1. know what you are teaching
2. Be prepared
3. Set a standard
4. Be proffesional
5. Be on time
6. Be resourceful
I think it goes without saying that a successful instructor will have knowledge of and enthusiasm for their field of expertise, but I think they should be highly motivated to see each student become working members of the field they are studying. The instructor should deeply respect the students desire to excel in their occupational endeavor. In order for the student to achieve, the class room should be calm and inviting. This can be achieved through fair and even handed discipline and a professional approach in the class room by the instructor.
I use the "Golden Rule" Treat others as you would have them treat you. I have been teaching for about 15 years and have not had problems. I base my classroom on respect. It is very effective incorporating such soft skills into the classroom for theory that also carries over to the practicum. Then you need to know the material and TEACH! So that respect is, indeed, earned!
1) Knowledge of the subject taught
2) Great organization and planning skills
3) Great people skills with easy temperament
4) Great presentation and communication skills
5) Abilities to encourage participatory teaching
6) Readiness to value students's viewpoints and experiences pertinent to the class
I would say enthusiasm for the course material and a general enthusiasm for seeing a student learn is very important in classroom mamnagement. This comes across as you lecture and also in how you care for your students during class activities and discussions.
Patrick, can you better define "state change"? I am not sure what you had intended on saying here. Thanks for any feedback you can provide.
James Jackson
Kimberly, well stated. I am reminded of the golden and silver rules - Do unto others as you would have done unto you and do not treat others poorly simply because they treat you poorly but take the high road and always be the model for others to follow. This is not a word for word translation but the meaning is the same.
James Jackson
I feel that a good instructor is one that promotes profesionalism to the students by being a good model. If you act the way you expect your adult students to act then classroom conduct is typically not an issue. It is also important to have a strong knowlegde base regarding the material in order to gain the classes respect.
if you are always evaluating the class attitude, you can see when it is going poorly. I also believe a state change is important. that can some time shift the course attention just to keep them in the game.
Vennetta, I agree in principle but want to be sure we are on the same page. A teaching is not a friend in the conventional definition. However, a quality instructor will be friendly to students and be a person students feel comfortable to approach and trust. This is a different kind of friendship and is more along the lines of a mentor than someone to share your most intimate thoughts. It is important not to be confused here and being friendly is an important quality in a good instructor.
James Jackson
Lisa, I really like the concept of consumer of knowledge and they are also a distribute. Malcolm Gladwell uses terms like Maven, Connector and Salesperson to describe different people in his book The Tipping Point and as instructors we tend to participate in all of these categories. We are Mavens because we are experts at what we do, we are connectors as we connect students with their careers, and we are salespeople in that we constantly need to remind students what is in it for them and why the hard work is worth the end result.
James Jackson
Mark, well stated. When students feel they are in a safe learning environment and can ask questions freely and feel comfortable they can learn from their mistakes the more they will learn and the deeper the learning will encode within their long term memory.
James Jackson
Carol, well stated. The more you know your students and the more they feel you care the fewer issues you will encounter. You are not there to be their friend but you are there to earn their trust and to guide then along their academic journey. Model the behavior you expect and always inspect what you expect from your students.
James Jackson
Instructor traits that are helpful include getting to personally know each student so that there is an accountability factor. If the student understands that the instructor has an interest in their well-being, then they are less likely to want to let the instructor down with bad behavior.
ck
As stated in the lesson, I believe those characteristics of the controller & guide are the most important. It is the instructors responsibility to manage the classroom to ensure a safe and friendly learning environment.
Tom, you are correct. A good guide can both control and befriend their students to the correct levels. The primary purpose is for the student to move forward with more knowledge, skills and abilities than when they started with you. Nothing wrong with students considering you disciplined and maybe not even their favorite instructor but if they learn from you then yo have performed a service they will come to better understand later in their years.
James Jackson
Emily, passion and willingness to be fully prepared rank very high on my list as well. There is no excuse for an instructor that is unprepared to deliver a top rate lesson to their students and this is the primary purpose for which schools pay for our services.
James Jackson
Daniel,
I'm glad you brought this subject to the forum.
I once was in a job interview in which a principal asked me something about how I apply classroom management in the heat of extremely disruptive moments. I replied with my rhetoric on "prepared reacting," which was quickly questioned to suggest I should be talking about prepared "responding." Losing cool and making a rash decision rarely seems to solve a problem. Prepared responses such as meeting a student after class or discreetly giving them a note are more effective. Adult learners should be treated like adults who want to learn; nothing outside of that. I find that the tough part is dealing with shortcomings of what I had in mind as adult behavior. Although we are not in loco parentis, we are wisdom's apprentice. Forgive me for that rhyme. But the common denominator is that we must maintain and continually enhance an effective learning environment, which at times means applying well-planned discipline techniques that resonate uniquely with adults.
Hernand,
I agree with those three prongs, and I find many other values and takeaways therein.
Respectfulness, tactfulness, and professionalism are all positive. For everyone, notice that these three do not say "friendliness, "satisfactory accomplishing of the task" or "just appropriate," however, they are still excellent traits.
A measure of respect to students from the get-go builds a measure of respect for the instructor for the duration. It's not so much that respect is earned, but that it's maintained in your respect, consistency and enthusiasm.
Tactful management and discipline is a winning recipe. Reprimanding a student discreetly and in a speedy fashion is ideal. You want to allow a student to save face, but you also want to correct problems for the greater good.
Professionalism is positive. I feel as though if you go through the motions just enough to be in compliance, it's not enough. An enthusiastic attitude toward your subject and toward promoting a positive learning environment are essentials.
I will implement these prongs in my classes. A question for Hernand or anyone: How might we get students to practice these same qualities in the classroom and in the career field?
I tend to be more of a controller but I do have some buddy traits. I guess the goal is to become a guide.
