Planning and preparation
It is very important to plan ahead. I always read my material prior to teaching it , it trully helps me understand what i will be teacjing about and refresh any topic i might have difficulty with . This also helps me prepare for any questions that students migh have about the objecyives being presented.
Israel,
You have a good plan working for you as you prepare your instructional content and delivery. Your method puts you in a position where you are organized and prepared. This is when you can really look forward to meeting and teaching your class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Well to be honest i try to have my lesson plans done ahead of time and what i do over the weekend i go over my material for the week and make any adjustments . If the previous term ididnt like the way things worked out , i make a not to my self and make the adjustments... For me it's always a calabration game, if something did not work for one class it might work for another. I probably prepare for about 3 hours or so and if i feel i need to adjust as i teach i do and improvise. I like to see how the class goes and i go with it. I am sure that we all plan and think our class will go one way but at the end it has a way to take off and go on it's own. Thank you for you comment and reply .
Jeanne,
There isn't really a formula for time spent in preparation verses time spent delivering content. I think the best guide is spend the time it takes for you to feel confident in your material and your ability to deliver it. Do a time analysis to determine if your prep time is really effective or if you are spending a lot of time dealing with non-teaching prep items such as copy work. Once you teach a lesson make notes on how it went and any changes you want to make the next time you teach the course. This will save you a lot of time the next time you prep for the course since you know that you need to review the content and then concentrate on the areas that you want to improve in.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
How much time do you think is adequate preparation? Sometimes I think I "over-prepare." By the time I read the chapter, develop the PPT, plan the lesson, create the activities, identify what summay questions I will use, and gather the supplemental material, I am prepping 8 hours for a 4 hour class.
I agree. Being ahead of your students does better prepare you for "those" questiones that get fired at you, you will be well equipped to direct the class.
Israel,
This is something that I think each instructor needs to do. We have to stay current as well as refreshed on content we have taught before. If we don't we are short changing our students and not living up to our professional obligation.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
