I beleive the environment is one of the most important aspects of learning.
Students need to be made to fellow comfortable to express their thoughts and opinions in an environment that is supportive a tolerance (and for that matter forgiving)in order to fully explore the subject matter.
The physical environment is also important. The rooms need to be functional for the type of class being taught and the befitting the style of the instructor.
The environment can make or break a class. The location of the classroom with respect to the outside world can set the entire tone. Windows alone can be a distraction, much less the noise or activity outside. However, a class room which oversees a quiet garden area not only allows natural light, but can have a calming effect. The inside environment can be equally beneficial and distractionary - it is up to the teacher. Chair comfort, sitting arrangement, lighting temperature, etc. must always be taken into consideration.
Hi Daniel,
Busy is a key word in learning. The students need to be engaged and focused on course content and skill development. If they are busy and seeing application to what they are doing they will be excited about their courses.
Gsry
i teach a four hours and thirty minutes class.in order to keep students focus,i assign mutiple task to perform like in a real kitchen .that keep them busy for three + hours and they love it. daniel
Hi Darlene,
You make a number of very good points but one I want to focus on is your comment about students knowing that you will advocate for them. If they know you will go to bat for them to get supplies, equipment, etc. They know that you care enough about their success to want the learning environment to be right when learning is to occur. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Yes,
Online environment is so different because you cannot really know your classmates very well. You must rely on their responses online and hopefully the student participates fully. Sometimes a few students interact and take charge in a group while others do not participate and they still benefit from the grade achieved in the group. I feel that individual work lessons should be a part of online courses so the individual learns on their own accord without the others doing some of their work. Instructors can organize a syllabus that incorporates both group and individual assignments with due dates and clear instructions. Open instructor guidance and e-mail for questions should be available for the student/instructor communication.
It is very important to be able to adapt to change and to get on with the lessons so that time is not spent elsewhere. The students will appreciate the efforts to stay on course because they really want to learn, and to gain from their efforts. It is wonderful to see students achieve and be able to feel good about it! The instructor can help by offering encouragement all the time.
Hi Gary,
The most common problems are that the instruction or learning room is not always set up as promised (with the equipment) and the supplies are not always stocked. It is always a good idea to let the students know how important it is to communicate with the nursing staff on the needs when they are noticed to be unavailable. The learning environment will improve quickly when the instructor takes the time to intervene for her or his students, in a polite and enthusiastic manner of course!The staff is always willing to please and if the room temperature is not adjusted right, the maintenance man will come to fix the problem. I have also had a problem with computers not working well in the classroom, so it is important for an instructor to be early to organize and set up.
Hi Darlene,
As a person in the medical field you know well the human anatomy. As the old saying goes "the brain can only absorb as much as the body will allow". Sometimes in our push to teach we forget this point. We have to factor in changes of pace, and activities that will allow the student take a bit of a cognitive break while refocusing their attention on what is coming up in the next segment.
Gary
Hi Darlene,
I commend you for your care about the learning environment. As you do your "walk about" what have you found to be the most common problem that needs corrected in order for the classroom or lab to be ready to receive students?
Gary
The learning environment is very important so the students can stay focused. The temperature of the room, the supplies ready and at hand for the students to have in order to perform their presentation or demonstration is a must. Chalk, audiovideo materials, paper, markers, easy erase pens should be available. The room should be appropriate for the type of learning that will take place. Students come first! They should not have to deal with uncomfort which could distract their learning. I often walk around the facility that our clinical site is at in order
to check that everything is conducive for the clinical learning set up.
I agree with your comment on allowing for breaks and relax-time when there is a long instruction lesson. I teach clinical @ the hospitals sometimes for 12 hours and I understand the distraction one can endure if free time to relax is not offered. Of course with long days there will be breaks and lunch time for the students and the instructor. I feel that the students should be told early in the beginning of the day what their break schedule will entail so they are at ease with the process and their learning does not suffer from this worry.
The learning environment is very important so the students can stay focused. The temperature of the room, the supplies ready and at hand for the students to have in order to perform their presentation or demonstration is a must. Chalk, audiovideo materials, paper, markers, easy erase pens should be available. The room should be appropriate for the type of learning that will take place. Students come first! They should not have to deal with uncomfort which could distract their learning. I often walk around the facility that our clinical site is at in order to check that everything is conducive for the clinical learning set up.
Hi Carolyn,
You do work in a tough situation. I admire your ability to keep going in spite of the interruptions. I am sure your students appreciate your efforts as well. I just hope you can get across the essential information without it being lost to all those that wander through. Your willingness to address the situation is good as well. The administration needs to know how unfair this is to students and it compromises their futures if they can't learn what is required.
Gary
I teach in a student-run restaurant, which is full of distractions and interruptions. Quite often, my lecture will be interrupted by other instructors who choose to cut through the restaurant, admissions tours, and other students. to maximize the time with my students, I use a wall of dry erase boards to wall off our lecture area, and I've had to speak to a number of people about the interruptions that they cause. No one enjoys being the "bad guy," but after a long day at work, my students need as few distractions as possible, or the environment is just not condusive to learning.
Hi Robert,
I like your comments about being engaging as a teacher. Your example of the teacher that said humor has no place in the classroom is a good one. I am sure that her students felt like killing themselves at the end of each class. Without laughter and humor it would be a very long evening each time I teach a class. Plus as we know laughter is physically good for us as well. Helps the mind, soul and body. Maybe we should send her a joke book for Teacher Appreciation Day.
Gary
Bill, I couldn't agree more. I have always felt that the entertainment role is one that many instructors fail to recognize. I think it is critical to keep their attention. Besides, it is fun for me as well. I actually had a friend in teaching who said humor has no place in the classroom. Can you imagine? I saw her lecture and beleive me, it was dreary. Bob
Robert - your emphasis on the learning environment in long classes is crucial. To have students in class from 5:30 - 10:00, which I experience in our shortened summer session, and many who have worked all day, is a challenge both to creating a functional yet comfortable environment and also to being creative in providing different types of learning experiences during that time frame. Sometimes I sense I am a cross between a teacher and an entertainer.
Hi Alesha,
You are right about the students becoming comfortable with the equipment that will soon be a part of their lives for years to come. Plus, I try and sell them on the idea that they are learning how to use equipment that the majority of individuals have no idea about how to use it or what it can do. This is fun because they have knowledge that others don't and this helps to make them special.
Gary
Hi Annette,
You make a great point about not everyone being happy but most should be comfortable. This is really true in teaching as you know, but we need to do our best to engage all of the students in the learning process. For some this will happen but we will have those students that are beyond our reach. It is sad not to be able to reach them all but we have to keep our spirits high and realize how much we have done in reaching the ones that we did.
Gary
