It always changes
I prepare all i can prepare for the class but things always change.
GERALD,
This is a very challenging teaching situation for sure. I have taught in such a setting and it took a lot of planning and coordination to pull it off as you well know. It seems that if you can create a connection with those new students coming in then they quickly become part of the class structure and then they begin to see themselves as a part of the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
My class changes every quarter due to on going enrollment. There are changes for both new and returning students as well as, instructors. This changes the learning dynamics in the classroom for which makes it challenging.
William,
Thank you for sharing this example with us as I know it will be of benefit to beginning instructors. As you say no matter how much you plan change will occur and adjustments will need to be made. Glad you made it through and hopefully teaching the course this time will go more smoothly.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think the saying goes "The only thing constant is change"
I, on short notice taught a class with a new textbook on a subject I had not taught in a year.
The amount of changes from the old text to the new was enormous. Fought my way through it. But is did remind me of working in the field when the unforeseen happens.
Desiree,
Your last sentence says it all in terms of why many of us are teachers. It is for sure that our job is not boring.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like when things change. It keeps me on my toes and keeps my students on their game! I tell them that in our field, things change without notice all the time, so now is a good chance for them to get used to it. Never a dull moment!
I try to use that in letting the students realize life changes every day.
Viviana,
Yes, this is a good approach to use as it follows and uses the technology and delivery format of your school. Your students are familiar with it and so they can access it with comfort and ease. We use a similar system but I prepare handouts that have specific information current to upcoming activities, projects and due dates. I print them on colored paper so I get the attention of students and I can refer to them via their color. This is an additional reminder to the students plus I know each and every student has received the information and I can hold them accountable for the due dates as a result. This reduces excuses that they didn't know, couldn't access their site, and earthquake destroyed their computer, etc..
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Viviana,
Well said because each class takes on a personality of one type or another just as you say. I like the way you adapt your instructional delivery to the current class while retaining the standards of your course. This is what being a master teacher is about.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
My school doesn't hand them out, nor do we make any changes or additions to them. The students access them through their student portal, and not always do the listed homework and my homework assignments line up. I've been instructed to make this my own classroom, which is nice. So, I inform the students the objectives are correct as are the supplies, books, lessons and goals. However, the assignments will always be posted in Engrade, our grading site, in advance so that they can see what is coming up for them. And, I always follow in order the chapters according to the syllabus and do not deviate. The students have seemed to accept this without any problems. Is this an ok way to proceed?
My lessons are always the same, but the students are not. Sometimes I have a bigger or smaller class than the previous. Or sometimes I may have a group of students who are more negatively vocal and not as prepared as other classes. I've had students who are fresh out of high school, and some who are closer to my age, which does make a difference in my preparation. Although my materials are the same, my delivery of the lesson is very different. Kinda like being a chameleon, still being myself, just delivering my message a little differently than before.
I hand out to syllabus the first night of class-it is also available online to students. I make sure that they are aware that we may have to make adjustments, try and notify them as soon as possible of any changes. This may be a field trip, a guest lecturer, etc.
Peg
Things will always change in a class. No two groups are the same. Your objectives should be the same for a given course though. How you present them and how the students handle them will be different.
Bruce,
Some of the reasons I am a teacher as well. We are part of a great profession that impacts the lives of many individuals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
That is one of the great things I like about teaching, the challenge to help all students no matter what their level of understanding. Be very flexible.
Karen,
You make notify students of the changes either way but I prefer giving them an addendum. I always print the addendum on colored paper (for impact) and then I discuss the contents of the handout item by item. This way I know I have the interest of the students and that we all are going over the changes. By using colored paper I can refer to it by saying "will you take out your blue handout so we can talk about item 3". Students have selected memories as you know so when changes as major as the syllabus occur I want to make sure they understand them clearly.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In response to this, I can say after teaching my first course this past fall I was not given an exact list of materials required by State Boards and so I adopted a mind set of teach "everything" from a text book that was required. This would necessitate adjusting the "planned syllabus" once in the course of the semester. This was to accommodate special material that the students needed to have instruction on from an outside course they hadn't had yet, prior to learning my material. Not having taught this class before I was not familiar with the entire curriculum and only my course.
We got through it, but some of the students were unsettled for the lack of better terminology wondering if they would in fact get through all the material they needed for the course.
When this happens, is it best to give an addendum to the original syllabus (which is what I did) or to simple reprint the entire syllabus to include the new changes. Is there a better way to present the fluctuation in instruction so as not to lose the students?
Alan,
Yes they do and that is why teaching is so interesting. The good news is that things change so it doesn't bet boring. The bad news is that it changes so you don't know what to expect and that can catch you off guard.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
