I have found that the more prepared I feel the less anxiety I have. It may only take a brief review prior to class.
Hi Elizabeth,
Preparation is a must! You feel much better when you are prepared.
Patricia Scales
From my own experience I have found that the best way to relieve anxiety is to prepare ahead of time. Review all information you will be discussing and try to determine what areas may be difficult to understand, that way you can prepare for questions they may have and not get so flustered.
I make sure that I feel well-prepared for class and review my written outline of the class several times beforehand to become completely familiar with it and to make sure that it flows.
I also do positive self-talk before each class, for example, reminding myself how much I enjoy the students and how much satisfaction I get from teaching.
Sandy Mishkin
I find that reviewing my lecture and the chapters and making notes about 15 minutes before class helps greatly. When I do this I usually do not have to rely on any of the notes that I have made during the course of the lecture.
Reading, Review, and Revise. I read over the content that I expect the students to have read prior to class, review my notes, and revise the content to answer the question of "What do I want the students to understand at the end of class?" Textbook chapers are full of information and I cannot cover it all in my 4-hour weekly class. Although I am prepared for class, the anxiety still exists.
1. Be prepared
2. Go over your materials multiple times
3. Make flash cards for yourself
4. Rehearse your presentation if possible
I do think that some these suggestions will help reduce anxiety before a class.
I agree this extra time is key for looking and being prepared!
Good reminder Edward about going back over those areas that need improvement to deepen student understanding.
This Forum speaks to "over preparing" which is also incredibly helpful.
Energy Medicine and Whole-Brained exercises (Brain Gym) and also deeply helpful.
Realizing that no instructor is perfect has helped me with pre-class anxiety. This doesn't diminish the importance of being prepared and working towards perfection but it helps keep me calm. One must also have a sense of humor and is able to laugh at themselves when things don't go according to plan.
Hi Marylynn,
Preparation is key, and things flow a lot smoother when you are prepared.
Patricia Scales
By preparing the myself for the subject I will be teaching. Reading and going over the subject before hand.
Hi Donna,
Display confidence, professionalism, and knowledge, and I am sure your students will not pick up on your nervousness.
Patricia Scales
I know how you feel. No matter how prepared I am I still get anxious when I start a new class. I often wonder if this comes across to the students in body language.
Hi Teresa,
Preparation is key, and it reduces anxiety!
Patricia Scales
Hi Roxanne,
We all have weaknesses and it is good when you know what they are so that you can try to become stronger in those areas to be a more effective instructor.
Patricia Scales
Hi Rolando,
Preparation is a must in order for things to follow smoothly and to ease the instructor's nerves.
Patricia Scales
I agree, no one is perfect but yet we try to be. I try not to put that kind of pressure on myself.
I'm a clinical instrutor who is only part time 2 days a week 4 hours each time. The program is new so the fulltime instuctors seem to be over wellmed
so I use ually don't know what we are teaching untill I get there. So I try to follow the class syabulls and read what the students have had for home work so I can be as prepare as possible. Any other suggestions would be a big help.
Show up early, walk around, meet and greet familiarizing with student names. Reemphasize maybe a topic of discusiion you heard outside of the classroom to how it relates to the course/class. Laslty, know your subject material as well as you can.
