Russell,
great self-observation. Movement really does help in keeping the attention of the class & helps to engage them better.
Dr. Ryan Meers
gbolahan,
it is very difficult to make sure that we are providing as much time for the ending material that we are for the beginning.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I would like to improve my ability to encourage and deliberate class discussions. I feel that teaching in this fashion helps to keep the class engaged, as well as incorporating some peer to peer learning which helps the students relate to the topic.
After completing this section on communication, I feel that I greatly need to improve on moving throughout the class. PowerPoint is a vital tool to my presentations / lecturers and I find myself "tied" to the computer or lectern. When I return to the class room I will make it a point to move about more.
i need to slow down. many students get lost while i try to finish the days work and since most times its a chain of information, once they are lost, they begin to play catch up
I would like to improve in leading the student in the direction of the in course. Mainly the delivery of the topic at hand.
Improve voice, diction, and humor to blend together in a positive manner.
Dallan,
it is important to reach all of our students & to ensure that they are engaged with the material. I also understand that it can be frustrating when you're the only one talking. One word of caution is that some personalities do not wish to speak in front of a group & so that does need to be handled with care.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Shirley,
Wow, definitely a challenging situation when you have that many students. One suggestion would be to conduct discussions in pairs or triads & put a 3 minute limit on them. Give them a thought-provoking question & let them briefly discuss.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Naveed,
this is definitely a struggle & challenge. A couple of things might be to include these students in the presentation of the lecture. Often they are disruptive because they are bored. Another option is to approach them privately & explain that their behavior is distracting to other students & ask them to control themselves better. Best wishes.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Thomas,
this is a challenge that I believe many in similar fields face. There are a variety of retention methods that are out there, not sure if any of these would work in your situation, but might be worth exploring.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I would like to improve my ability to reach students who are not normally "interactive" students. It would help create a "group" learning environment, rather than the standard "lecture and listen" learning environment.
Student discussions. Student involvement at times can get out of hand very quickly in class of 50+ students.
Also even when I am well prepared sometimes student questions throw me for a loop. They sometimes don't know how to ask a question. Or possibly I don't always know the answer.
I would like to, how to communicate with students, who disruptive and disturbing in class?
A : Theoretical Retention.
Why : I work at an Audio Engineering School. Although we have studios and classes where the students get to have " hands on " time , most of the classes are theory and the students need to retain the information for when they " do " get to the " in studio " classes. My biggest difficulty is getting the students to realize how important it is to grasp the concept before they get their hands on time. The importance of conceptualizing the signal flow , where to look when things go wrong , troubleshooting , that is just as important as when they actually get to run the equipment.
Experience is obviously helpful when working with equipment , but the concepts are the same , and I need to develop a way to help them " approach " the ideas without having the actual equipment in front of them. It seems as though after a week of theory when we actually get in the studio , few remember the theory and we start all over.
James,
I definitely think it will help you to develop a better rapport. I would say for your position a big part of this will be in demonstrating (physically & communicatively) your openness to the students.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Crystal,
this is definitely a challenge. A couple of things you might want to try: 1) make it clear that you do not allow this behavior while you are lecturing & follow up on that; 2) periodically ask questions in your lecture, this might help keep all students engaged with what you are discussing.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Paula,
so glad that the information is already proving useful. It is difficult to make ourselves do this, but very important, keep at it!
Dr. Ryan Meers
Linsey,
being concise & to the point is definitely a learned skill. Keep after it & I'm sure you'll get it.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Iolanda,
this is a challenge for many of us, especially when we are so familiar with the material. We have to remember that they don't know the information nearly as well as we do.
Dr. Ryan Meers
