Instructors need to refocus do to it becomes almost like a robot just stuck in a grove and not inproving. It has helped me to be able to go watch other instructors teach. This gives me ideas to inprove the way I do things.
I take tim eto refocus to keep from being bored with my course. Boredom is pretty evident to students
LEARNER NEED. I teach a psychology course and require a pretty demanding final project. While some of my students had no problem budgeting their time over the course of the semester to work on the project, others were struggling. I made a change and required the students to submit components of the project as homework assignments throughout the course of the semester. It worked! More students completed the project, and more were able to get the help they needed from me earlier on in the term.
Carolyn,
Good advice for all instructors to follow. Stop and consider what is going on and how to regroup and then move forward. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
need to re-group and renew your enthusiasm for the material and re-think ways to help students get enthused about the course
Instructors are human and sometimes they get frustrated just like the students for reason or another. When this happens, they stop being affective. But when they take the time to "REFOCUS", it gives them a renewed spirit and reminds them of why they are there and places them back to what they enjoy doing and that is educating students.
Angela,
I think you are going to have a lot of fun with this strategy.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Crystal,
I agree with you about the need to be fresh and excited as we teach a course again. We can do this with new assignments, activities and deliveries. The element of the unknown is something that I like when I use a new activity for example. I don't know exactly how it will work so I am really focused on using my best skill sets to make it successful. When the activity does work then I get even more excited. This is what makes teaching fun.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
When instructors take a step back and try to refocus their energies, it may also generate new ideas on ways for the students to refocus. Sometimes are original ideas on how to conduct a course just don't work out as planned. As an instructor, it's natural to plow through with the original plan, even though some changes would be more effective.
It is important for instructors to refocus because first they are human and sometimes when they feel unappreciated or that students are not trying or care about their education, the instructor will loose focus or possibly loose enthusiasm. This can cause a chain reaction that will affect the entire learning environment.
I know I get bored with the same things over and over again. I need to refocus all the time to remind myself that I might know all that is in the course, but the students don't and it is easier to learn when something is exciting, not boring. I do love the surprise part of refocus. I am going to implement that into my classes. It should be great fun and I am already looking forward to it.
I think that most instructors teach the same (or somewhat the same) courses every quarter/semester. So, after an instructor has taught Medical Terminology for 7 semesters/quarters, I think that their teaching style can become routine or almost monotonous. I think that refreshing your teaching style every new semester/quarter is always a great way to stay up to date an effective in your teaching style.
It is important to REFOCUS so that you do not get lazy. It would be easy to present the same lesson, the same way, to every class, but that will just make you lazy. We always need to adjust, change, and modify to not only incorporate new information or material, but to also not get into a scenario where you are just going through the motions.
As a instructor who helps cover and pick up extra classes, I always find myself feeling abit weary. My stratagie to refocus is to, ask question to my student not only from my class, but from previous A&P course to acess there long term memory, and combine that thought with the present situation. This gives me empowerment and a great feeling that they are getting the inform as a whole.
After teaching the same subject for a while, a teacher can become bored or lackadaisical with the subject. REFOCUS will help us to get our energy back and remember what it is about the subject that makes it so fun to teach. This renewed energy will show to the students, and will translate into excited classes.
Issy,
Great attitude. Your excitement is catching. I am sure this spreads into the class as well. Being in a dynamic field gives you more than enough content to each course. Change is a constant in your industry that is for sure.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Timothy,
That is why it is so important to "read" each student and class. By knowing your students you will be able to customize your instruction to the point that you will keep the students engaged and focused on their success.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Being a fashion industry instructor I must constantly keep myself updated and often refocus myself to see the new technolgies and advancements available for not only my students but also myself. There is so much exciting always happening in my industry that it is actually easy to be able to find new exciting industry ways teach new information to my students.
Diane,
Good point about revisiting and refocusing our content. We need to make sure that our students understand and can apply what we are teaching them. This is what good teaching is all about.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Every class is different. Sometimes you have a group of students that are really sharp and you are able to get through material quicker than with other groups. Sometimes it's the opposite. You have to be able to decide how best to proceed with the course so that the students can recieve the maximum benefit.
