Get Your Students Hired
I am a new instructor and my first class does not start until January so I am in the process of writing syllabus and lesson plans. Hence i am taking this course to help me with my lesson plans. I have no idea how long my content per day will take so I will use the strategy of having some content to fill the time as needed if lecture ends too quickly. I will have a small class and there is lots of hands on demonstration and then lab to practice so I think I will be able to have some videos to show to reinforce the techniques the students are learning.
My classes are 9Am-4PM all day, so my lesson plans and days are planned out very carefully, with Lecturing, practicals, group sessions, activities etc. All related to the days course content. Time management is a must to me with all day classes Monday through Friday.
roy,
This is a great suggestion. Instead of focusing on the students that are active in class, it is a good idea to pay attention to the those that are not participating. They may want to be a part of the discussion, but may need a "special" invitation to contribute.
Tremayne Simpson
i watch how the class as a whole is responding and pay attention to the student that isnt responding. as the lession progresses I adjust accordingly.
Cheryl,
I enjoy using case studies as well. They are highly engaging for the students and it enables them to apply the learned information, directly within an activity.
Tremayne Simpson
Cheryl,
I enjoy using case studies as well. They are highly engaging for the students and it enables them to apply the learned information, directly within an activity.
Tremayne Simpson
Cheryl,
I enjoy using case studies as well. They are highly engaging for the students and it enables them to apply the learned information, directly within an activity.
Tremayne Simpson
Ann ,
I agree with varying the course activities, on a "class-to-class" basis. This not only keeps the material "fresh" for an instructor that has taught it several times, but it also provides different experiences for the students.
Tremayne Simpson
I like to have some case scenarios ready for open discussion based on what the students are currently learning to fill in when there is extra time.
I have taught for many years and have found that each lesson I teach I have several additional learning modalities and ideas for the student's to use if I have extra time during the lesson period. Sometimes they are group activities, sometimes additional individual work. We can play games to test for understanding or look further into a subject to seek for deeper meaning. Also, be sure to limit student questioning or comments if they get off topic.
As a teacher you are driving the car so to speak and you must keep everyone on track as much as possible.
Susan,
Interestingly, class "fillers" can be very productive, especially in regards to topical reinforcement. Implementing a few discussion questions to fill than time, can spark excellent debates and can serve as an excellent form of student assessment.
Tremayne Simpson
Being new to teaching, I never really thought ahead about "fill in" material. This has been a very thought provoking subject and makes me realize I need to plan ahead a little better. I have mostly lecture/lab based classes and usually add some extra lab time to fill in now.
Jeffrey,
This is a common problem for most instructors. It is best for instructors to maintain their policies and hopefully, the student will learn from the consequences. Whenever instructors deveate from their policies and make exceptions, students will not face the consequences and may continue to exhibit the procrastination behavior.
Tremayne Simpson
Teresa,
I have used a similar approach with my classes. From my experience, students seem to really apply a high-level of focus, when they are given the opportunity to assume the role of "instructor". They tend to spend more time researching and finding examples, that they can use to engage their classmates.
Tremayne Simpson
I teach a 4 1/2 hour studio class, so I try to use the first hour for lecture or learning in a more structured manner and then try to do individual eval's for all in the class. I have them list their names on the board and I try to go in that order. This helps me keep up the pace and keep track of where I am time wise. Of course they can ask questions during this time. Sometimes I will stop and answer for the whole class, if I feel that it is important to all.
I like this idea very much. I seem to take longer than I had planned rather than run short. But, there is one area where I do run short. So, now I'm going to concentrate on planning an extra activity should I run short of time.
I agree, in some courses i teach there are independant self study asignments that have a very strict due date policy. Even with concstant reminders there are regular failures due to procrastination. I can help some of them with a stern conversation about the realities they will face (failing), but some just need to figure it out the hard way.
I like to plan a few extra formative assessments that can be given to help inform students and me about what learning has occurred if there is extra time left over.
I teach Ethics and keep an "accelerated learner" file of research/presentation mini projects. I ask students to prepare background on an ethical issue and search for a related media resource. The students can do a simple PP, share the media resource and then as a class, we can focus on the critical thinking required. This alternates the "instructor" and gives the students a chance to switch roles in the learning experience that we share during a course.
I usually write down the key points I want to cover and I hit those points first, then if time allows I cover secondary points and Q & A.