Refocus techniques can be applied to re-adjust the learning environment and assist in student's success.
Instructors have to occasionally take time to "Refocus" themselves like students because midway through a course you can get in a slump. Maybe test scores have been low or interest in subject matter has declined. As an instructor it's time to recognize this and give the students a new found reason to come to class daily and not drop out and excel in the program again.
It helps me to try to look at myself and my classroom from a third parties perspective. It is so easy to get into a rut with the old "it's time to make the donuts" mentality. Stepping back and taking a good look at my class allows me to make little corrections throughout my day and continually focus on why my students are in school and why I am a teacher.
Dr. Meers,
In my experience, I have found that recharging your batteries can keep you from "missing the boat" and loosing the students.
Just like anything else, you will run into tough chores and it can be mentally draining.
Some times all it takes is a little break or even to have another instructor, or even a student that really understands the material, to get it through to them.
While having another student or instructor bring that student "up to speed", it can be beneficial for the instructor that is Refocussing too, because that instructor may also pick up another technique, to add to his "tool box".
redundency becomes a problem
Mark, you are so right. Taking the time to do classroom assessments whether we are on track or getting behind will really save us time because we will have a better idea of what our students' needs are. Why keep going if the students do not really understand the previous concepts that we taught? Why spend time on concepts our students already understand?
Ileana
As we endour our days of work the mundain sometimes overcomes us as we are in it continually and it is new to the students. Life has its way of overshadowing the purpose of our mission to teach. Refocus is a terrific benifit to us.
Hi Tami,
Yes, the "ah-ha" moments are worth the effort we make each day as we go into the classroom. We just have to make sure that we pause and reflect on this once in a while or the challenges of teaching will overwhelm us.
Gary
I sometimes feel regardless of how I change things up or try to make things exciting some students are still going to play games on their computer or update their face book account. It sometimes gets trying. When students click and learn something new and get excited about what they are learning it reminds me of why I love to teaching. That drives me when I start questioning myself.
Hi Jacqueline,
You make a very important point about lesson plans. They need to be used to guide the content of the course but they need to be flexible or they won't be of value and cause frustration. By being flexible they enable instructors to modify and rearrange topics and formats as needed to reflect the dynamics of the class.
Gary
I think that any Instructor who has taught for any period of time can experience "burn-out" or lack of enthusiasm for what they are teaching, or perhaps it is just a "challenging" cohort. The importance of refocusing helps to maintain this enthusiasm as well it can help to "fine-tune" how the course material is being delivered to a challenging class. John Eliassen
This is why I think detailed lesson plans can be a bit of a trap. I have a folder of activities for each of the teaching modules, and go by the feel of the class as to what they will get more out of. It keeps the material fresh for me, and requires that I'm in tune with where they are as students, as opposed to just moving down my planning sheet...
I had that last term. Instead of infusing the class with vitality, group assignments and class discussion KILLED everything. It was painful. I quit trying to push them against their grain, and let them do the work individually.
They really enjoyed informative videos and this sort of thing, though. So I used more of that medium with them, and had them write quick responses of what they saw happening. I would encourage them sharing what they'd written after the fact- which did work better than typical class discussion, but if they weren't biting, at least I had their written responses to see where they were with the material.
At least you get a week. At our school, we MIGHT get a long weekend, but they often schedule mandatory inservice meetings. This is all the more difficult as we run an intensive program- each class meets for 2 hours daily M - F. Its very frustrating that the need for time to rest and regroup aren't acknowledged. It wears people down really quickly.
I also think sometimes its good to acknowledge that the pace of the program is wearing on folks. I do it in a way that shows "we're all in this together" then pull out my more creative lesson plans. For example, in my writing courses, I use Schoolhouse Rock to cover parts of speech at the end of the second week (of a 6 week course). The students LOVE it.
For my communications course, I have some creative exercises that tie the chapters that are more likely to have them groan "what do I need this for?" to a more real life application in their career field. Since I'm at a culinary school, watching an episode of "Kitchen Nightmares" is a great reminder of how and why communication is so important to running a successful business.
Hi James,
You are right abut up and down classes as well as wearing down during the course phase. This is when it is time to recapture the energy as well as try something a bit different so the students can get ramped back up and finish out the course in good order. With the restaurant situation letting down really isn't an option so I can appreciate how you have to keep the students at the top of their game throughout the course or the guests will let them know quickly.
Gary
I find both the students and the instructor (me) lose momentum during the lifespan of the class. By evaluating the class and revisiting objectives, I can make modifcations to the delivery of material. Because I work in a restaurant environmet, it's much easier to motivate students because they recieve immeditae feed back from the guests.
Sometimes the class will have down nights where the dinner service has difficulties. These are the best learning opportunities. As I tell the students "sometimes you learn more when the boat hits the iceberg".
Hi Anthony,
I like the reminder idea. Sometimes we get so busy that we forget that we are not as excited about the course and our teaching as we should be. Your reminder method causes one to pause and think about why you are teaching and then up the motivation factor so you can regain that needed excitement to be at your A game level once again.
Gary
I agree, there are times managers will schedule me for the same class for up to 16 weeks straight it’s easy to become unfocused after repeating the same class over and over. It would be nice to take a break? Maybe teach something different. To break the monotony. In the end the students are the one’s who suffer, especially if your not giving 100%.
I like this idea of REFOCUS there is no question that I have to go into class with the intention on making sure class stays interesting and challenging for the students. Instructors are human as well and have to be re energized. I put a reminder in my course outline notes every 8 – 10 days to refocus and evaluate the class inside and out.
