I believe that teacher should have the necessary command over the subject matter taught in the classroom. This way, you are confident and comfortable while explaining things. Students always respect the teacher who is knowledgeable and well prepared for the class.
I feel that being unprepared sends the message to the students that it is okay for them to be unprepared as well. In my classroom this is never acceptable! It is imperative to initiate positive reinforcement to those students who present to class prepared and ready to learn!
For my lab classes, I start my first class by asking how much they are paying to the school to complete their degree course. When they tell me the X amount then I ask them if they are going to spend this much money to buy something (e.g., a car), are they going to buy it as new or used, the answer most of the times is "NEW"-and then the question I ask is WHY and response (most of the times) is-less risky.
The word new in terms of education means the minimum required material they need to have mastery on. And to be the master of the trade, I advise them to do the following:
• be good listeners (attention span comes into play)
• instead of believing in PRACTICE MAKES YOU PERFECT, start believing in PRACTICE MAKES THINGS PERMANENT.
• Never think of you asking questions will make you look dumb or stupid(because never ever a question can be a stupid one, answer can beïŠ)
• “THE†is the key. Time, Honesty, Evaluation
Yes preparation is the key for an excellent class
and excellent outcome
lENNOX,
Very true. We need to always be open to learning opportunities for ourselves and our students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I'd like to add more hands-on activities. They learn a lot from those. I would be more of a facilitator in those projects, allowing them to create their own experience.
Being prepared for each class is vital in giving a good lecture. I also think it is important to use real world examples to help make the information being presented more relevant and gives the students an appreciation as to why they need to know the information that is being presented.
All teachers have several differences. consequently, if we are open we, learn from each other.
I find that getting to know the students alittle better goes a long way. The size of their familities, like and dislikes.
I have that by using a vaiety of techniques apply to and reach different learning styles. I use diagrams quite frequently and that technique help several students.
Rosy,
This is a good way to see different styles being used in the classroom/lab. Then you can decide how you are going to create your own style as a result of the observations you have witnessed.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
By trying to involve the students in the learning processing with on-hands and guest speakers as well as field trips in their specific field of study.
Get to know my students by learning their names and majors in the first week. Relate course content to individual majors. Project a profesional image of myself with respect to my field to students.
I can sit in on a few other instructors classes and take from them what I feel works... Hopefully incorporate their styles into mine.
Felecia,
Good variety in your instructional delivery. These methods appeal to the different learning preferences of students as well as keep them engaged.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I like a comfortable learning environment with ample equipment, lots of lively discussions, demos and lab work. Afterward assessing the students by watching them work as well as letting them work on me.
I agree, I like to use a more hands on approach when appropriate. This gives me a chance to talk to each student to see if they are fully understanding the material
I use a variety of techniques. I work hard at getting to know my students. I use icebreakers, some individual and some that allow for teamwork. Sometimes I find relevant classroom topic to discuss and have the student weigh in on that topic. My most successful one is having them to look at the table of contents and find something that interest them and then speak about that topic. Once the speaker is done they can open the floor for questions and the entire class gets engaged. I use this for the U S Government class and it really helps to get the classroom going. Imagine when we talk about issues that students are passionate about. Each week they try to out due each other.
I would like to implement more active teaching approaches, such as group activities and group active learning. When I use them, I see higher involvement of the students in the learning process.
Another thing that I would like to do is to implement more practical information and examples from "real life" to the class. I teach general biology, which might become very abstract for students when it gets to the molecular and cellular level.
Exactly! When I was in class I felt like a phony, I hated that situation. They wouldn't let us tell the students what was happening. I eventually quit as the program became a "joke". We were last on the list for supplies, etc. Never want to be caught in that situation again.
