If we have taught the same course over and over again, we can get stale on the topic. Refocusing can help us stay fresh as instructors. This will in turn encourage students to stay engaged in the learning process and progress on their learning track.
If we as instructors get stale, tired out or lose our enthusiasm, the student can follow that same path with us. It is improtant to keep them engaged and moving forward in their education and career path.
instructors are subject to boredom and decrease in self-motivation just as their students are
Caroline,
This is so important because it helps students to see the current value of the content they are studying. Also they see relevancy to the content because it can be applied outside of the classroom through the connections you make with trends and updates.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to search for interesting trends or updates to what I am teaching. Sometimes just brining in current events makes it relevant to students to understand the topic better and it encourages conversation.
I know that we get off topic when discussing something, It is important for us to stay on tpic because the learning will quickly become talking and socializing not learning.
Cheryl,
So true and so important for all of us to remember. If we get burned out then we are not going to be the role models we need to be for our students. Inspiration from previous students is a great way to remember why we do what we do.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In any career, spending the time to refocus is necessary. Everyone can get burned out. When I start to feel this way, I take a breath and think about the positive side of the situation. I like to reflect on times I have been successful. In my office, I used to keep messages that I have recieved from students who really enjoyed my interactions with them.
I'll have to work on this. It's easy to get caught up in pass/fail rates and forget about the students.
Brenda,
Good for you and your students. I agree about the mid-term slump and how we have to battle it. This is when we introduce something new and fun and get our students ramped up as we head toward the back half of the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Ruben,
Engagement in learning is a must. We can't let our students become passive in class because they will shut down if they do and we will not have achieved our goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
David,
A good point for all instructors to remember as we go into the classroom. I teach two sections of the same course back to back and I have to maintain careful notes on what I did in each course so I am consistent and fresh in my teaching.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
By mid-term it often seems that both students and instructor are weary. I find myself with students not focused on their goals, not completing homework, coming to class unprepared, and not paying attention in class. This is my "wake-up call"! I realize that I must refocus on my teaching goals and breathe new life into my presentations. I plan new delivery methods to er-engage the students into the learning process.
Instructors need to refocus more frequently than discussed. Students need to always be challenged, if not they will easily be bored. Please keep your students active and entertained on the lesson. ruben
After several terms of the same course I lose track of why I'm teaching certain lessons. It os good to remind myself of the students perspective. For me it maybe the 10th time or the 100th time. For them it's always the first time.
Cynthia,
Your last sentence is something I do each time I teach my course sequence. I teach the same courses three times a year so I try something new each time so I don't become bored and I work very hard to keep my energy up for each class. I have fun teaching and I want my students to have fun learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think it is important to refocus because once you have taught the same class a couple of times things become routine and your enthusiasm for the subject is less. Students will pick up on this and their eagerness to learn the subject matter will decrease as well. Refocusing is also good for implementing different lessons or improving on lessons.
You need to REFOCUS on class because if you are getting bored, chances are your students are also bored.
I like to incorporate hands on skills for the students. (Phlebotomy/Hematology)
Then, I like to have the students act as if they are the teacher and they have to teach the class one topic...
Notably in the field of accounting and finance lot of new techniques of analysis and new ways of analysis have been introduced, it is essential for the teachers to refocus in these issues.
Taking time out to REFOCUS enables instructors the ability to step back and "breathe" for a moment. In other words, it gives them the ability to revisit their normal routines and assess the overall effect on their present audience. It gives the instructor the opportunity to self-audit, as well as redirect their teaching methods, if necessary.
Donald,
Great to hear that you are enjoying this new chapter in your career pathway. Teaching is a wonderful way to impact lives and leave a legacy.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
