Hi Heather,
You make a number of very good points about our attitudes as instructors. We have to be upbeat and excited about that day's class and the course content even if we don't always feel that way. Our students reflect our attitudes about the course, the college and their success.
Gary
it prevents burnout. it lets us get a state change just like what we do for the students. when we lecture too long we lose them and we can lose interest as well.
If instructors do not take time to "REFOCUS" on themselves, they have no idea what they are bringing to the class. As instructors our attitudes greatly affect the classes we teach. If we are not aware and do not make adjustments, we are doing a great disservice to our students. We are sending them the message that we don't care so why should they.
As instructors, we do not have the luxury of getting burned out and allowing the students to know. We need to be entheustic or our students won't be. Also, we need to know whether our students are understanding the material based on our method of presentation, or if we need to change what we are doing to make the material more understandable to the studnets.
Hi Joseph,
How do you make sure your objectives are in concert with the course and student needs?
Gary
The instructor should look at their expectations of each student to not put unrealistic goals that would not fit with the class dynamics.
in order to stay focused on the task of instuction ...sometime the instructor needs to make sure that their own objectives are being met in order to stay focused on their students needs
Hi Ivette,
Your approach is what makes teaching interesting. Variety is needed for both students and teachers. I teach the same course over and over again throughout the year and I have to take your approach or the course would become too routine for me and boring for the students.
How and where do you come up with different teaching methodologies so you can offer a different delivery style for your students?
Gary
Teaching methods should never become routine or habit because each group of students' dynamics are different. Student always share experiences. In order to maintain interest of the subject,I apply different teaching methodologies accordingly to the group of students. Eventhough it may be the same material,I put a twist to the presentation and application. The feedback from the students and the secondary instructors are my tools that guide my form of instruction.
To keep from falling into a rut or old routine ,an instructor must refocus occasionally for the benefit of both the students and the instructor.
after teaching the same subjuct for a number of years an instructor may become comeplacent and lose intest so they must step back and regroup - look for ways to change things around and make it more interesting to the instructor so they can make it more interesting to the students.
Hi Timothy,
Infants learn by imitating other infants or adults with whom they have contact. As they get older they are suppose to start thinking and acting more on their own. In some ways this is true but in many they still act like infants and imitate what they are exposed to. Your point about keeping "above the line" is a good one. Excitement is catching so this is what we bring to the classroom so they will imitate that. Will make classroom management much easier.
Gary
Hi Dr. Meers and fellow learners,
I agree with what many of you have said about falling into a rut. As our course notes discuss, instructors often lose steam as the course progresses; this is due to many factors. We as instructors are responsible for motivating our students. It's up to us to "refocus" in order to continue to motivate our students to be successful in their work which will increase student retention.
Sara
Lately I have been getting that run down feeling. I've noticed that the students performance has greatly been effecting my own mood and performance. We always need to take a step back form time to time, to refocus, so that our own bad mood on the situation does not bring down the students performance. It becomes a cascading effect if we do not bring ourselves back up "above the line".
Hi Kathleen,
Right on. By being awaken and focused we can start to enjoy our teaching once again and our students will know it.
Gary
Hi Clyde,
Well said. We as instructors have to keep our enthusiasm up so our students can keep their motivation up or our effectiveness will start to drop quickly.
Gary
It is hard sometimes to "see the writing on the box" when you are in the box. I think humans have to refocus because we slip into the mechanics of living and the routine and we become unconscious. I get bored with teaching the same curriculum over and over. We have to awaken!
Sometime when we are short on time or things dont go as planned we lose are enthusiasm and motivation. Sometime we dont even notice it until the students start geting bad test scores or missing class's. Some times we worry to much about playing catch up to the lessons planns or the syllabus. Some time we run out of gas and lose are enthusiasm for the subject when the students get the same attitude. It is time to stop and regroup. Check out your teaching methods and see if they have changed or need to be revised. The instructors need to come up with a plann to get back their enthusiasm and excitement in the classroom so it will ware off on the students and get things back to normal.
Hi Kathleen,
Well said. A used up burnt out instructor is of no value to anyone including themselves. Over the years I have experienced many such individuals. It seems to me that often times these individuals stay in teaching forever rather than stepping away or trying to refocus their skills back into being effective once again. I feel sorry for anyone that hates to step into the classroom. Teaching in spite of all the challenges is still great fun and a wonderful opportunity to help shape the future for students.
Gary
Hi Ricardo,
Right on! Motivation is a two way street. The instructor has to be motivated to deliver the subject and the student needs to be motivated to receive the information. By having the opportunity to refocus both goals can be achieved.
Gary
Instructors need to take time to 'REFOCUS' because it is so easy to become 'burnt out' or distracted by everything else in a learning environment.
Because we are working with humans, we tend to 'give, give, give' to our students. The more we want to see them succeed, the more we invest, emotionally, in them (at least, for me). This can sometimes lead to feeling very drained and empty.
If we 'REFOCUS,' we take time to look at both our teaching and our students' learning. We reflect upon what is and is not working. It is the perfect time to break up the monotony, inject a little fun, or just shake up the whole routine.
Just as children are eager on their first day of school and then become bogged down with the 'reality' of school as WORK, adult learners struggle too. We need to remember that they, too, need to feel refreshed and refocused when things start to feel stale!
It's definitely part of human nature. We need to remind ourselves of what we are trying to accomplish and who were are attempting to reach. If we are tired, bored, frustrated or burnt out, we have lost focus on both. Success cannot evolve from such negativity. When we 'REFOCUS' we allow ourselves to again feel excited and ready to succeed!
