Hi Mary,
Monday Morning Syndrome is really tough. I like to make this a day when possible where we are involved in more active learning, such as role playing, hands-on activities, group work, etc.
Patricia
Hi Debra,
Students really get excited when they hear applicable stories that help them visualize things.
Patricia
I ask lots of questions throughout my lectures to keep the students thinking and responding. These are questions about the content and how it applies in real life. The students are great about staying engaged as a result.
I am finding, however, that Monday mornings are a little tougher to get their brains going and would love some alternatives in addition to probing questions. Thanks
Past experience also works well with my students. Obstetric nursing is frightening for most new nursing students. When I tell them of some of my past experiences, it opens the class up for discussion. Humor, injected at the right spot, also helps ease some of their fears.
I have read a number of the suggestions posted by other educators in this discussion, and find quite a few of them to be effective.
Particularly, giving examples of my own personal experience, seems to be the most effective. In doing so you can relate actual skills required as well as the pros AND cons of the field. I think it is important to sometimes give examples of the 'cons' of the subject to better emphasize the importance of education and how the potential may arise for them to think on their feet so to speak. But not so much as to put them off of the subject.
In my experience, problem solving is an essential skill that helps students to better handle pressure, which they may experience not only in their field but in the very process of attaining the job they may be interested in, such as the interviewing process.
I teach radiology courses and one thing I do is that there are certain tools/equipment that the students must attain to be able to be proficient at their jobs. In their orientation class we talk about what course they will get their clinical scrubs in, what course they will get their markers in, and what course they will get their film badge in. This allows the students to know as they successfully progress through they have different goals set in front of them to look forward to. To get students excited about a particular class I always make sure to do some sort of hands on activity that produces a result. In physics and exposure we talk about how xray interacts with different chemicals, I will take them into the x-ray lab, have them open a cassette, and have them shoot an x-ray at the cassette in the dark so they can actually see the interaction. Allowing students to apply hands on learning breaks up the lecture and gets them excited about the career they chose and in-turn excited about the class.
Hi Samuel,
This is what students need, honesty. We have to shoot straight from the hip and do not sugar coat anything with students. They need to know how it is in the real world.
Patrcia
I agree and that is why I do not try to cany coat anthing. I relate things in a "real-life" type of format.
Hi Samuel,
It is good to share experiences at all levels because every experience is not going to be a good one. This is real life.
Patricia
I relate my personal experiance and situations that I have encountered. I will also share stories of "experiances" goog, bad and ugly to show them that anything can happen and sometimes does, even to one with alot of time in thier chosen field.
Hi Charlene,
I have been teaching for over 22 years, and I have learned juvenile tactics work just as well with adults.
Patricia
Once in a while the topic for the day may be a little dry and I even have trouble getting motivated to teach it! On those days I start the class with a little informal discussion about how the students weekend went or what their plans are for the upcoming weekend. I then start the class with a question and answer period on the topic (it's a great way to determine who did the reading assignment and who did not!) and those who answer the questions correctly receive a treat! It's juvenile, I know, but it works!
One of the issues I have with students is poor spelling and grammar in writing assignments(yes, even with spell check and grammar check!). I try to emphasize the importance of good writing skills in any profession. You never know who will read your report.
I find the students really perkup when I tell a reallife story in class. It gets the dscussion started and they run with it.
Great idea. I have a similar story I will relate to my students.
I try to bring real life experience to the class room to get students excited about their own future and allthe possibilities waiting for them upon graduation.
I discuss my real life story of how I became excited about choosing and being totally open to a new career.
Students find out four or five reasons why another student chose to attend college and why they want to start a new career
If I am teaching a dense class such as Medical Terminology, I will try to demonstrate how the topic relates to the students major. Students are generally more enthusiastic about learning as it relates to their chosen field of study.
Hi Janet,
Students like it when we make concepts apply to real life; they get it.
Patricia
