Hi Paul,
Super way to evaluate yourself. I can tell you take well to constructive feedback. Keep striving to be the very best.
Patricia Scales
Hi Tammy,
Preparation is key! Technology is scary, and having a backup to a technical file is extremely smart.
Patricia Scales
Being in the field 18 years never prepared me to teach but what I have found over the last 6 years of teaching is that you can never be over-prepared for a class and that everyday I myself make it a point to learn something I did not know. Therefore I am on the same level as my students in one aspect but still instructing to my highest level.
While it may sound simple, I find that preparation is the key. Once you are comfortable with your lesson, it is far easier to understand what is going on in your classroom.
Being prepared, stablishing repor with students. Respecting and identifying the students needs. Then addressing them and folloowing up.
To avoid the common mistakes in class, it is good to have a list of the common mistakes and try and make sure you don't make them. Now this is easier said than done. As an instructor I look at my performance after my class and write down what I did well and not so well. This allows me the oppurtunity to review my presentations and make changes to remove the not so well portions. This is an ongoing process, this can not be done just once, it needs to be an ongoing process. Another useful resource are the Class Audits that we have done by our Faculty Coach. He will sit in class and critique our presentation of lecture and provide us with feedback.
I agree with some of the others, being prepared is so important. I've learned having a backup plan is key. I always save my Power Point files in multiple places so if I forget or loose my thumb drive I can pull it from another source like an email I sent to myself
I avoid making common instructor mistakes by making sure I am organized and prepared. I review the material that I am going to discuss before class to make sure I am familiar with it and to add any updates to the material if necessary.
Having been a technical / vocational educator for a number of years, the normal pitfalls of new instructors are less of a problem for me. However, I find that seasoned instructors have their own set of challenges or mistakes to overcome. Probably the largest mistake we can make is thinking that we're experienced enough to the point that we can follow the same routing that we've followed for years. Our way is best because it's what has worked for us. We do the job day in and day out and get "stuck in a rut." We have to clear our minds of this fallacy and approach each day as a new day, ready for any new challenges that may appear. Our delivery and the content of the presentation is influenced by the events in the classroom and we must be able to incorporate those dynamics into how and what we present. Veteran instructors make mistakes, too; just different ones.
I've also had to improvise lectures after projectors cut out on me. I always have a paper printout of my slides so that I can quickly refer students to the relevant figures in their textbook as I switch to a "chalk talk". That way they aren't just relying on my terrible artistic skills.
Common mistakes such as making students your friends instead of creating a positive respectful environment can be avoided by focusing more on the objectives of the course than the personal lives of yourself and your students.
Definetly -
schedule flexibility is essential to classroom management, with the ability to being able to "think on your feet" being foundational, such as having ten minutes remaining prior to class dismissal and having completed the lecture material, devising a patient scenario and discussing treatment protocols.
Prep time is essential even though I have given a lecture before. I teach on a variety of topics. I get to work early when it is quiet to go over complex lectures.
I find writing my self a note about what did not go well in a lecture and then flagging that so I think about it before the next term when I give the class again, is humbling and helpful. I have found myself changing around the order of content and been happy to find the information seems to be more easily assimilated. I find myself cutting out information that did not lead the student to do their job better.
Wonderful comments that are right on point!!!!! Watching other instructional methodologies allows for incorporation into personal delivery with the realization that there might be another method to increase effectiveness. Being professional at all times allows for consistency in interaction and brings about anticipation of responses.
This has become my habit as well. A method of organization which is pricelss and allows for a quick resource should another instructor call in sick or substitution is required.
As a new instructor in the higher learning field I feel organization is a key component to having a flexible learning environment. So many times we as instructors for get to be flexible and remember that life happens when we least expectit. Another mistake we make is not taking advantage of teachable moments. So many times we as instructors get so caught up in our plans and the syllabus we tell our students we will come back to their question and we never do. I allow myself 2-3 minutes to indulge in the teachable moment before guiding the class back to the day’s lesson.
Hi Sandra,
A visual is always good for students. Students tend to receive the information better when they can see it.
Patricia Scales
In a clinical setting we have 3 different grade levels and knowing what are expected from each grade level can be a challenge. They all have master grade sheets that help keep them focused and direct us towards their goals. I usually ask them to take them out and look at where they could focus in today's clinic.
Being prepared is first. I have walked into class having not read the chapters my students were expected to have read, but they never knew that. On days like that, I switched it up and had a good class discussion based on the topic we were supposed to read about. It is a good way to get thoughts flowing, see other's frame of reference and begin opening ourselves to new learning techniques.
It is also a good time to do some basic review of things covered in previous class or give students some class time to work on a project due in the near future.
I never lie to my students, I only make the best of a situation. If I am not prepared or I have made a mistake, I just fess up and fix it.
