First Time Instructor
I made that mistake on my first class - letting the students know it was my first class. It just seemed natural during the introduction - as everyone was telling about their history and goals etc., to say I've done this for so many years - and now I am an instructor. This was with a group of first-time college students as well - and thought that the line, "It's all of our first class, we'll be learning together." might work... it did not.
I've since learned to leave that part out of the introductions (though I suppose after that first class it no longer applied anyway).
I never thought of it the way it was presented in this course - about creating a confidence gap. It seems that omitting this fact gives you an instant confidence boost in your student's minds much more so than if they know it is your first class as well.
How many others have made this mistake?
I am in my second term as a teacher. In both terms I had a student ask me how long I have been teaching. I take the honest approach as well and I tell them when I started teaching at this particular career college. However, I also add that during my 22 years in the field I always had students from many different disciplines on any given day. I add that I enjoy teaching.
Hi Mike,
Honesty is certainly the best policy! I believe in not sharing the information with a student that you are a first-time teacher. If they ask, of course, I would not lie, but it is irrelevant that you are a first-time teacher. Most students will not even know this unless you tell them. If you go in a classroom prepared, knowledgeable, confident, and prepared, students will think you have been teacher forever.
Patricia Scales
I told my students that it was my first time as an instructor in a school. I then went on to tell them that throughout my 25 years in the industry I have taught and trained many new employees and that instructing was second nature to me.
I can't say it was a mistake. My students seemed to respect me for trusting them with that particular truth.
Also, there are always those students that flat out ask you in front of the entire class. I don't suggest lying about such things. Or evading the truth. When you get caught being less than honest with a student the consequences can be more problems than you're prepared to deal with.
I actually thought about it letting the students know it was my first day teaching and changed my mind. I think it would have made a huge difference. I didn't want to show them my lack of confidence...which at the time...I had!!
