Melissa,
Good way to keep their future in the present. You are helping them to see themselves as professionals in the field. It is easy for them to forget why they are in the program when they start to get tired and worn down part way through the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In teaching a pre-req. class for clinicals and certification, I keep the students motivatied by saying things like "when you are at clinicals, when you are a CST, when you are running your own mayo, setting up your back table, etc..." I can see a light of hope and excietment in their eyes.
LeWando,
What of some examples of success stories you use?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Robert,
Students like a change of pace and variety in their learning delivery. You are doing such with your approach and then reinforcing your content with application. This is what "sells" a course to students just as you have said.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Robert,
I believe you are right. Having passion for your field and enthusiasm for teaching about it goes a long way in engaging students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Begin with a student success story for the day.
Practical application of the skills learned is always fun and motivating for the students. They don't like to be preached to, so every now and then it's good to get up, strectch and perhaps do a break out excercise of some sort to help them feel engaged. If you can leverage the experience of one or more students, which is relevant to the learning, then letting them lead an initiative can be very beneficial.
I teach an electrical class at a trade school and I came out of the field to do so. I beleave my love for electrical make my class fun
expertise, empathy, enthusiasm, and clarity
Paul,
Like your approach because you are so right. Most of us got to be the successes we are by making mistakes along the way and learning from them. Sharing stories about these mistakes and how we benefited from them shows the students it is OK to take risks and expand their knowledge base.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Carol,
Stories like this are what make the content come alive. You are showing both relevancy and application when you share these examples with your students. I am a big fan of using stories and examples like this to reinforce the content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In my trade, everyone makes mistakes so it is important to let my students know that after 30 years in the business I still have occasional screw-ups. Being willing to relate some of these not only lightens the atmosphere when we are discussing serious issues but allows me to show why these mistakes occur, how to avoid them and what to do when it happens to you. This relieves a lot of tension for the students who are becoming concerned about the demands of our industry but also motivates them to pay attention to the critical details.
When teaching OB and Peds there are many students that are not motivated to take the class. I share numerous stories of the interesting times I have cared for the peds and ob patient in the ICU and the emergency room. This helps them to realize the importance of these topics and how they need to learn them also.
Dean,
Stories like this help to increase the connection between the instructor and students. I use a lot of stories in my classes because they reinforce why I am teaching what I am as well as show the students how the course content will be used.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Sharing stories and showing your vulnerability to your students when you were starting out, will show them that everyone makes mistakes on their way to being that professional.
Elizabeth,
You are displaying the human factor in your approach. The human factor is essential if you are going to earn the respect of your students while starting to develop rapport with them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I always address my students by their names, and take time to sit down with each of the to let them know about the progress that they are making in the class. I also am sure to give very positive feedback when I see that they have made educational achievements.
Bart,
Guided discussions are great ways to reinforce material that is being offered. They get to see through these discussions the relevancy and application of the content and how it applies to their future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I fel guided discussions are one way that instructors can keep students motivateed and involved. this is dependent on the class size and content. if structured properly students can be motivated by allowing them to share their opinions and knowledge of the subject during a discussion. It may also brak up the routing for adult learners keeping them involved.
Hello Robin,
Your idea to have the students participate in games is great. I plan to use this for my next midterm review and hopefully it will not only engage the students but also provide as you stated some health competition.
Thank you for sharing.
