Have fun!
I love the ideas that were presented where you are free to think outside the box. I appreciate music and have used it in the classroom to calm students down before taking an exam.
I also love telling good stories with a purpose. It's a great way to get students to remember important concepts.
I think these things make a teacher "real" to students and hopefully they will feel comfortable approaching the instructor with issues that may come up. These things are a great way to "connect" with students.
Giovanni,
We like to call this establishing onesself as a "similar other." It shows students that people where they are now can get to where they want to get.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Yes! I love sharing my journey with them. Especially when its a struggle that they are going through and i have gone through the same struggle. I can share with them how I overcame it and got myself where I am at now. Show them they can do the same, the rewards at the end are great.
I agree with cheri that we need to think outside the box and music certainly doeshave a calming effect on teh students.
Cheryl,
There is some science out there that indicates that laughter increases learning. Memories linked to emotions are rooted deeply. Laughter establishes some of the same physiological reactions.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I regularly use humor and fun in my PowerPoint slides -- the students love it. I remind them that laughter and learning can (and should) go hand in hand, just like it did when we were in elementary school. When I use music, the students really respond in a very positive way.
Ronald,
I think the most difficult classes to teach are classes like yours, ones in which students who are in many majors are required to take. (In our school, Accounting I is one of those courses.) It takes the best teachers to engage students and keep them entertained while they learn something they did not really come to school for. Well done!
Jeffrey Schillinger
I teach introduction to computers to a wide varity of students medical, legal, graphic designers, accountants etc. To keep students engaged I blend in stories, analogies and humor. I soon as I say "back in the day" I have their full attention again because they know that they are going to learn something new and be entertained in it's presentation.
I agree with having fun. Keeping the class interesting helps students to learn and retain better. I like to use interactive activities in my class to demonstrate concepts with communication, feedback, perception, etc. Using elements such as play dough is extremely successful, and games such as Whisper Down the Lane.
I often share stories with my students about substandard care that I notice in the health care field and form my lecture and discussion time around what we, as allied health professionals, are going to do differently to change the experience for future patients. The scenarios often inspire the students to think about experiences in their own lives that have shaped their impressions of health care and perhaps inspired them to pursue their careers. The content and course objectives come alive (and become enjoyable)when the students can relate them back to real world situations!
having fun in class and lab should be part of the leaning experiance , it keep them interested
in staying and look forword to coming to class
This has to be a highlight for me, is to hear that some one else has seen the use of stories and analogies to peak thier interest and maybe entertain the students, It makes for a clas that they know they will learn from and enjoy at the same time.
Yes, I agree. Besides being creative a teacher also needs to recognize as best they can each students strengths as a "learner." The instructor needs to mix it up when necessary to accomadate a variety of different learning approaches by their students.
I think too often it's easy to get into a routine of teaching a certain section of a class a certain way, and this can be hard to break. . .hard because it's easier to just do it the same way every time.
I think that connecting to students is vital to being a great teacher. As I work with medical atudents, I find the use of real-world stories helps them not only understand the material but helps to prepare them to what could be. Nice post!!
I strongly agree. In fact at times I invite the student to put themselves in my shoes when telling related stories from my past.
I agree, Cheri. Creative teaching is actually another way of saying good teaching. To truly make an impact, an instructor must make a connection with the students. Classrooms are more than a book and a lecture--but a growth process. Using stories, music, or examples can help students do more than memorize the content--it helps them to actually live it!
Teachers of adult students need to be seen as a "similar other." Students will be able to relate to the fact that the teacher used to be where they were and has found a way to get where the students may want to be.
