New Subject Matter
One difficulty I have encountered is being faced with teaching a new course on a subject matter that I don't feel comfortable with.
I prepare as much as possible, but I tend to feel I don't give my students what they deserve. The more I teach the course, the more comfortable I become with the material.
At times, I feel the students can "feel" my uneasiness about the subject matter.
Any suggestions?
Hi Dennis,
In this situation proactiveness is key. Sitting in on a seasoned instructor's class is a sure way to help bring about success for a new instructor.
Patricia
Hi Denise, you are not the only one that has felt that way.I recently started teaching another class that was new to me,and felt uneasy about some of the subject matter.After class I spoke with other seasoned instructors who also teach the class just to get a proper understanding of the subject matter,and a different way to deliver it to the students.I then set in on several classes with the guru of the course materil I was struggling with and this was a huge help. Hope this helps you.
Hi Denise,
If it all possible, have your DOE let you team teach the course with a seasoned instructor or at the minimum you should be assigned a mentor. If you have to do it on your own, find an instructor at your institution who is a guru in the course and let them help you a week in advance to prepare for the upcoming week.
Patricia
