Not being fully prepared
The mistake an instructor often makes is not
rearching completely the material they want to present.
One suggestion is to make an outline of your
presentation and try to anticipate questions your
students may ask.
Another idea is to write a brief quiz on the
topic and ask the students to complete as an
in class learning exercise. You may be able to identify areas that may be to be revisited or
further explained.
Wow, great ideas! I too make an outline. If questions from the students sway away from the lecture, it is an easy tool to get back on track.
This is so true Patricia. I appreciated how the material talked about "the Bermuda Triangle of instruction." I must admit this has happened to me more times than I would to say. I have prepared at home and what I practiced as an hour or so lecture with PowerPoint presentations can turn out to be 30 minutes in the classroom and then interally I fee stuck because what I planned on covering next would be the next class visit. So I have tried to have review sessions, or practice sessions in case this happens. I use these as assessments to decipher whether or not my students comprehended the lesson plan for the day and if not we go back over key areas.
Hi Jodi,
No one knows it all! Prepare and know your subject matter. If a question is poised and you don't know the answer, simply say you don't know, but you will find out. You can also let students research the question for extra points toward an assignment/test.
Patricia
Hi Beth,
That is my biggest fear with teaching. I am a new instructor and I am nervous about going into the classroom and being asked material that I have either not encountered yet or that I have yet to brush up on. I know the solution is "not" to give a wrong answer, but I also feel that if I say too often that "I will need to research that answer and get back to you," I will lose credibility to my students. Do you have any solutions to this?
Thanks, Jodi
Hi Christin,
Your response to this post really puts everything into perspective. I am new to teaching, so I am still getting a feel for how prepared I need to be. As I have learned through classroom instruction and through this assessment, being over-prepared is the best solution. I also agree with you that we are the facilitators of our student's education. By depending on the students to participate more through group activities and discussions, as well as, independent ones, we will assure ourselves that they are really getting the material. I, too, am a profectionist and I started realizing at the end of this quarter that having the students participate more not only helps them stay engaged in the learning process, but it also helps me to know where they are at and it means that when I am lecturing I am better prepared because I am not spread so thin. Thanks for your post! Jodi
Hi Frank,
What a rule to make you an effective teacher! I have been teaching for 21 years, and I still fully prepare. I am teaching a new course this module, and I spend roughly 10-12 hours per week preparing. Preparation is key. Things flow a lot smoother whenever you are prepared.
Patricia
Ken I agree with you, as an instructor and SME of the class you should be prepared for class. I have been teaching now for 15 years and I spend early Sunday mornings working on my studies and preparing for class. As one of my general rule I imposes on myself is to have 3 hours of study time for every hour of class time.
Hi Jose,
What are some things that you do to make sure you are prepared? Preparation is key whenever you are instructing.
Patricia
I agree. I sometimes feel the same way.
Hi Beth,
What do you do to be fully prepared?
Patricia
That is a good thought. Thanks for sharing. I will try to remember that in the future. It is hard to anticipate every question and know the answers.
As a perfectionist, I never feel that I am prepared. I feel like there should be more or it could be better. The longer I teach, I am learning to put more on the student and less on myself. I am a guide not an all knowing person.
Hi Elizabeth,
Preparation must start at home and most of the time must be completed at home. Whenever an instructor walks into the classroom, he/she should be fully prepared. Students know when they have been put to work because you did not do your part to be fully prepared. It sends out the wrong message, and it does not present the instructor in the best light.
Patricia
Sometimes life happens and you dont have everthing that you want to have prepared and before you can prepare the class is started. Review of previous day is always helpful, either having review sheets or have them break into groups for study, then you can prepared more while they are reviewing.
You know, sometimes it just happens that you are not as prepared as you would like to be. And, it is so important to recognize this and make some modifications so that the students will still have a valuable experience in class. Perhaps some early group work to review the last class learning; and then to move forward to the focus of the day. It does no good to pretend to be totally in control, as the students will pick up on this. Better to plan an activity that gets them involved and then try to regroup in your head.
All of the ideas presented are good ones. Another idea is to put students in a group and have them work on topics to present to the class. The students are taking a more active role in their education.
Hi Ken,
Great ideas! An instructor loses all credibility whenever they are unprepared. Students can tell whenever you have not prepared.
Patricia
Being prepared reduces the anxiety an instructor might have about teaching the class. It is important to have assignments, projects ready to be worked on by students. Engaging students in a discussion is another fun way to teach and get everyone to participate.
