I am lucky in that I've taught classes that get the students ready for the work place and when they find out that they will get a resume that they can use for applying for a job and that they will learn how to interview, how to read through job postings to find actual jobs they can apply for, etc., they are pretty enthusiastic. For some of the other classes I teach, I send an email blast on Sundays telling them what to expect in class that week. I also still work in the field and they know they will hear about current practices. I try to use humour and cool graphics during class to keep their attention as well.
I use real life examples to get them excited about what is to come for them in the healthcare field. I also give them group activities throughout the term to get them used to working as a team and to start thinking critically and responding to real life situations.
Role playing always get the students excited about their chosen career field. Our students love hand on activitites in the classroom.
By making the class exciting and interesting and still keep an professional enviroment.
Students really get involved with course content whenever the teacher has a host of experience, that can be placed into stories, examples and facts.
Hi Andrew,
May be a field trip will add to all the exciting activities you conduct.
Patricia
Hi Troy,
Dollars $$$$$$ motivate everyone!!!
Patricia
Hi Andrew,
I use material that was developed by students as a teaching aid. I had an exceptional student in Business English, and she created a study guide for a very tough test to help her study. She passed the test with a 98, which is very unusual. I now share that study guide with other students to help them.
Patricia
Hi Patricia,
Jeopardy is a great learning game. What other learning games do you play?
Patricia
Hi Gloria,
Students really get into it whenever the teachers can show what they can do.
Patricia
I had an exceptional class of culinary students who exceeded the expectations of food presentation. One of the students was taking a picture with their I-phone and I asked if she would put in on a disk for me to show other classes. She did and I now use it to demonstrate to future classes how you can look at food a variety of different ways and these food items were not created by instructors but by other students. I really opened their minds and I noticed the level of creatively and the challenge of creating more artistic/flavorful food was raised.
Since I teach a fundamental sketching class I try to excite students by bringing in examples of my work and of previous quarter students work to show them what they can accomplish. I also find a little humor helps as well.
Playing different types of learning games can help students get excited about course content. It allows some friendly competition, it makes students think quickly, and creating teams allows students to get to know one another. Games like Jeopardy allow a question and answer type forum and I find this to be a good learning tool while incorportating some fun.
I use life experiences to assist the students to associate the lecture material to real life. I even use examples of personal experiences to assist with the association.
Hi Rebecca,
It is exciting whenever sharing and discussing are occuring pertaining to the lesson.
Patricia
by telling them how much money they will be able to make once they leave school seems to work good,money seems to be a great motivator.
I am teaching in the medical field, the students seem to like to share how their previsous eperience relates to the learning objectives.I try to let them have time to discuss and share.
rebecca
The students respond well to actual work experience. I have my own personal chef business and I teach a course on contemporary cuisine. I explain to them, I shop and interact with clients on an every day basis. What we cover in class, I experience every day. They like knowing that what they are learning is actually going to be utilized once they graduate and the potential for growth is strong. They also respond well when I bring in books, magazines articles pertaining to the subject matter we are covering. I just reviewed an article from a COSTCO newsletter about how the products on their shelves are sustainable, organic and all natural. I said, if COSTCO is putting manpower, research and development into food items of this nature, isn’t it a movement and not a trend?
Anything I can pull off of the internet and discuss or let them know about leaders in our industry who are still alive and influencing our business, I bring it to their attention because I am amazed at how little they know about others in our industry that are not on television.
Hi Juan,
I like the idea of kind of like a pretest and post test. Students can really see how much they learned.
Patricia
Hi Andrew,
What type of reaction do you get from students buy utilizing these resources?
Patricia
