Classroom as a Stage. We are the Main Actor
I have always reiterated to my faculty staff that when we enter a classroom, we act, we direct, we supervise and we produce the course of the event.
Principally, we are the main actor. It is up to us to convince, and attract the students' attention.
Acting is not merely gestures. It behoves the tone of our voice, the body movements, the intonation and the manner we interact with ther students. This is how we motivate and deliver course content.
I also agree that we are like actors on a stage. I use many expressions to convay things to my students. body language,facial expressions,humor,talking with my hands,and story telling (as long as it follows the subject matter).
Hello Dr. J :
As a Instructor, we are actor and manager of the class.If we can probe it, we can change.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your comments about preparing for lectures. By preparing your lectures for an audience of one you are focusing in on the learning needs of each student even though you are delivering the lecture to the entire class. With this kind of preparation you are enabling the students to personalize the content to their lives and needs so they will be better prepared for their careers.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for sharing those teaching quotes with the participants. They give insight to what teaching is about and how we need to prepare ourselves to have the maximum impact on our students.
I wish you much success in your teaching career.
Gary
Lecturing is a type of acting.It depends more on how good is in actingratherb than how good you are in the subject. It depends more on the presentation not onthe subject.
Two teaching quotes I try to draw upon in the classroom are:
-"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre."-Gail Godwin
" The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”-William Arthur Ward
I also liked what the lesson said about delivering your lecture as though it was for an audience of one.
I agree that we are the main actor and the classroom is our show. As a cuilnary instructor doing live demos, I try to keep my students involved as if they were watching me on television.
I do not see myself as an actor but as a guide. I do not feel the need to attract the attention of my students. The fact that I am the teacher and standing in front of the class is sufficient to attract the attention of my students.
I do not see the classroom as a stage at all. Rather it is a place that people learn -- my students learn as much from me as I do from them. Yes, of course, I guide and direct my students, and, to some extent I supervise them too. However, my students are adults, so they do not need much direction or supervision, except in the matter of learning what to learn, how to learn, and a reason to learn.
