Hi Cara,
Great way to find balance between you and your students. This form of "listening" to students helps you to be reactive to the current needs of students.
Gary
I like talking to my students and finding out what they like to see and have in their teachers. I then share with them what I like to see in my students. This way there is a "happy" mid point that everyone is clear on.
I explain what the assignment is, I write it on the board, and I give students a handout.And ask if anyone has a question.
Clear and accurate statements and expectations announced at the beginning of the course and followed up on during the course.
I like to let the students know when I in class if they are not getting it to get my eye contact & shake there head. It lets me know to try another approch on the explination
Hi Jason,
I agree with your comments and how you approach the classroom. Preparation and planning are essential to teaching success. By letting the student experiment in learning through trial and error learning you are helping to build retention in their minds about how to handle future situation. The beauty of trial and error learning is that in a sense it is low risk, since they have you there to back them up with the right solution in case they don't find it themselves. This really helps to build self confidence when they are out on their own without any backup.
Gary
I beleieve that hands on teaching effectly teaches the students visually and helps them to grasp the information better when there are several steps required to achieve a given outcome. I feel that trial and error is a good philosophy to support repetition and gain valable experience so that one day the information may be put into pratcial use. I also think that it is necessary to have a solid lesson plan so that as an instructor you may look credible and show the students that your level of competency is above average.
Hi Alona,
Can't emphasize planning and organization too much for instructors. By having a clear plan and the back up to implement that plan an instructor can relax a bit and enjoy being with the students and work at developing rapport with them. This leads to increased student retention and satisfaction.
Gary
Being prepared and organized prior to meeting with students makes for a structured beginning and/or outline for the duration of the time frame. Instructors reflect confidence and competence when they present efficiently which in turn attracts interest and therein learning.
Hi Derrick,
What are some strategies that you use to reinforce student responsibility and accountability when you are covering the expectations of the course?
Gary
When I talk about expectations I reinforce student responsibilty and accountabilty.
Hi Jeffrey,
The key with any skill development is the ability to perform the task or solve the problem using industry accepted standards. You are doing that with your approach to keeping the students in a sequence as they complete their work. They will thank you for this later though at times it may be challenging as you keep them moving forward.
Gary
It is extremly important that the students understand exactly what will be covered both in lecture, demo and lab work. Sometimes they try to sneak in "outside" methods to cut corners and my reply is always the same,"That's a different alturnitive; however, we are teaching you this method... do it again."
Hi Nancy,
Great job of using a number of different methods to show the students what will be learned, what has been learned and how they will used what they have learned. All of these components help the students to see the "big picture" of their professional development and gets them ready for the next step.
Gary
I open the first day of class with questions, learning goals and expectations; we review the written syllabus for a better understanding of classroom expectations and policies; students take a diagnostic pretest with the understanding that the course itself can be customized according to initial outcomes, which allows for some ownership of learning expectations. I also ask students to sign off on the syllabus, to assure that they understand how they will be graded, and I provide a timeframe for coursework completion.
On a daily basis, I write out each day's learning goals and activities on the board, and review for understanding throughout the class. I find that using illustrative examples and simply asking or answering direct questions from individual students can clarify issues and expectations for the entire class.
Hi Shawn,
Good approach to each class meeting. Using inspiring quotes and examples helps to keep the students engaged in the learning process. The summary at the end show them how far they have come in the day's class and sets the stage for the next class meeting.
Gary
Hi Ginger,
Your method of building confidence and then providing supportive input on improvement areas helps the students to stay focused on the outcomes while building strong skill sets. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi Gerard,
Good list and sequence of how you work through the expectations of your course. This way it reduces much frustration and concerns on the part of the students.
Gary
In the morning I write a quote on the bord reflecting the day of adventure ahead. Then, upon entering to the room I breif them on the current state of progress of the class and where we are at in relation of the sillybus !>
Twords the end of the rush, I rally my troops and do a group evaluation of the days progress.
Since I am not a lead instructor and only in the lab at the same time the students are, I have to communicate directly and precisely what I expect of them. When walking around interacting with the students, I always try and pick up the positive aspects of their activities. When critiquing, I start out by pointing out the most positive things and then explain what I am looking for in the end. I offer suggestions on how to improve and show what could be done better.
When it is something I must remind the class of, I call their attention and address the class as a whole. This way, I am sure that I reach each student.
More sensitive matters call for discretion. I might wait until I find a student off from the others and mention the problem and reiterate my expectations.
