butterflies
The first meeting is always the hardest for me, I wish I had an easy way to get past the first day.
Hi Mary,
You are right about time and experience helping you to get over the "nerves". Use an ice breaker to start off a new class. The few minutes that the icebreaker takes will help you to get comfortable with the class. In addition, the focus of the students will be on each other and the ice breaker which gives you some time to get settled into the course and let your nerves calm down. Then you will be ready to start your introduction and course delivery.
I wish you much success with your teaching.
Gary
I think that as a first time instructor this is what worries me the most. Will my nerves show to my students? Trying to figure out a way to make myself relex a little, but I guess like everything else, time and experience helps.
Hi Wendy,
Good to hear about your progress in being able to present lectures. Now that you have six months of experience behind you it is time to reflect on how teaching is going for you and how you can move to the next level. Look for specific times when your anxiety increases and then develop a strategy for reducing your anxiety. If it is at the beginning of the class use an icebreaker or open with a discussion session so you can relax a bit then move into the lecture format. Before you know it you will forget about the butterflies and will be in full swing sharing content with your students.
Gary
I am a new instructor too, 6 mo or so and still get butterflies for every class... preparing gets me nervous but once I start the lecture and get into the material, butterflies go away.
I'm just ready to get over the hump of anxiety of standing in front of people!
Hi Roger,
This is a good way to take some of the nerves out of getting ready to make a lecture presentation. Also, the input from your peers can help you to expand your expertise as an instructional delivery expert.
Gary
If you have the opportunity to run through some of the class in front of your peers first, it helps to calm me down in front of the actual class. It was way more intimidating to get in front of my peers and run the class, that now in the classroom, it is no sweat. Also, record yourself and watch it with your peers. You will find you are way more critical of yourself than others are of you, but be prepared for constructive critisism.
Hi Dominick,
Great to hear about the transition you made into a class already underway. These can be difficult situations to go into especially for beginning instructors. Sounds like you have done very well in getting the students to follow your lead and have established yourself as the instructional leader of the group. Well done.
Gary
This is my first quarter teaching and I was extremely nervous my first class, especially since I was replacing a teacher after the first week(she had a family emergency that took her out for the rest of quarter). The students already had expectations, so for me to go in with my own, was even worse. We had to spend some time in my first class to adjust both expectations. It was great though, since we were all very open minded about the change.
It is the same for me Jillian. I am a clinical instructor teaching LVN students and am currently doing dual teaching. I am a little nervous due to the fact that we both have very different teaching styles and personalities. I am less strict and she is more by the book. I dont want students to favor one instructor and cause conflict between us. So I guess we need to be on the same page when we go through this term. I will be intersting on how we go about this. Good Luck and I still hear that even seasoned instructors still get butterflies.
Hi Jacqueline,
Great attitude about instructional development. By internalizing the feedback you receive and talking with other instructors each your expertise will be expanded. This is what a dedicated professional is all about. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I agree with first time butterflies! Being a new instructor myself on my first day I was so nervous but as I planned my day out before the class and read the syllabus out loud to myself I eased up a little.
Now talking in front of the program manager or lead instructor is very nerve racking! I get the same way but I am new a teaching so I want all feed back good or bad so I can improve my skills as an instructor. Its good to know the do's and don't's to teaching especially if this is the first time teaching! I embrace all feed back I can get!!!
Hi Sarah,
Right you are and well put. As a new instructor gets into the swing of the course the butterflies migrate to another classroom and the new instructor is turning into a dynamic motivator of students.
Gary
Butterflies are good....just learn how you can channel them to fly in a stright row...
Hi Cinthya,
Do what will work for you. Set the stage for your success by doing what is expected of you while the lead instructor is there. That person is there to make sure the class gets off to a good start and that you have control of the class. Follow the directions she has given you so you can demonstrate your ability to follow directions while conducting a class where learning occurs. If you can do an icebreaker with the students so they can get settled into the course, have some fun, laugh a little while you settle your nerves. As a result your lead instructor will see a professional educator, that even though she is new, knows what she is doing and that she is going to be able to deliver the instruction that is needed. Good Luck! Let me know how your day turns out.
Gary
I am nervous about the first day of class. Not only because it is my first time teaching, but the lead instructor for the course will be attending my first class. This makes me even more nervous. What if she doesn't agree with some of my methods for introductions or how I manage my time in class? I have had some ideas of things to do in the first class, most of which were described in this module. However, I'm not so sure the lead instructor will agree with them. Would it be ok to use these methods during the second half of the class when she is not there, rather than the very beginning of class? This would allow me to follow her rules and introduce some of my own methods as well.
Hi Jillian,
I think most of us feel the same way. Though, I will say I look forward to the first class meeting so I can use some icebreakers where I know the students are going to have fun, laugh, get to know each other better, while I am getting a "read" on them. This helps me to see the class dynamics and then I can adjust my planned instruction to meet their respective needs and before I know it the first class is over.
Gary
