily basis in the medical field. I want to also add more visual aids to my lectures.
I enchance my instructional style with the following techniques:
1: Ask good thought porvoking questions. The type of questions that will lead to other students joining in on the discussion. 2. Write carefully in such a way that my student understands clear the point or information I am trying to convey to him/her.
Hi Catherine,
It is always good to learn from others, be it through observation or talking with them. You are on the right path with your desire to observe other instructors for additional techniques you can use in your classroom.
Gary
Hi Christopher,
I wish you much success as you expand your communication skills while increasing your enthusiasm level for your content. As a result you are going to enjoy your students and their excitement about learning new content and skills.
Gary
Hi Jayasree,
Good combination of instructional strategies for your students. These methods will keep them engaged and focused on the content.
Gary
I believe that I could benefit from observing other instructors in the classroom. I don't think there is any reason to reinvent the wheel, and I am sure there are many strategies and style techniques that I could benefit from.
I need to work on voice projection.
Showing more passion or enthusiasm would help too.
I have added many hands on activities to my classes. It provides practical experience that correlates to the lesson being taught
Use more interactive types of learning, such as role playing, demonstrations, and educational games. Power points are great for showing a lot of information in a short amount of time, but don't do a lot for motivating the students.
Use more interactive types of learning, such as role playing, demonstrations, and educational games. Power points are great for showing a lot of information in a short amount of time, but don't do a lot for motivating the students.
My instructional style is give plenty of notes to students. Make presentations using power points. Also, I include various games, etc., in the classroom to keep the interest of the students in the subject.
I aways attend seminars,this way I could bring the latest information and course content back to the classroom.
Hi Raminder,
Good professional development plan. These sharing opportunities help you to stay current but also build a excellent network of fellow educators that you can share with and learn from.
Gary
Hi Arnold,
Good professional development plan. Attending conferences like this really help you to stay current and see the big picture in your field. I know I always bring home some much new information after attending one of these meetings.
Gary
Hi Edward,
Good way to set the students at ease and get to know them better. By extending yourself to them in the time before class you are demonstrating that you really care about them as human beings as well as students.
Gary
Hi Pam,
Good success story. Thanks for sharing it with us. I know many of us have been at the "sweating buckets" point in our teaching careers.
I do think it is a good idea to change up our teaching style. I teach the same courses over and over and each time I teach one of them I introduce a new activity, segment, assignment. The reason is this forces me to try something new, moves me out of my comfort zone, helps keep me fresh and makes it fun for me as well as my students. By trying something new or different I get to be creative and this increases my motivation for the course. During this process I will try a new delivery format such as creating learning groups to do problem solving activities and then have a joint discussion of the results instead of a lecture. This change of teaching style keeps me on edge because I don't know exactly what the result will be so I work hard at planning and implementation. The point is that through the change my students benefit, I keep my excitement level up and it is a win win for us all.
Gary
Hi Edwardo,
Good steps to follow. You are getting the students settled into the course and getting familiar with each other. This sets the stage for engagement and focus on the part of the students as you move them to the next step in the course.
Gary
