Hossai,
Right you are about enthusiasm. It is needed by instructors as they present their material. In addition, I like to see instructors that are passionate about their field and are excited about helping to prepare students to enter it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructor enthusiam is extremely important. The student will better recieve the information if he or she sees that the material is interesting.
If an instructor has enthusiasm, one will see that the class will too. I believe an active instructor will have active students. If you can be engaging day after day, students will learn so much more than just reading from a powerpoint.
Donna,
Thank you for these good remarks about passion and enthusiasm. Both are needed by instructors if they are going to be able to engage their students and get them focused on the content of the course. We need to be excited about what we are teaching because we are helping to shape the future of our students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If the instructor does not show that he/she values the content of the course, students may begin to question its value as well. Enthusiasm doesn't mean wearing a clown suit, but it does mean mapping out real world connections from the topic to the learner's life, and showing not only that the information matters, but WHY it matters.
Donna
David,
Like the way you think. Thank you for these comments as they reflect how I think an instructor should approach the classroom. It is for sure that if we are not passionate about our content nor excited about teaching then our students will not be engaged.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
How would you feel if the instructor moaned on about anything, the continual grind of non-emotional blathering would dull anyone's senses. The idea of teaching is to brighten the senses and instill knowledge and skills that the students can apply. If the instructor does not show enthusiasm in his/her instructional methods then half the battle is already lost. The attention for the material will get lost in the dullness of the lecture. If the instructor is animated and keeps the students involved they will be more likely to enjoy the learning process. If an individual does not enjoy what they are doing they most likely will not continue doing it. If a student does not like being in class they most likely will stop coming to class.
Jamie,
Well said and so true. We all like to be around people that love what they are doing and are willing to share.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Margaret,
Instructors need to have passion for their field and content and be enthusiastic about teaching. By having both the stage is set for learning success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It helps keep the student enthusiastic about the leason. Your attitude will be infectious! Love what your doing and they will learn.
As with any activity, there is a time and place for everything. I agree that we are often seen as "entertainers" as opposed to educators. Tone of voice and body language set the stage for the learning experience. Try and show students you are passionate about what you teach. Give examples of how you keep the information you relay fresh and relevant.
Sean,
I agree. Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching about it helps to engage students in the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
An enthusiastic instructor creates an excitement within the classroom that becomes infectious to the students. An exciting classroom will create students to be more involved, ultimately delivering a better and more productive learning environment.
Jarred,
Thank you for these comments about how to establish yourself as a learning leader. Each of the elements you have discussed contribute to the overall successful learning process of students. Passion and enthusiasm are two elements needed by instructors for teaching success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Don,
You raise a very good point and it is something that we educators need to remember as we do our instructional planning. Learning has to be the number one goal we strive for and from there the decisions on what activities reflects how we are going to approach the classroom.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Although I believe we need to limit the amount of "entertainment" that happens in the classroom, I think that a enthusiastic approach is going to involve a little of this feel. I try to use stories of prior experiences, mistakes and situations to shed light on tips and tricks that will help my students succeed. Often times this is done in a way that is entertaining and funny yet drives the point home. Ultimately it doesn't bother me to deliver the information this way my only goal is for the students to remember the information that I am trying to deliver so they can use it successfully in the future. Each class is different, but all of the classes that I have taught have had a dynamic that allowed this technique to work and I was able to see some of the stories used to remember the point, tip or trick later in the lab setting.
Although we are not comedians, a lot of enthusiasm and a little entertainment can be helpful to get a point or subject across.
I think we need to strike a balance between entertaining and educating. I tend to lean more toward David’s point of view though. I believe being entertaining in the classroom does keep students engaged. However, a little entertainment goes a long way.
Richard,
Good point because enthusiasm for teaching and passion for one's field goes a long way in helping gain the respect and confidence of students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When students see an instructor who is excited about a class they are more likely to be excited to be in their class. It helps build relationships with the students and they will talk amongst themselves so that their peers will be more likely to take your class based on positive feedback as well.
Jorge,
I agree. It is for sure that if the instructor is not excited about being in the class the students won't be either. We instructors need to bring our enthusiasm with us each time we meet the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
