Get Your Students Hired
I think as an effective instructor you have to continue to strive to stay current within your field of expertise. In our ever changing and growing society it is important to be able to continue to educate oneself with current trends, initiatives, etc. in your field, to help bring this information to the students for their continued educational preparation.
I'am a HVACR instructor at a trade school. It's important to keep up with new technology so you can share it with students.
Demetra,
Field trips are so valuable in increasing student engagement. They get to see how what they are currently studying will be used in the field and they bring this enthusiasm back to the classroom and lab and that makes teaching so much easier due to their focus.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is very important to bring in new information into the classroom from what is happening in the industry currently. By taking field trips to new construction sites or new developments students are exposed to current projects
I find that staying on top of current events fosters great discussions in the classroom because students are engaging in subjects that are in real-time, which then creates the need for real-time answers. You can always discuss what students will be doing in the future in their respective career choices, but discussing relevant current events can really spark some great debates and critical thinking.
Clarissa,
Great strategy for staying current in terms of not only relevant work but also with ways that you can enhance the value of the content you are offering your students. I know they appreciate the fact that what they are viewing and discussing is the latest in terms of their field, so they can see the relevance of what you are offering.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As a photography instructor I am constantly looking at photography blogs for new and interesting work I can share with my students. When I come across work that is relevant to the project they are working on or class content I save the image or link to the site and we discuss it as a class.
If I'm teaching a beginning level photo class I always start class off with a photograph I project on the screen that leads into the class content for the day. I give the students 5-10 min to think and write about the photograph in their journals, and then we discuss it as a class. This gives them an opportunity to discover new photographers work, evaluate, intemperate and form their own ideas about the image before we discuss it as a class. This exercise gives the students confidence to speak up during the discussion. Every semester I change the images I use to stay fresh and relevant. I learned this technique from one of my favorite photography instructors. So far it’s been working well and my students love it!
Jennifer,
I think this is fun because I enjoy learning new things and get excited about bringing it back to my students. You have a passion for your field and it shows and this passion comes through to your students and how you work to stay current with your content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree! I stay current by contacting my previous clinic to learn of any new material, treatments ect. Plus the students enjoy hearing about new curent events in the field.
Brian,
This is critical if you are going to provide the most current and relevant material to your students while serving as their learning leader.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.