Jeanne,
I think these are great ways to keep yourself up to date & "fresh" with the field.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I make sure that I teaching to reach all of my students learning capabilities. . Also make sure that for every subject I am teaching and there are textbooks I registar with the publishers to stay up to date on all materials.
Teaching in the medical field can be interesting. Having been in the medical field for many years and experiencing the changes over time has given way for a change in practice. I am able to compare and contrast the old systems with the new and give the learner the positive and negatives aspects of both. This encourage discussion on which is better and why. To be able to keep up with the changes in practice I must also complete continuing education courses and use available electronic devices.
I keep up with my profession with reading journals and talking with various colleagues with different areas of expertise. I also do a clinical piece with some of my students every session so I am exposed to changes in the industry. I like to try new ways of teaching and put in learning activities when I can. Each class has it own dynamic so I vary activities by the needs of the particular group. I work in a very supportive and collegial setting so we all feel comfortable bouncing ideas off each other and sharing things that have been successful with students. Classroom time is always a concern because the is so much material to cover in a limited time.
Researching the topic as well as researching the audience you are teaching to. You do not want to have an animated lecture if your audience is not the kind who likes a lot of interaction.
I try learning from others on ways they may teach a course and share ideas and then tweek it to make it my own and fit into my classes and then research my topics so that I can apply that as well.
Anthony,
this is a great way of keeping up to date & helping your students to do the same.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I am a public school teacher so I luckily have the summers off, I them take continuing ed classes which is required by my state. Also I take advance classes as well.I observe teaching styles, and compare them to my own. I ask myself if I was teaching this class, what would I do? which helps me to understand what my student may be feeling when learning new materials. then in the fall I am ready to begin a new year with fresh Ideas, sometimes different teaching strageties, and feeling rejuvenated.Also I get a
1 1/2 hr. planning period.
I feel that every class is different and that each student has their own unique methods of learning. This needs to be taken into consideration so that the need to learn more about the topic can help guide the development of new ways of teaching.
New aspects of curriculum topics emerge constantly in the industry. I confess that I am sometimes not quite up to speed on the topic that I have been teaching, especially if I have been doing it for a while. What I have done in the past is to assign research topics and short presentations on the very things I need to be caught up on. Often the material from these reports go right into my lecture notes.
Kathleen,
this is a great strategy & hopefully also encourages the students to stay up on what's happening.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Danella,
they really do & I've found they appreciate it when I talk about new things that I have learned in my own research/studies.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I often use current events to spark discussion in my nursing assistant course. We will then dicuss how it might have been handled in the past vs current trends in health care.
The Medical field is constantly changing and I feel it is necessary to keep abreast on the new trends. It is also a requirement for those in the field to have a certain number of continuing education credits. The students appreciate when I add a section of "what"s new?" to my lectures.
Donald,
I think this is a great approach as it's a balance between good prep & flexibility.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I try and stay up to date within the field of respiratory therapy, but let my students know that I don't know everything. I learn something knew everyday, and as I do will bring it to them. And if we both don't know, then we can look it up together.
I feel as though it is all tied together. If I need to know something for my lecture then I will make time at home to make sure I am familiar with what I am lecturing. I prefer to know what I am going to say during lecture rather than get in front of a class and adlib it.
What I will do is run with something that feels good and watch the students reactions so I know what and where I need to change something. It usally takes me about 4 lectures until I feel absolutely confident that the next time I lecture on that topic, that my lecture will go very smoothly.
Teresa,
this is a great strategy. I have a friend in speech-lang pathology who spends summers in hospitals in order to stay current in therapy techniques.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Diane,
you are right that this is difficult to do with our busy schedules. I applaud you for keeping up to date in the field & trying to stretch yourself as an instructor.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I attempt to balance the need to learn more about the topics I am teaching by staying current in the topics at hand. I do that in multiple ways. I teach psychology based classes and one way I stay current is by reading articles and book on the topic. Another way I stay current is by not only teaching the topics but also experience issues related to psychology first hand. In addition to teaching, I also work part time in the health industry with individauls with mental disorders/illnesses. This allows me to have 'front row seats' in todays issues surrounding mental illness, treatments, medications, therapy etc.
I attempt to also develop new ways of teaching by asking my fellow instructors what are some of their best practices in the classroom. What really motivates this group of students? I also 'steal' ideas that I believe are good ones and alter them to fit my students and the subject I am teaching.
