Starting back with classes next week and cannot wait to utilize what I have learned here. Gettin on next one next week as well.
Introductions are a familiarization process whereby you can establish rapport with your students and hopefully make them more comfortable in the learning environment. I think the material I have learned here will be extremely useful in helping me remember student names and getting students more involved in the class with relevant questions.
Hi Linda,
The key to expanding your instructional expertise is to concentrate on a sequence of items you want to learn more about and use in your classes. With experience will come knowledge of additional strategies you can use with your students. Keep good notes on what was successful in your classes as well as those things that did not go as well. This way you will continue your professional development while becoming an instructional delivery expert.
Gary
Well, I just learned alot by reading numerous comments on this question. And I will enjoy this part of instructing very much. It comes naturally for me to be interested in people. I feel a little overwhelmed with all this material and how I will remember all of it, and put it into practice in the classroom!!!
I believe that you can tell a lot from someone just by their demeanor. An introduction gives me the opportunity to attach a name to a face and note key characteristics about each student.
That I like them and they are going to just fine. You can judge the classes culture, how they are going to act.
With introductions with the students and myself, we learn that we are all here to accomplish one common goal, which is to earn an A in the class and no one is better than the other and at the end I alway notice the friendships that was established in the class.
Hi Justin,
Good example. This is what customizing instruction is all about. You have your basic content and you develop appropriate supports to that content that will keep the students engaged in the learning process.
Gary
Dr. Meers,
I like to get to know my students so that I can alter my lectures to apply to them directly. An example would be that if I have a group of students who are managers in retail, I will gear my lecture towards success in retail management. I feel that this helps the students apply the material to their jobs right away. This creates buy-in from the students and they become more interested in the course.
Hi Gene,
Good connection between the establishment of a positive learning environment and the student connection. By knowing more about each other respect and rapport can be developed to the advantage of everyone.
Gary
Introductions facilitate learning. If you know your student audience you are better able to tailor your instruction to meet student needs and requirements. If they know something about you, it makes you a more interesting person and peeks student interest in what you are teaching.
Hi Becki,
Your story made me smile and think back about some of my own experiences as a beginning teacher. I have taught in similar setting as that you experienced. It takes you back and forces you to consider how you can create a vision of the future for a unique student group like the ones you had. I think it makes for much better teaching when you have had challenges and students that would be considered more non-traditional. If you have success with them then you know you can teach.
Gary
Introducing yourself gives you an opportunity to let the students know why you are an authority in the subject you teach. Introductions by the students give you an opportunity to do a quick assessment of their individual strengths and also lets the rest of the class know something about their fellow classmates. I find that most classes have a couple of students whose previous experiences can enhance the instructional points made in a class.
I get the relationship between student and teacher and I work very hard to call students by name and etc. I would like to relate a story from my first year of teaching.
I was teaching at a very small business college in Missouri. I was so worried about being prepared that I stayed up for 2 days checking and rechecking. On the first day of class, I introduced myself and asked my class to introduce themselves and tell me a little bit about them. More than 50% of my students told me that they were there as a condition of their parole--what an eye popper!!!! Most of them had no problem volunteering what they had been in jail for.
By, Edwardo Mojena
The introductions are so important when meeting your students for the first time in class. This is what I call breaking the shell getting them to put their guard down and open up to an open mind and learning.
Hi Nastassia,
By having some comfort and familiarity with the instructor students can get settled into the course more quickly. This is important to get the course and students off to a good start.
Gary
Through introductions of yourself and your students, it allows both the instructor and the student to get familar with one another. It lets one another know a little bit about each other, that may become useful down the line in one situation or the other. It allows the instuctors and the students to get a feel for one another. You can somewhat know what to expect from an instructor as well as a student through introductions.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for sharing this strategy with us. I know this will be of benefit to other instructors looking for ways to involve their students in discussion and problem solving activities.
Gary
We spend time with introductions to help the class meet each other and to begin the process of becoming a class. Because the students spend either 20 weeks or 70 weeks together, depending on the program, they need to work together to accomplish this individual and class goals.
I do "line ups" in my first class. This is an activity where I tape the words "strongly agree" "agree" "disagree" and "strongly disagree" to the wall in a line. I then read a statement to the students and they must respond by "lining up" beside the word that reflects their own feeling on the subject. Then I tell them how the statement fits into our course material and in what chapter we will be covering it. Then I ask one or two students, trying to call on someone new each time, to explain how they came to the opinion they have taken. (Before they answer, they are to give their name and the program of study to which they belong.) It promotes discussion, introduces the students to eachother, and it covers the course outline also. Additionally, the students seem to enjoy this activity.
