Teacher becomes a learner
An effective teacher should be open to learning more about the subject they are teaching. That being said, a teacher should not be closed to learning from their students just because they are students. Learning is learning, regardless of the source. It will make you a better teacher in the end.
I honestly cannot remember if I was intimidated by learning from a student in my very early days of teaching, but certainly today I find it one of the best ways to create two-way communication.I think students trust a teacher who can say "I don't know" or "I have no idea. Let's look it up."
There are times when it is not possible to deal with each inquiry in the middle of a class, but I always try to answer the question at the beginning of the following class. To me it makes the teaching environment more of a shared learning experience and it certainly eliminates students trying to "trip me up". This was a very interesting module for me.
I agree. I enjoy teaching, but keep an open mind to learn from my students. Teaching new students each quarter, I am challenged with new questions and ideas. It keeps me current and on my toes. we teach the foundations in the classroom and then they are introduced to more specifics during interships.
I have found the more I teach a particular area, the more I learn about it. The students tend to ask questions that I have not thought about or haven't been asked before, and it makes me think more in depth about the topic, occasionally having to do some outside research and teaches ME as much as it does the student in some cases.
I'm a strong believer that the learning process is constantly an ongoing process. As an effective teacher, you always have to stay current to keep the students engaged.
I have found that often I can learn things from my students that is not always related to the subject matter. More about how they learn best and how they feel about the whole learning experience. This has allowed me to adjust my style to suit the needs of the class.
In one of the classes I teach the lab assignment process is not set in stone. I tell my students "I've been doing this for 30 years and still learning new ways. If you come up with a different or better way and still get the same results, then lets discuss it and try it out."
This makes the class fun and the students really get into the lab assignment's.
I agree in the industry I teach in things are always changing and some of our students are out in the field seeing new product and while we are instructing it is hard to keep current. So listing to the students can keep us more current.
Actually, teaching screenwriting is a continuous learning experience. One the fundamentals are in place, it is the students "writing voice" that gives the surprises. As a writer, I always keep alert for a new way or fresh approach to story telling.
Jackie ,
yes, we must keep our minds & eyes open to see what we can learn from them as they learn from us.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree. I too learn from my students. Sometimes I learn something worthwhile that I can apply to my job os a dental assisting instructor. Other times I learn what I never want to do.
I learn from my students all the time. With the industry changing as it does, there are too many things to keep up with. The students will locate information about what they are interested in. They then want to share with the class. This is a win-win situation because we can all learn something new.
I learn everyday from my students because our industry changes so fast there is always something different and new to talk about.
