NEW TEACHER, LOTS OF WORK EXPERIENCE
As a new instructor, I am finding that my work experience is valuable as a teaching tool, that I am able to incorporate real life situations I experienced in the field which i am teaching, and this keeps the lecture (which I am not used to giving) interesting and the students, hopefully, are able to put together what is being lectured and what really happens in the career they are studying. I think this will be a great tool for me to use until my lecture skills become better.
Kathy,
Good approach to the classroom. You are building on your life experiences as the relate to being a more effective instructor in addition to being a person with extensive experience in your field. These experiences really help as you expand your expertise as an educator. In addition I like your confidence in that you have something valuable to share with your students and you are going to work hard to be able to do it well.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The same is true for me. I have more time put in working in the field and only a smidge of time put in with teaching this subject. ( I've done lots of teaching other materials.)
I want to add here, that when I share my personal work experiences with the class it brings me to a much more confident, calm and open feeling inside myself.
I know that if I am starting to rush the pace of my presentation or to gloss over things too quickly - when I can see on their faces that I am loosing them. ... I can take a breath and share something from my time working. It slows me down, perks up their interest again, and reminds me that I do know what I am talking about.
So, while more experience in charge of the classroom is going to be good for me, I must value the impact my past success holds for me right now.
Kathy
Fernando,
This will be a great experience for your students. Listening to and seeing professionals from the field helps to reinforce the value of what you are teaching. Also, as you know guest speakers like this help a lot with motivation because they get students excited about their futures.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am thinking of bringing in a guest speaker who works for IBM and is a good friend of mine. He speaks multiple languages and it has helped him greatly in moving up the ladder.
Fernando,
I would incorporate activities that show them how they can use a second language in their every day lives to their advantage. This way they will start to see and make application of their new language skills while still in the course. As a result they will start to see the ROI of why they are studying Spanish in your course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am a Spanish Teacher. "Real World Experience" works a little different for me. First i have to make students understand that knowing a second language is beneficial for them career wise. I find this many times very difficult to get across.
Students seem to have this notion that the only reason they need Spanish is to order at Taco Bell. Do any of you have any ways i can approach the subject matter in a way that connects them to the real world besides the obvious?
Donna,
They really like the case studies and real world experiences that instructors share with them. They reinforce the content just as you say and increase the content retention due to the applications that are made.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have to agree as well. I have been in my field for over 30 years, but only teaching a fraction of that time. I find that my real life experiences have a lot of worth in my teaching. The students retain the information more.
Lance,
Visual and tactile learning formats help to cement the content in to the minds of the students. This increases their ability to use the content once they are out of school and in the work place.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I can agree also, I have been in my field for over 20 years and notice I will use that so the students can visualize the setting better and understand what we do in the field. To add to that I was always a visual learner and was able to retain better by seeing it done then through a lecture.
Wendy,
Through relating your work experiences you are helping students to see the value of the content and how the course content can be applied. This is an important part of the instructional process and it greatly increases student retention of content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree, the more "real world" stories that we can share with the students, in my opinion motivates themmore. They can imagine how it will be once they enter into the career field.
