Effective instructors are chameleons
A valuable lesson I learned long ago is that people learn in different ways. Effective instructors not only quickly acknowledge this fact, but are also adept in altering their teaching styles when necessary. Obviously some course content does not allow much variation. Despite these constraints an effective instructor can still hit the right chord that will ultimately connect best with that student. This does not mean the instruction becomes wildly fragmented due to an instructor trying too hard to accommodate individual students, but on a smaller scale the instructor has more latitude in their teaching style.
William,
Well said as this has been my experience as well. They take some real analysis in terms of how to appeal to their learning preferences and then get them focused on the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Robert,
You raise a very good point about how the students need to be approached and worked with. You are right about the need to be very creative in order to reach students and appeal to their learning preferences. When this is done then you have engagement and focused learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find to teach younger generations you have to be down right duplicitous. You have to covertly interrogate and observe students to judge their speech, emotions, interests even music preferences to develop a persona or character to modulate your teaching style constantly.
Patience, creativity, and a broad sense of humor helps.
It seems that we have to align our approach and style with the methods this generation is accustomed to, when it comes to learning.
I find myself being more of an entertainer competing with their childhood teachers who, more than likely, were a big yellow bird or a purple dinosaur.
I think we are looking at a shift in the teaching styles towards non-traditional tools or teaching styles today looking for the most-common-denominator-style of effectiveness, in any given group.
We have to be down-right creative as a teacher today.
Rolonda,
As a new instructor you are on the right track with the variety of instructional delivery you are offering your students. Students as you are finding out like change of pace and instructional variety in their classes. The more you can offer these the more engaged your students will be.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree,as a new instructor I like to introduce diffent ways of learning beyond the book. I like to incorporate power points, you tube videos and dvd video on the subject matter. I have found that it definalty helps the visional learners.
I totally agree. I have just completed ED103-Student Learning Styles. It is imperative as an instructor your must adapt your instructions to the learning styles of your students.
Jeffery,
Good analysis of how to approach instructional planning and delivery. You make a number of very good points about how you can adapt your instructional style to meet the needs of your students. You are right about the need to be a chameleon.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
