The information age can bite you as an "authority" so I guess you need to re-read alot of your old trade favorites too.
It is important to refocus so thatan instructer dosent get stuck in the past as an industry changes
Jason,
You make a number of good points about keeping the energy up for the entire course. I think you are going to really like the results you get from the two activities you are going to try in your next course.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Instructors need to take time to refocus so that as the semester or quarter continues they do not loose interest or enthusiasm in the subject that they are teaching. This could inadvertly cause the student to loose intrest which may hinder their learning process and cause their success in class to diminish...
I find that sometimes in the middle of my lectures is possible that i will wonder off and start discussing something rerelevant. I do that sometimes because of my close relationships and friendlyness with my students. Sometime i will catch myself and say no you have to stay on topic. Therefore by refocusing myself it helps me move through my content better.
I organize my class into 3 sections, that way each time we move into the next section I can refocus on the upcoming goals and reflect on my previous goals. It refocuses the students also as we move from lecture to hands-on teaching and then return to lecture before the finale of the class. The middle section with hands-on learning helps them to see their learning in action and feel more confident as the course moves on.
Instructors need to refocus so that they stay enthusiastic and excited about the material and skills they teach;otherwise, how can they expect the students to stay excited and interested?
Instructor refocus is necessary for course management as well as instructor motivation. I like to take stock of my course(s)just following mid-quarter for both of these reasons. Often, I am just a little behind the syllabus with progress becaues there is no way at the beginning of a course to assess how the students will 'move.' I sometimes prepare a "new, revised" syllabus to help the students and myself stay on track. When it is distributed, I discuss how far we have come. The progress they have made is meant to encourage them by reminding them that we have covered a lot of ground and they have been part of that. In addition to this, I always have the second half of the course pre-planned to be much more active and interactive than the first half. The group exercises and movement about the room not only helps to keep their interest up, but knowing that the second half of the course is going to be more active energizes me as well. I actualy look forward to it. Besides...it is on the down side. The only concern is to accomplish all that needs to be finished. Challenges are energizing!
I know personally the beginning of every term, my energy level is through the roof, I try my absolute hardest to keep that energy up, but much like the module said, sometimes thats a difficult level to maintain. In the middle of every term, I throw in something off the wall (much like the crisis game which I think is an amazing idea, and can't wait to try it) like a unannounced field trip to the students or a lesson plan that is free from power points and typical lesson plans, This module really hit home with that feeling.
Raphael,
Good to hear. REFOCUS helps us to keep our enthusiasm high so we remain excited about teaching and our students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Some instructors need to refocus due to the change in the field they are teaching. As an industry changes,sometimes this can leave an instructor stuck in the past and how the industry use to be.As an instructor you need to stay updated and current. It is amazing how your focus can be energized when you as a teacher gain additional knowledge. Alot of the time if you have good rapport with your students, you can some great knowledge from them, which energizes them and you.
I appreciate each aspect of the REFOCUS agenda.
I think that this acronym provides a nice method for looking at your own teaching in a reflexive manner. If you are aware of your own issues, you can improve/fix them.
Brian,
Great to hear. I wish you continued success in your teaching an the impact you have on the lives of your students.
Gary
As I went through the information I felt like this course was made for my current class.
I think this will help me REFOCUS
I think that it helps the student focus just as much as the instructor teaching.
Instructors need to 're-charge' their batteries from time to time. If the instructor seems bored or tired of the material and class, you can bet that will transfer to the students. Following the REFOCUS acronym is a good way to shake off these feelings and fall back in love with the reasons you started teaching in the first place!
I personally get bored teaching the same thing over and over the same way. I also know that the students pick up on that. To change things up, I try to use different approaches to the various topics. Maybe mix in more activities as opposed to lecture. It's also nice to bring in a guest speaker to motivate myself and the students.
Instructors need to occasionally take time to refocus because it is possible that the instructor is experiencing what I call a "Life Experience" in their own daily agenda.
Sometimes an instructor has to stop and ask oneself if they are being effective for the whole class and if not stop and re approach how one is communicating with the student.
John,
Good point. What are some ways instructors can do this?
Gary
