Even when it is outside your comfort zone, sometimes it really pays to experiment with different activities based on different learning styles. Some of the activities that would make me squirm to try really hit home with different learning styles. Trying group work, small discussion and sharing of real life experiences strengthens the bond you share with your students and opens the floor for more comfortable sharing.
I find that understanding my students needs helps me figure out my approach towards them especially if they need help. Is it a student that needs more nurturing, or maybe being strict will work better. In turn, the student feels like you have really taken the time to understand them and appreciates it more.
Hi Ann,
By being able to "read" your students you are making your instruction more customized and reflective of their needs. This is a valuable tool for all instructors and it sounds like you have a high level of skill at it.
Gary
Knowing your audience is essential when planning your approach to the class. If you do not cater to your students, there is a higher likelihood of them becoming frustrated and lost. If the students become frustrated, they can become cynical and negative, which could have a ripple effect and impact the entire class dynamic. Knowing how to approach the material to reach the widest audience is key. By making the material clear and relevant to their future careers (or even every day life), as well as doing frequent check-ins on comprehension of the material will make make the content accessible to more students.
I teach Culinary Supervision.
When I have a class of non traditional students it is much easier to relflect on previous experiences of good/bad managers or good/bad motivators through job history.
Traditional students you refer more towards their most recent educational experience.
Understanding learner characteristics is critical to planning instructional lessons. If you are not aware of how your students learn and what motivates them to learn you can spend hours creating what you think is the world's greatest lesson but in reality the students don't get what they should from it, they just go through the motions of class.
It takes time and energy to learn how your students learn and what motivates them. Sometimes things like motivation changes over the course of class depending on what is happening in the students life. Therefore, as the instructor it is important to always stay tuned in to your student's lives (not on a creepy stalking level) but rather what is happening behind the scenes of education to raise their stress and frustration levels or make them super happy. For example what did they learn at work that they could apply to class and feel empowered. What can they take from class and use to impress their boss, so on and so forth.
I found just taking a quick weekly pulse of my students helps me make little adjustments to class lessons to better reach the students.
Ann
Hi Don,
"Reading" a class of students is a must. This way you will be able to offer more customized instruction just as you indicated.
Gary
understanding the different types can help me tailor my lesson plans and overall lecture approaches during class
With adult learners, it is important to determine what there priorities are. Fostering a repore with adult learners helps me to show that I care about the events and responsibilities in the lives of my students and understand that they are individuals and not just another name on my roster.
It has also been important to me to express rules clearly and to make the effort to answer all questions posed by my studetns to the best of my abilities, researching answers that I don't know immediately.
Awareness is always key to being sucsessful. Understanding learner charactiristics can help you give better instruction to each individual. You can also better plan classes leaving time to use alternative technigues when neccessary.
I have 20 years of teaching experience and with this I find I have now been teaching across generations of learners. As times change, as well as the reasons for the students being here, I find that unknowningly I do address students differently. From teaching a wounded war veteran to a young 19 year old out of highschool, you quickly identify their techniques of learning and adapt to their needs so they can gain as much as possible. The success is when they can work together as a team and put out a product of equal quality; demonstrating to you that they have learned equally the same skills regardless of their background.
Understanding their learning characteristics and adjusting to their needs as quickly as possible will aid the students in becomming successful.
Hi Dan,
Your class has to be very interesting due to the content you teach. In addition, if you have students from other countries you have build in resources from which you can draw. What a great way to enjoy your students and your content.
Gary
Teaching an international cuisine class, I always try to found out by asking to my student if they come from an other country, or if they have some diferent backgroung, so the all class can benefit their expertise, and understand the diference of culture among students.
If you understand the learning characteristics of your students you can better plan by thinking of stories or examples that will make sense to them.
knowing their characteristics will give a better handle on how to relate the information to their lives which will in turn help then learn quicker and retain more information.
I start by seeing which students fits into either a classical or romantic sence of life. From there it will help in the enitial steps in instructional planning process.It is the origin of characteristics.
Hi Meggan,
Thank you for sharing this example of how different students require difference kinds of support in order to be successful. Their learning support needs is what we instructors need to be on the lookout for as we start a new class.
Gary
Hi Shannon,
You make a very good point about knowing your students. This is critical to teaching success. Thank you for sharing these comments.
Gary
The different learing styles must be addressed in lesson plans. What type of learner is the student. Cognitve, Affective, or Physiological. A classical style or romantic style identification will help before you classify and sub divide each student.
Students learn in so many different ways. It's important to understand your students and help teach them in the way that will best suit their needs. I remember a particular computer course I taught with an older student enrolled. The first part of class we would go through a demonstration together and then the second part they worked on assignments individually. This student worked better with me showing her individually rather than following along with the whole class. She worked better one-on-one. This isn't always possible in a large class, but it was easy to help her and answer questions after the demonstration.
All students are very different and without knowing information about them, such as age, disabilities, culture, etc., we as instructors aren't going to be able to teach, as well as we could. And in turn students may not learn the material as well. The outcome would be that both the students and the instructor are frustrated.
