We can take the course and the student for granted next thing all you here is blah blah blah we need to refocus and make things exciting for the students and for ourselves.
This is true for me also,refocusing on my interest on the subjects I'm teaching, will keep my students motivated in the classroom.
Greg,
I like your approach and I am sure your students do as well. You are introducing some fun and excitement into the lab and as a result you have more engaged students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Javier,
I think it does as well. It is something that we all need to do now and then.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Laura,
Great to hear! I am excited for both you and your students as you get them a final shot of content and confidence so they can transition to their careers with energy and excitement in relation to what they can accomplish.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is easy, as an instructor in a computer lab, to become distracted with the maintenance and housekeeping issues that are part of teaching a class. If my focus is shifted there during class time, I might miss a key learning opportunity for a struggling student. In addition, my class might perceive that I have ‘more important’ issues to attend to than their success in the classroom. So, it is critical for me to be an active and interested participant in each of the classes that I facilitate/teach.
Computer labs can tend to be too quiet or boring for some of the younger students. I use humor each day to make each day a fun and enjoyable learning experience. In the process of ‘lightening their load’, I find that my load becomes lighter and I have more energy to carry me through the day. This process helps keep me energized and focused for my students.
This allows the instructor to regroup and reenergize themselves. One has to be passionate and informative to teach a particular course. If the class is becoming stale or the same old, same old, the instructor will become less excited about the information they are teaching. Also in my field, we also have improving technology and new information coming out as we speak. It is important to keep all your information you are teaching up-to-date.
We sometimes tend to take things for granted and expect our students to know the exact same things we know. It is at this time we need to take on step backward and observe the environment around us. It is very important that we realize that we know this material being taught and that our students DO NOT. We need to develop a better game plan to instruct our student in the desired subject. This is why we need to refocus ourselves in order to be more effective.
I think, "REFOCUS" really allows time for a teacher to step back for a second and again refocus on the realities of teaching.
This can (and usually is) a combination of student and instructor "burnout". For instance, I teach in career program where the students are in their final classes on campus. It has been a long journey for them, and me as well. My challenge is to breath new life into both myself and the students. This session of CEE MAX has given me some new ideas to taking that approach.
Gayle,
You make a number of good points about how we mentally need to come prepared to class. Yes, we do get tired just as our students but need to strive to keep the energy level up because if we don't it won't be long before everyone is just going through the motions in class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Roxzelda,
Good reminder because if we aren't excited about what we are teaching it is for sure the students won't be either.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
After doing the same class several times I find that I sometimes have to realize that one class may be more advanced than another. So I need to step back and re-evaluate my teaching style. What works with one group will not work with another. Then too, I get tired about mid way. Sometimes discouraged because there is soooo much material to cover. I have to remember what we have learned and praise them for their accomplishments. If I get bummed(no matter how well I think I'm hiding it) they fell the energy and get discouraged too.
Sometimes when you teach the same subject over and over again you can get in a rut. I like to think about the students point of view when I go over my daily lesson plans.
Kenisha,
You make a good point because as humans all the things you listed to happen to us. We need to be on guard for them and head them off as our students start to wear down around the middle of the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Because we are human and sometimes get bored, burnt out, slack, lazy, etc. It's normal but when we recognize the signs we should immediately REFOCUS so that it doesn't affect the students. They feed off of us and if we are not engaged in the subject, they're certainly not going to be. REFOCUS definitely is needed to get us back on track.
Doris,
That is correct, no one wins when the instructor does not have passion for the content being shared nor enthusiasm about sharing it. We need to bring our A game to class each time it meets.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Angela,
Right you are. This is why I introduce new content or a new activity into my courses each time I teach them. This way I am excited about the new material and the repeated material is not boring. My enthusiasm remains high and I have student engagement going on in my classes.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I feel that it is important for instructors to refocus, simply because I myself has had to refocus. It's super important for the students to stay motivated and if they are't because the instructor lacks motivation then no one wins.
Refocing somethings will bring the students to the original lesson plan.
