I try to stay current in my field.
I read periodicals and articles, and expose myself to new trends and updates in my profession.
As I update myself, I bring these experiences to the classroom, which make the course material more relevant. Sometimes a discussion about a current topic is more effective and a more efficient use of classroom time than discussing abstract concepts or material from the text book or course syllabus. A discussion of this sort invites the students to bring their relevant experiences to the table, and we all learn from that.
First you must learn the topic information. After you have mastered the topic then you develop the best way to teach the material.
To all participants!
John, I like to do this as well. It certainly breaks the ice for a new group of students.
Where I have had the opportunity, I have asked students who are preregistered for class to write a one-page biographical sketch of themselves based on directions that I have provided. The good part is that I ask them to bring that with them the first night of class. Having done this in advance, students have time to put a little more thought into it.
I like to get to know students and want them to know the other people in class including me. It sounds like to you are very interested in your students and their success.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
On the first day of a new rotation I like to get to know my new students. I introduce myself and then have each student tell me a little about themselves,where there from and what there goals are after the graduate. From this introduction I get a feel for what the differtent personalities I will have for the next 3 weeks and how to approach there learning styles.
Good morning Edward!
It sounds like you are well prepared and flexible enough to meet the classroom needs of your students. That's definitely the sign of an excellent instructor.
Good job!
Jane DAvis
ED107
I don't feel I need to balance the need to learn more about the topics I teach with my need to develop new ways of teaching and using my classroom time.My class evolves slowly over along period of time. When new technology develops hopefully I will have time to incorporate into the class.When a program like this CEE program triggers me into exploring new ways to utilize my classroom I can usually make changes in a calculated way.
Hi Thomas,
Would you share in this forum how you have made adjustments in your classroom?
Thanks,
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
Keeping an open mind has helped me grown as an instructor. It is a good idea to ask your students what they thought of the lesson, I do this and will change my delivery with the next group.
You should do this in small increments to see if it fits that part of the lesson,and if it does then you can build on it later. This way you and your students won't be overwhelmed with to much information that may not have any relevance.
Come to know the critical needs of the topics to be discussed. It's possible to have obtained more than enough data to sufficently instruct your class. Avoid overwelming the students with too much info that causes "onfo overload". It appears that with our everchanging student demographics, the need to adapt and revise the methods can become as, if not, more important than the material itself.
It is important to be a life long learner. I have continued to pursue degrees and continuous learning on a wide variety of topics since graduating high school more than thirty years ago. I have taught many subjects and courses, with each one requiring a different type of knowledge and expertise. I constantly review textbooks, web sites, and other electronic media to better understand the subject matter and to learn new instructional techniques. i teach college math, which is not the favorite subject of most students. Since the curriculum and daily activities are set in a syllabus, the biggest challenge is to ensure each student has the best opportunity to learn the course material in the allocated time period of our accelerated program. There is tutoring available before and after class, and during classroom breaks. I work with the students on a one-on-one basis as much as possible, to understand the student as an individual and not just part of a large class. I include several teaching methods to best accomodate the students learning styles. Although students have varied educational backgrounds and cultural influences, the teaching and learning methods employed in my classes are successful. By the end of each course, every student is fully engaged in their learning and participating in the classroom activities.
I try to spend my breaks (extended breaks, that is) catching up on new material for my classes. I find, however, that I learn a lot as I teach. Each quarter brings new challenges, and to keep myself interested it is important to update my classroom materials. This tends to lend itself to learning more as I go along.
There is never enough time to do everything.Over the 20 years of teaching i have to stay up to date with the technical subject and in the class i am always learning and trying different techniques.
That sounds like a good idea. I think I will do that in my Biology class to get more discussion going.
Hi Billy,
Good comment - it is very important not to lose sight that students are different and those difference can even change over time.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
FD107 Facilitator
I am continuning to learn about the different learning styles, starting to see patterns of students behavior. I am starting to understand how difficult it is sometimes.
I try and stay up on current events and business news as it pertains to the topic of business law. It is a very busy topic locally with Denny Hecker and Tom Petters which make the news fun interesting and educational. We are learning together through the stories (written, audio and video) coupled with court rulings. It is a challenge though to stay on top of the angles and possible questions so it is fun to ask the questions back to the students and reason through the "why did this happen" questions.
I feel that you HAVE TO KNOW your material your teaching in order to create a good learning enviorment.
Hi Stephen,
A fantastic way for everyone to grow and learn! Sounds like you have an interesting classroom approach. Keep up the good work!
I actually have used an ole tried and proven technique. I ask for articles of current events on topic to be brought in for discussion. I find that student's typically enjoy sharing and often generates exciting conversation.
Happy growing and learning!
Jane
I find it challenging to get in all the basics they need to know in order to understand the new developments that are taking place. In a topic like Biology there are new and exciting things happening all the time. I want to discuss these things but it seems we have to have a baseline first. I always feel in a time crunch.
I think maybe I have to think differently and tackle new and interesting issues and teach basics through that. Any suggestions?
