Understanding learner characteristics helps to determine the type of instructional methods to use to reach different learning styles. It also helps to respond to student questions and concerns. Knowing your audience is key in oral and written communication.
I agree; I learn the names of my students the first day of the course; then the next time I see one of my students, I can address that person by name. It starts to build a rapport that is essential to building a class community. Building trust and respect, as you mention, are the next steps to buildling a great class.
Usually on the first day of class, when we're doing introductions, I like to mention my experience in the work world before I became an educator and then have the students tell me what kind of experience they have had thus far. This helps me gauge their knowledge and we can work from there.
Understanding whether a learner is auditory, visual, tactile, allows the instructor to plan accordingly. Each person in the class needs a chance to have the stimulus requisite for their particular learning characteristic, and a class may be made up of all of them; therefore, knowing how the students in any given class learn allows the instructional planner -- or, as I like to call this person: the "teacher" -- to devise several different ways in which to present the same material so that all students participating have an equal chance to succeed in the course.
If I can understand the learning characteristics of my students, I can empathize what they are going through. I can plan my lesson to help them get what they need out of the course. I can usually do this by the end of the first two sessions. After that, I have a baseline to go from. This has worked well for me in the past.
I know in my class understanding learner chatacteristics is very important. In Restaurant Guest Service, my students come from a varuety of different age groups, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, as aell as, different socio-economic classes. By knowing each learners characteristics it helps me to plan my lectures and demonstrtaions to the group as a whole, but also to identify those groups which may require further attention and practice at a particular skill or acquiring specific information. For example, my adult learners who transfer to us from other professions may have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to etiquette, where as my high school students may or may not. I try to taylor my lecture to include all of the key concepts of etiquette, hile ontanstly trring to assess the undertanding of my younger students. By understanding this I may during service time I may spend more time with the focusing on etiquette.
All students enter the classroom with a certain amount of baggage. Many students have jobs and families that can take attention away from school. If a student attended a different school can bring past experiences and attitudes into your classroom. In order to be able to fully reach our students we need to understand their goals. What do they hope to accomplish by attending this class/this institution?
Each learner comes from a different background, has different levels of experience, education and knowledge. By understanding their individual characteristics an instructor will be able to decide how to deliver the content of the course so that all students will benefit.
I have had a great deal of students in the past that have been told all their life, that they are failures. This is a very important thing for instructors to be aware of, so they can help that student to build the self esteem that they need to be successful in the course. This can be a very challenging process, but when you can help a student to trust themselves and to see themselves as smart, it is extremely rewarding for both you and the student.
Understanding learner characteristics should greatly influence the manner in which you will teach a certain topic. Adult learners really want to know what's in it for them and really want to know the why's. Why do I need to know this? Why do I have to do this activity? etc. Without knowing the learner characteristics of your current class, it will become difficult to meet the needs of all the students.
If you can understand the characteristics of the learners in the classroom, you can plan activities that will help different students learn in more ways. One thing spoken of in this module was age. There are a couple of students in one of my classes who are in their 40s-50s who see games as a waste of classroom time, but the younger students always seem to like them.
An instructor needs to have all the information she/he can have about their students so then can best be prepared to teach them in the best way they can. Knowing the student gives you and edge in the planning of your cirriculum.
Understanding learner characteristics is a great "leg up" in the classroom. Many times I have found that knowing learning characteristics of my students has helped to streamline the structure of the class. In turn the students get much more information and enjoyment out of the information being taught.
I really enjoy using learner types,it helps me understand the student better and how interactt with them. I helps in life too. Great life skills.
Understanding Learner characteristics will help the overall intellectual atmosphere of the classroom. A sensitive instructor will be careful to consider such factor as age, cultural influences, and work experience in determining the needs of his students. It is important to make the oldest student feel a part of the class, and it is equally important to make the youngest student a part of the class. Culture plays an important role as well. A teacher's best tool for dealing with culturally diverse students is to be sensitive to the reactions of his students. Finally recognizing and validating the work experience of students will help raise self esteem in the classroom
Understanding learner characteristics is essential to every aspect of a successful class. When planning for a class, knowing your students will help to include activities which will engage all students. Empowering your students by seeking input and/or solutions to concerns gives them ownership in the class. They often have suggestions which I may not have considered. Using these suggestions in planning helps them to feel valued. So, listening to all interactions in the classroom can facilitate planning.
Hi Emilio,
Being friendly and accessible is very important in setting the tone for the class. You are showing your students that you care about their success and want to be a part of their future by offering them relevant content each time the class meets.
Gary
Hi Herb,
Good way to lay a solid foundation of knowledge about your students. This way you have a departure point for your planning and the customizing of instruction for that class.
Gary
It helps asses the starting sequence, by firmly greeting each student as they walk in the first day I can tell who is shy and who is not and use that to my advantage when the course has discussions at hand. Also letting them know that they can come to me and ask for help with subjects that might be too difficult, motivates the students to keep learning even when stuck at a roadblock
For the classes I teach a couple things come to mind. We have situations where students work/observe out in the real world at job sites. I try to make sure when I group them that I have a diverse mix in regards to age so that the more mature students kind of "keep the younger ones" on task etc. Also if I find out that I have a number of students with small children, maybe more than one part-time job, etc., I try to make sure out of class work is not just "busy work" and somethings have more in class tasks so that they have a setting and time to get it done.
It is very important to understand where your students are at as far as experience, expectations, and their needs. Sometimes it is difficult to put them in learning situations that can help help them if you are kind of "blind" to their 'away from school' situations. I try to get to know them as much as possible within reason, so that I can adjust in the class if needed. I do this the first day by having them fill out a "get to know you" sheet. Usually this helps but sometimes students are afraid to reveal themselves so to speak so you hope to pick up on it early in class.
