Hi Kim,
Good strategies in both areas. This way your are going to expand your expertise as an instructional delivery expert as well as a clinician. This is a win win for everyone.
Gary
Hi Meron,
I like them as well because they generate involvement and application on the part of students. What is your biggest payoff in using discussions?
Gary
In regards to expanding my instructional abilities, the first thing that comes to mind is separating that question into two categories. The first being classroom teaching. I can improve my abilities by honing in on my recognition of different learning types. I've taken classes to better diagnose learning disabilities and implementing those lessons better and more efficiently is a personal teaching goal of mine. The second category would be clinical work. I can improve my instructional ability on the clinic floor by keeping demonstrations regular and organized. I do this already, however, I tend to do them whenever time allows instead of the same day at the same time.
Discussions are my favorite parts of instructing.
I believe that it is vital to have a dialogue going on between students and instructor. That keeps the life of instructing. I seldom lecture only without having student input.
I would be able to expand my instructional abilities by going on the forums, and reading responses, as well as subscibing to journals within my subject area, and joining associations as well. Also, talking with fellow instructors will also be a way of expanding my instructional abilities.
Some ways that I could expand my instructional abilities would be to observe other instructors to see how they teach. I could also read articles about teaching and possibly pick up a new technique that I may not have thought of.
I will be able to expand my instructional abilities through seminars and professional development seminars. Choosing courses specifically designed to accomplish this goal would greatly benefit my teaching abilities.
Another way to expand my instructional abilities is by trying different approaches in the classroom. With this method, I can observe first hand what the students responses are to different ways of teaching.
Expanding my instructional abilities comes with experience in the classroom setting and by gaining higher education as well as reading and going to seminars, workshops, and professional meetings.
I have found that using the knowledge of other instructors and their skills has greatly improved my own classroom skills. I try to relate the material that is being learned in my classroom and make it relavent to what is being presented in other subjects. I will also use students who have graduated as speakers to show a connection of what is going on in the classroom and how it applies to real world experience.
I'm going to work more on setting up 10-15 minute mini-lectures and then going to some sort of activity to help keep students more engaged.
Hi Helen,
Thank you for the kind words. Glad we were able to be of help to you and your instructional development. I wish you much success in your teaching career.
Gary
Hi David,
I congratulate you for as far as you have come in coping with so many different variables. I hope things settled down a bit in the coming weeks.
Once you get yourself settled I would suggest you try and use structured discussions. Depending on the size of the class this is a very good teaching strategy. If the class is larger (30-40) I would put the students into learning groups of 3-4. Then give topics for discussion. You can give 3-5 key points at the beginning of the discussion and the have students discuss and contribute points that reinforce the key concepts. This way they are learning the concepts (content) but are contributing as well. This will help to keep them engaged.
Gary
I used the PowerPoint as one of the useful tools. It is an art on how to use the tool well. Sometime it helps me and sometimes it hinders the teaching because the students lost the process of analysis and critical thinking. It's really a lot of fun to try to manage the tool well.
I just started to teach in English in the United States two months ago. You can imagine what a big challenge I had! I found this online career development plan and courses are so useful! Thank you! In order to expand instructional abilities:
1. Be passionate about your teaching subject and effectively collect the feedback and ponder over them.
2. Take actions to participate in the online and onsite training programs, there are a lot for you to explore them.
3. Jot down the useful points and apply immediately to the teaching.
4.Analyze the results: the shortcomings are to be avoided and the good qualities are to be followed!!
I need to follow the learning objectives in the course syllabus more closely. I am in the midterm portion of the course and just familiarized myself with them last night due to delays obtaining the syllabus. Also I have been overwhelmed with new faculty orientation while supervising nursing students in a psychiatric hospital I am not familiar with. I need to review the objectives with the students this week as they will be moving to another facility / instructor next week.
I also need to enhance the variety of teaching methods used in class and involve the students more directly be using group activities etc. I have only used handouts and lecture thus far. What would you suggest ? Thanks
well, you can take online courses to improve your abilities. you can also observe other instructors and see how they do things. also, practice, weather it be by yourself or in front of others (i.e. family members, friends) to build confidence and get feedback.
In accounting, I use slide transparencies to stay focused and as a way of not writing all over the board. It helps me stay organized and I can still make notes on the white board behind the slides.
I prepare some transparencies in advance and use some pre-prepared slides.
The overhead projector still has an important use.
