Being a good instructor takes ???
I was once told. "To be a good teacher you must first be a good student"! How right he was. Grand Master Doc Fi Wong taught me as much about being an istructor as he did about martial arts.
I seriously doubt he had that in mind when he took me on as one of his students but it happened none the less.
Knowing your subject is great but you can always learn more. Just look how computers have changed our world.
You must be able to adapt to situations that can't be forseen, situations you can't control, and show the students you are willing to do as much as possible to make their learning experience a great experience. My favorite line is - "Since were all hear we might as well learn something". You should never stop learning.
Christopher,
yes, I think we need to help our students learn how to learn for life & I can do this best by demonstrating my ongoing development.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Plus if you definitely learn more about a subject, it shows the student that even the instructor needs refreshers, this way they hopefully don't feel like "they already know it all" and what you are saying is irrelevant
I agree and you have to keep students involved!
Joseph,
Definitely true. In addition to being lively as a presenter, we need to think about creative ways to engage the students & this will make us an even better instructor.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I have to agree, The presentation skills of the instructor is very important. No matter how knowledgeble you are on the subject matter, if you can't keep the class interested and involved you will have a difficult time getting the information to them.
Linda,
You are so right. While we need to be subject matter experts, I would rather take someone who isn't quite as knowledgeable but is a good presenter than the other way around.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Not only does an instructor need to be knowledgeable about the subject matter but also be somewhat of an entertainer/comedian if you will. If you keep it lively and entertaining, you will not loose them.
leo,
It is very important to demonstrate to our students that we too are continuous learners.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Thats good advice, I agree to be a good instructor you must first be a good student.I like to keep upon the latest technology for my field it lets my students know that i am passionate about my trade and i care that they are learning the latest technology.
