Is this really neccessary for college
Who pays for all of this? I hardly have time for prep, now I should go out & buy Saf - t- Pops. Do I need to get safety sizzors too
I was thinking about this during the module as well - my classroom is mine for only the 10 hours/week I'm teaching a given class. It is used by other instructors during my off-days, etc. And the terms at my career college are only 5 weeks long, so there isn't time to do much with the room.
However, I did find the points about changing up seating arrangements and configurations interesting and will try implementing those.
connie,
you don't necessarily have to rearrange a room or tape up posters to help the students be engaged in the class environment. By thinking through these ideas & suggestions, you might come up with some other creative ideas that will work for you within your time constraints.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I'm with you. These ideas might provide some help to the learning environment. but my day begins at 8am and my 1st class starts at 8. lunch from 12-1 and back into my 1pm class. not much time for prep and rearranging a room and taping up posters.
I teach in a different room each session. It would be great to have an assigned room where I could create the décor discussed in this module. I must improvise by implementing what I can actually carry!
Finding ways to motivate 19- to 24 year-old men in an automotive technical school is going to differ from motivating students in an art school or culinary college. Find posters that show various NASCAR winners or customized trucks. They provide their own music on their Smart phones, so I won't compete with that. That would end up being a distraction.
Yes, most of these suggested classrom activities requires an added cost and burden to the faculty. We are limited to the supplies provided by the institution and there is a cap as to the amount of itemized tax deduction based on IRS regulations. Regarding the use of music, we tried using classical/instrumental music during our "warming-up" sessions but majority of students deslike the idea. For those opposed, it was stated that it is a major distraction. Music and other peripheral learning tools may be useful for general education, liberal arts, and even technical classes depending on how the students react to it. My only suggestion is for the faculty to determine which one is useful for him or her.
I'm at a Culinary college also and we are very limited to waht we are able to incorporate. It is against policy to have music in the room unless the students are deep cleaning, but it doeas work as a great motivator for cleaning. We also put posters on the walls in our classrooms to aid in learning and use props where ever possible.
I will try to mix it up with lecture and demos ( I am at a culinary college), but if I go to far off the path, the potential for losing the focus of the class is greatly enhanced. In many professional environments in the field that they are training for, music does not occur, with the theory that it detracts from one's focus. I establish this in my classroom, so they will get a better feel for what "the real world" is like.
The trick is to empower them with these "bag-0-tricks" to learn confidently rather than enablin them to be ineffective students.
It is important to get the student motivated and interested, and keep them in this state. I make every effort to be positive, be on time, and give them positive reinforcment. This may sound dumb, but I use smiley face stickers and write positive comments on their homework, and even though these are grown adults, they say they like and appreciate this gesture.
Its the small things that many times gives them that extra push.
Our job is to replace bad habits and negative thought processes with good habits and positive thought processes, and that transition is extremely difficult for most people.
David,
well put. One of our biggest roles as instructor is as cheerleader & motivator. Many of our students came initially enthusiastic but life drags them down. We need to try to reinfuse the excitement.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
One of the biggest surprises for me when I first started teaching college was the fact that in spite of my adult students choosing to be there, and actually paying darn good money for it, their vested interest was NOT anywhere close to where I thought it should be. In many ways they acted like children; in some ways worse than children because they had such high expectations of themselves, and it did not take much to discourage them.
The difference is that they ARE adults, and telling them what to do and not to do or scolding them as you might a child can be offensive and not very effective. One needs to divert their attention from where there minds want to take them, and get them to realize on their own the importance of their education. And if colors or posters or music or anything else mixes it up for them enough that they can put aside the years of negatively to which some of our students have grown acustomed, even for a few moments, it's well worth the effort. Our job is to replace bad habits and negative thought processes with good habits and positive thought processes, and that transition is extremely difficult for most people.
Any trick that works and makes the students think, ask questions or intrigues discussion is great. When I teach a chapter on memory, i have Barbara Streisand singing the song "memories", over and over until class starts, sometimes I use the "Cats" version. It perks them up and drives them a little crazy but they are definitely awake and ready for class.
Janice,
yes the classroom decor really can impact how we approach the class & our excitement for it.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Engaging students at any level can be trying sometimes. I took a great deal of care to decorate my classroom with bright colors and make the room inviting for my adult students. When first employeed, I was congratulated on my classroom. Then the powers that be changed and we were told to take everything down. I find now that not only does it feel cold and inpersonal to my studnets, but it leaves me cold as well. It has become more difficult to get excited about being in the classroom because it no longer feels like its mine.
Michael,
many of these ideas can be implemented without cost or really extra work outside of the normal prep. You also have to gauge your individual classes to determine if these ideas would be helpful or not. Unfortunately there is not a one size fits all solution but that is where we, as professionals, read our classes & determine the best way to provide the information to them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Michael,
many of these ideas can be implemented without cost or really extra work outside of the normal prep. You also have to gauge your individual classes to determine if these ideas would be helpful or not. Unfortunately there is not a one size fits all solution but that is where we, as professionals, read our classes & determine the best way to provide the information to them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
