Giving positive reinforcement.
I find when I teach Medical Term. it is best to begin with giving positive reinforcement. Many of my adult-learners know many different "medical" terms but they are unaware of this knowledge. I start off after reviewing the syllabus on the first day with a list of commonly used terms for discussion such as "cardi/o"; "hemi", "trans" and give everyday terms that use these terms. This way my students feel that they are not just learning terms that they need for a class. It's a great conversation starter; and often times it leads to finding more common words that have "medical" terms in them. It bolsters their confidence level from the onset of the course. What are your thoughts? Does anyone else do this or something similar? I would like to incorporate a quick quiz on the first day of class with this; but don't want to overwhelm my students and then open it for discussion. However, I feel that this may turn some of the students off. I would appreciate your comments.
Thank you.
Mardi
Jo, it is hard to teach ethical, and honest behavior, but it is good to know that you reward and reinforce it in your classes.
Michele Deck
Starting the first day of a new class with positive reinforcement I feel will benefit the students thruout the rest of the class. When I give a test and it is obvious that the students did not "cheat" on the test I congratulate the class. Not cheating on a test shows good character and that is one of the most important criteria for a good career.
Travis, the world is filled with negative people and feedback. I'm so glad your class is not a place for that, but instead a place for positive feelings, which brings many benefits.
Michele Deck
Very important, as a rule we are raised to seek this in our parents and our friends. Anyone who has raised children know that if you give praise for a job done well, they will seek to continue to do this. So many of our students have received much negative feedback in their lives from family and other sources, they need to feel safe and appreciated. I try to make our classroom a safe haven for them to express themselves and to realize that they actually know more than they thought and are better learners than they give themselves credit for.
Williana, I think some of our students are used to being in school to memorize not to comprehend. To be a success in a career, one must understand and think critically.
Michele Deck
Positive reinforcement is extremely important. Many times, I find that the students themselves are also very hard on themselves. They are so focused on being able to define the terms exactly as they are written that when they provide a definition in their own words, they feel that they are not doing so correctly. Acknowledging that they do show understanding of the terms even though they are phrasing them differently empowers them and get them excited about learning more terms.
Mardi, I'd make it fun quiz, like a crossword puzzle at the end of the discussion. It is actually testing knowledge, but does not look as negative as a "quiz."
Michele Deck
