Hi Jodi,
This is a win win situation for everyone, plus it helps keep the interest level high. I am always excited about trying something new so I can see how it will turn out for my students. This excitement spreads to the students as well. Good points.
Gary
To avoid "burnout" comparable to what can happen to students. Taking the time to look at yourself and how you are doing things in a class will help to get you going again if you are "dragging" for some reason. It's important to vary things you do in class to help the students from getting in a rut but you have to avoid those things yourself also.
To make sure they are not doing the same thing class after class, quarter after quarter. This way the teacher won't get bored teaching and the students won't get bored learning. When an instructor refocuses and tries something new, it will shake things up for them and the students and everyone may learn something new in the process.
Hi Tom,
Good point. The challenge of meeting the learning needs of the current students is enough reason to work hard on staying at the top of your game.
Gary
Hi Ed,
Good points about how to keep the edge as an instructor. Long distance runners talk about "hitting the wall" at about the 20th mile of a marathon. As a runner I can say this is really true and then you start to question yourself. By knowing about the "wall" looking for ways to get through it you can keep the edge you need as an educator. Having a spouse that is an educator as well does help because both of you can encourage each other and before you know it you are at the end of the course.
Gary
Hi Jerry,
Well said. You make a good point about the need to energize our selves to keep us sharp and focused.
Gary
Hi Sarah,
You make a very good point about the revisiting part of renewal. Have we as instructors kept the vision clear in our minds as to why we are teaching the material and how it is going to impact the lives of our students. If we do that then refocus becomes easier to do because we believe in our cause and effort.
Gary
It's imperative to take that step back frequently and assess what's going. Doing so allows us to make the best of the classes and situations we are involved in. Hopefully, our students will recognize what we are doing and this will also carry thru to them.
Hi, Tom. This is so true. Students today want to go online to see videos. They seek Internet networking sites. Adapting to the way today's students learn is as important as the subject matter; that is, if you want to be successful as an instructor. Change is the only constant, as they say.
Many times we forget this is the student's first time taking the class. We can't become robotic or routine in our teaching.
Students that are entering school today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. You need to refocus as an instructor to stay up on the type of student we are teaching today.
to make sure we stay on the right track,as well as keeping the students inter active and not board.Sometimes we overlook the ovisious, maybe the students are not catching on or just dont understand where we are doing, for me to refocus myself helps me to become aware of these things.
Hi, Sarah. Great metaphor. I agree; change is good when teaching the same subject. With the use of technology, I find that the Internet provides a wealth of sites/info. from which to incorporate into the curriculum. Students always appreciate that.
Instructors need to refocus to determine if students are learning by staying motivated and interested in content. It is especially important during the second half of the course. Recharging for both students and instructor is often needed to move forward in meeting course objectives, etc.
REFOCUSing is a way for one to remain 'fresh' and on task as the class progresses. This technique will help insure that if I am teaching the same subject material regularly that I do not fall into a monotonous pattern and lose my enthusiam.
When the excitement of the course begins to wear thin (normally around the fifth week, I have learned over the years to "tank-up" with high octance "fuel." Part of that "fuel" is an encouragement of self. "Ed, you can do this. You can make this a valuable learning experience for your class and yourself." I have also leaned on the necessity of inserting something new and different for the class. Routine can be deadly. A new challenge invigorates all including myself.
As mentioned in the course, there is a drag effect from those not achieving. I try to push past that inertia by keeping upbeat and focusing on the possibilities and the accomplishments that I have seen during the weeks. Since my spouse is also a teacher at the Academy, we encourage one another through "decompressing" and making an attempt to highlight each day's successes. A team effort is often better than flying solo.
Ed Gazsi
Sometimes we all get so involved in what we're doing that we lose sight of where we're going and how far we've come. To Refocus by looking back at what we've already accomplished makes us feel more optomistic about what we're about to learn, which keeps us on the right path towards success.
Intructors have their own personal issues occasionally, and do not have instant 'feedback' on the job they are doing. Consequently, the instructor does need to refocus to enegize self.
Sometimes as instructors we fail to deliver the value of the material to our students. It can become all too easy to fall into a monotonous routine of teaching information that we have presented time and time again. If we do not take time to refocus on the importance of the material we are educating about, then the students will not see the importance in what they are learning. If we as instructors stay enthused and dedicated to the material, the students will as well. The instructor has the job of setting the positive learning environment. To me, refocus does not always mean coming back to the purpose of the material; rather revisiting why the material is being delivered in the first place.
