Hi Lily,
You have captured the essence of keeping yourself charged up and ready to teach. We cannot let our bucket get too empty before we fill it back up or we will not be of any good to anyone, either at school or in our personal lives.
Good point—well made.
Gary
Somtimes, instructors are so focused on giving to the students, that they don't realize they need to take time out for themselves to REFOCUS. I think the parent-child relationship is a good analogy. But we all know that an instructor who is not feeling 100% will not be able to GIVE 100% either. Sporadically instructors must put themselves at the top of their own lists, in order to better serve students in the long run.
Hi Carol,
Right you are about the “slumpâ€. As you know students don't drop out at the beginning of the course, but do after about two thirds of the course has been completed. This is sad for two reasons, one the fact they drop out, and two they have completed so much of the course for which they receive no credit. Slumps occur for a number of reasons and instructors have to anticipate these slumps as they emerge. By planning for activities and changes in the pace of the course the students can be reenergized much like the famous bunny. The lead “bunny†in the process has to be the instructor. When slumps start to occur bringing in successful graduates to speak to the class, taking field trips, or planning a special event all help to get over the mountain and back into the learning process.
Instructors generally enjoy discovering what these special activities can be, since it helps them to not become bored with their classes as well as helping them motivate themselves to motivate students.
Good teaching.
Gary
It is not unusual for both instructors and their students to fall into a learning "slump" after a period of time. This slump can be caused by a variety of factors, both internal and external to the learning environment. Recognizing the "slump" and planning a course of action to overcome the situation is necessary in order to keep students engaged and actively participating in their learning process. To not overcome this situation can result in students dropping out of school. Additionally, it can take a negative toll on an instructor, as well.
Refocusing on the ways you teach, the agenda of the day and taking consideration of the student needs. All this will work hand and hand, the class runs smoothly they learn and you stay focused on the preperation of the class. We need to work together as a team.
In my Coding class I show my Students that i used to be like them .If they get stuck on Coding a medical term ,instead of looking up the answer on the answer sheet i will go step by step with them on what they did first and make a suggestin on how i would go about and after we found our answers i would check the answer sheet ,we do it as a game and we all discover little tips from each student as they went about it and compare to how i did it.
Joseph,
Your last sentence captures the essence of why we are in the classroom. We are preparing students to better their lives through skill acquisition and professional development. By using the steps of REFOCUS we can continue to stay refreshed and ready to do our work even better.
Gary
Our humanity gets in our way. As instructors not only do we wear that hat but also, the hats of counselor, advisor, confidant,seer, mentor etc..
Refocus ensures we are trying to stay on tract and motivate the students to be the best in their chosen field possible. I don't want my students to be just "entry level". We must stay on task and exceed their expectations while providing for their motivation.
Hi Jim,
You captured it all when you said it always remains our job to teach. We tend to blame shift so much that we forget what the real issue is. Through REFOCUS we can devote our energies to what we are about----quality instruction.
Thanks for the encouraging words about the section.
Gary
Dr. Meers,
As teachers we always need to keep in mind that as long as students are capable and willing to learn , then it's our job to teach. Sometimes it's easier to blame students than ourselves when students do poorly. REFOCUS is all about what I can do as a teacher to teach, not about what a student can do to learn.
Great section! I learned alot.
Jim Paich
Hi Kane,
Great question. Some courses are structured to the point they present real challenges for both the instructors and the students to stay focused on their learning needs and not drift away.
There are several things you can do. You can introduce “ice breakers†at different times throughout the class session. These activities can serve to redirect the students for a few minutes before they go back to their work. Granted these are not directly related to the course content but they really help the students to refocus. Another is for you to explore a new method of helping students as they work through their activities. I have, when teaching a sequence course such as this, decided that this class session I will try and ask questions back to the students to get them to work toward solutions, rather than just giving the answers. Other times I have had the students walk up to the desk and I discuss with them their questions or responses. This gets them out of their seats for a few minutes. The point is I change up my style so that I don't get in a rut and the course becomes boring to me as well as the students.
Keep in mind how you can change the delivery and interaction, since you cannot change the content. This is the key to REFOCUS.
Gary
When I teach a class I try to use as much hands-on or application learning as possible. I think this keeps the students coming back to class. Learn by doing has always worked really well for my students.
I agree, when the end of the term comes around, it is easy to lose interest in the class. And I think remembering the "big picture" for myself and the students is very important. The big picture being that the information the student is learning is going to be a valuable tool for their future.
What can I do in a computer class, such as Excel, to stay "REFOCUSed?"
Hi Glenn,
You are right. Sometimes our energy level and enthusiasm tends to drag during certain portions of a course. Unfortunately, as the classroom leader we really don't have the choice of letting our energy drain away. This means we have to keep our energy level up and strive to identify ways we can keep our students excited and challenged.
We need to always be on the lookout for new ways to present material, games or activities that can be used to stimulate learning, and keep the student engaged in the learning process.
REFOCUS is intended to help meet that end. Revisiting REFOCUS helps everyone to reengage and getting for the next course segment.
Gary
The instructor's learning curve about the new students and the associated learnativity begins to flatten out because acceralated learning has occurred and probably been successfully. The challenge and the personal excitement of teaching within an environment of new students have also worn off for the same reason. To sustain learnativity for the remainder of the course requires extra reserves from the instructor. It's kind of like pulling a load up a hill. Halfway up, a pause and energy recharge is needed to get to the top of the hill.
Eric,
I think that all of us, at one time in our careers, have asked ourselves why we are doing it. In this fast-world, we can also "refocus" on what else we do need to learn to teach, so that our students/future employees can keep up with today's ever changing workplace.
Pamela
Ken,
I totally agree about getting into a rut, especially in a class that we have taught several times. We need to be more aware of students who are not "getting it" as easily as others, so that we can do extra to help them and benefit others as well. I've had to do that this quarter in one of my computer classes. Even though I have my computer screen projected on the white board, I still need to write or draw on the board to put more emphasis on certain parts of the lesson. I've had to do it more this quarter than ever; that's o.k. If they need it, they will get it in my class.
Pamela
-Hi Gloria,
You have captured the essence of why we are teachers. Our “customers†are asking a “service†of us and that is to help them acquire the skills and expertise to enter into and succeed in their chosen career field. You are right about letting all of the “paperwork†interfere with our teaching sometimes.
REFOCUS means just that. We need to take stock as to where we are and how we can move forward to improve out professional expertise. I try to implement a new strategy each phase I teach for two reasons, one it helps keep me fresh and two I can improve my own expertise by using a new technique.
You have a great attitude about your field and your students.
Gary
It is very easy as instructors to get caught up in the paperwork, the rules, the laws and all the other "nonsense" we did not realize was an integral part of any school. It is very easy to lose focus. Our focus should be the students, they are our customers, without them we would not have a job. We have to be fresh, throrough, empathetic, concise and determined to remain teaching the industries standards to the best of our abilities at all times. We are teaching the future, How will you impact it?
