Reducing instructor anxiety
What are some ways to overcome pre-class nerves and anxiety?
Practice, Practice, Practice! In order to reduce pre-lecture jitters I like to practice my lecture. I will have my family and friends help sometimes by allowing me to at least practice my opeing statement. Often it is the first moments of class that make you nervous once you are able to get through the first moments things tend to be alot easier. Have hand outs and materials to aide you that will help with nerves as well.
@scales : I like to prepare early as to make a smooth flow of the topic and sometimes to open other avenues of descusion to keep the students engaged .
The best way is to prepare for class both organizationally and for content delivery. The more prepared I am the better I feel. In fact, if I'm prepared for the next two classes things go superbly. Arriving early with handouts, placing the class goals on the board present a structure that is clear and allows student to follow the guide and sets expectations.
I have learned that preparation is the key to success. The more prepared I am & the more I demonstrate this preparation; the more confidence I will feel when conducting each class. This will lead to decreased anxiety.
Have the classroom set up early and the lecture organized. Be prepared for the day.
I couldn't agree more. When you prepare yourself for each lecture, you will find that the students are engaged more because there is alot going on. It shows them that you have put a lot of effort into making the lecture enjoyable and enriching. The students tend to participate more and ask questions.
I always admit when I do not know an answer, but I then challenge the student to research the topic as well. It usually sparks a good dialogue for the next class meeting.
There will always be some level of anxiety. I have been teaching for over a decade and still get nervous on the first day of a class.
I have found the best ways are to be prepared both mentally and physically. Mental preparation is having a planned sequence for the day with bullet points of what I want to cover to be sure the class is off to a clear and sound footing.
Physical preparation includes getting a good night's sleep as well as preparing the physical space of the classroom. Being sure things are set up, resources stocked and all materials prepared.
We all experience anxiety from time to time. Feelings of fear and concern that something bad may happen can penetrate day to day life, making it difficult to relax and enjoy the present moment. Sometimes anxiety passes when its source fades away, but for many people it lingers, taking the joy out of life. Taking measures to form new mental and physical habits is the first step toward getting relief.
Preparedness, know your topic and include humor if possible.
I have to admit that I over prepare for the class. I make a step by step list of what I will do in class that day.
Hi Mark,
Experienced instructors can help you with minimizing anxiety. The key to helping with anxiety is to be prepared and organized. You really need to know your lesson.
Patricia Scales
Some of the ways I have overcame pre-class nerves/anxiety is making sure I was prepared for class the best I knew how.
When receiving the class roster I would ensure I knew how to pronounce students’ names. I reviewed the complete text; ensuring that I knew how to pronounce and define every word. I would make notes and prepare a time-line I would follow in presenting the material in segments. To support the lecture/material, I would also use other tools such as pictures/videos and other visual aids. I also rehearsed an ice-breaker that I will share at the beginning of class.
Even with the detailed lesson plans and syllabus, part of my pre-class prep usually involves simply making a numbered list, a to-do list actually.
I like to give my first couple of lectures to my cats before going into the classroom. This might sound silly but it allows me to go through the entire lecture and find areas that I want to change before going into the classroom. It also allows me to gauge the time it will take to get the material across so I can be sure to leave time for questions and activities.
Be prepared for the upcoming class time. Keep your prep simple and easy. Ask quetions of established instructors before you enter class.
Always lay out what I am going to do before class and maybe bring something to share form my field.
I like all of the presented suggestions; along with practicing the prepared material ahead of time and arriving early to class.
Review your course work to gain confidence in the material that you will be teaching.
