olga,
That little bit of interest will help them immensely.
Philip Campbell
Soft skills are very important in the classroom. Instructors need soft skills to retain their students. The learning environment should always be maintained with positivity. Students need to see role models and it’s not enough for students to see and learn the technical skills we possess as teacher; they also need to see the soft skills and common sense skills we have as well. Soft skills foster professionalism and teamwork.
Showing interest for each one of your students, encouraging them to be successful and better everyday.
Great point!
Many students do seem to approach certain labs as a task to be completed, rather than an opportunity to expand their understanding. I have also found that showing students alternative methods to the specific directions on a lab helps many of them to grasp concepts. Sometimes a slightly different perspective is all it takes to get them over the hump with certain things they are having difficulty understanding. While following directions certainly has its value, the real world often calls for solutions that may not have a specific set of instructions.
I do my best to make sure my students have the foundational knowledge to be successful, but always point out that the difference between being competent at something, versus being exceptional at it, is based upon their own desire to excel. I believe that students will not most highly value the instructors that taught them something, but rather those instructors that motivated them to teach themselves. There are few things about being an instructor that are more rewarding than those moments when you see the
light bulb turn on above their heads.
Carlos,
Listening is an important skill to have in the classroom.
Philip Campbell
Nicky,
I like that answer, that they increase each other.
Philip Campbell
Nelia,
Thank you for being passionate, your students appreciate it as well.
Philip Campbell
Todd,
A high energy level will spread to the students.
Philip Campbell
The quality that sets good instructors from others is the ability to listen to what the students are saying and trying to figure out where they are coming from and not always think that it always has to be your way.
The most effective instructors I have had were happy creative people who cared about their students. They had the unique ability to approach the material being covered in novel ways. They also were able to answer questions by meeting the students where they were. By this I mean they would ask exploratory questions when a student was confused. From this discussion they could tell how the student was thinking about the material. They would then craft a response that was taylored to the students current thinking pattern. This flexibility was an intiutive way of adapting to different learning styles.
Soft skills may increase the power of hard skills and, together with hard skills, lead to the continuous quality improvement in any individual or organization when applied.
A highly effective instructor is someone who is passionate about what he or she is doing in conducting a class. The instructor is able to engage the students into active learning, is able to use a variety of teaching strategies, and is able to make a positive outcome. The instructor sets a good example and plays a role model for his or her students to follow.
Have fun with what you are doing and keep your energy level high and your attitude positive.
A positive attitude can be contagious.
I think being intuitive to what is not being said or in some cases seen. Sometimes students have issues with things in class, but do not admit to it. They may manifest the issue in ways that skirt the actual problem and being able to see behind that is an effective skill. To know what the real issue is behind the students actions is great.
My opinion is you have to want to be a good instructor ,not just the pay you receive for doing the job anyone can teach, but not everyone can move students to want to learn and be in the classroom .
I feel being prompt and well prepared for your daily lesson is a strong and important approach.
Samuel,
Facilitating is when the real magic happens in the classroom. Keep it up.
Philip Campbell
I think highly effective instructors don't go into a class with the goal of just "teaching" it-but as facilitators that guide the students into learning from the diversity that makes up the class itself. This is where soft skills and EQ come into play.... The better we understand the students, their needs, expectations and perceptions - the better we can address those components that compliment the hard skills, thereby enabling the student to discover their own potential and develop the soft skills needed to be competitive in the marketplace.....
Organization and planning is a very important hard skill. In terms of teaching, it's having a good lesson plan going in. However, empathy, a soft skill, will tell you when the class is not following you and you need to deviate from your lesson plan. I constantly check in with the class to see if they are with me. If they aren't, I need to modify my plan. This combination is very important for me.
Peggy,
That will help keep the class engaged in the material.
Philip Campbell
