Get Your Students Hired
Sameena,
When you have to present a numerous amount of chapters (in a short amount of time
), I find that it is best to have smaller groups of students present the chapters to the class. With this method, the instructor acts as a "facilitator" and adds missing information to the students' presented chapter.
Tremayne Simpson
Jeanne,
I agree. "Crossword puzzles" seem to retain their popularity, regardless of the student's generation. Anytime I want to present several new concepts or words to my students, I find that creating a crossword puzzle can be effective in the retention of information. There are several sites that can be used to create-your-own crossword and "word find" puzzles.
Tremayne Simpson
Room for flexibility works very well for me, including diffusing classroom tension. A time for questions and answers, and discussions gives me an opportunity to bring back the topic at hand where we left off with ease.
It was not easy in the beginning, since I have to teach 1-3 chapters in 4 and a half hours. I assign time limit to each chapter in my own mind. If the lecture becomes short, I make my students work with the computer resources and/workbook available to us.Sometimes I make them take my place and teach the class and I ask them questions.
One can always use intersrting ways to fill in exceess time which involve clasrroom activities, such as a subject related crossword puzzle or an imitation of a quiz show usually fill time and encourage classroom participation.
Sue,
This method can also be used to establish credibility with your students. Opening up the class for a question and answer session, can provide the students with the assurance that their instructor is well-versed on the subject matter. Credibility can be questioned when there is a heavy reliance on support materials (i.e. textbooks) and limited activities that would make the instructor succeptable to student questions.
Tremayne Simpson
I pace myself based on the knowledge level of my overall class. I allow a lot of time for questions and give them the feedback they need to be successful.
It is difficult to stay on a strict time schedule for a lecture class so I try to account for some q & a time. This makes it so if students do have questions they can ask at that time. A lot of times students ask questions that I will eventually cover in class anyways.
This also happens to me, I find a popup Q's and A's session on the material just covered. This gives a chance to assess the information being retained, as well as areas that need to covered more completely. The mini reviews also help reinforce the information just covered.
Ann,
Thank you for sharing this with the group. If time permits, it is good idea to add "surprises" to the course lesson plan. Surprise activities/discussions can provide the class with a periodic "spark" and it is always exciting to see the student reactions.
Tremayne Simpson
After teaching a course a few times, I know that I can get through about 10 slides of discussion before students need a break. I also know how many slides/day I can get through comfortably. That helps to know how many hours/days I need per topic/lecture. If I don't finish either lecture or lab, it must be carried onto the next day, which complicates things. I've also had to make them learn a topic 'by themselves', in which case I send them home with a print out of the presentation, a reading list & a take-home quiz to assess comprehension. this rarely occurs, but sometimes, you just have to in order to get everything in!
I always keep an 'alternative' list of activities to do in case I finish early (hands-on or workbook material),too, so I never have to worry about that. Students love when that happens- they like the change and unexpected treat (which is usually something gross, like dissecting pigeons!)
Linda,
I agree. During the "debriefing" segment, I usually receive interesting questions that may prompt me to provide more information on the subject. Also, I usually have questions for myself such as: "Did I clearly explain this concept?" or "I wonder how many of the students did not understand that theory?"
Tremayne Simpson
It is important to have extra supplimental activities on hand that are relevant to the subject matter just in case the session has moved quicker than normal. But do not forget about debriefing. A lot can happen during this time that can lead to discovery.
jamie,
I agree. However, sometimes the material that is discussed "off topic" is prevalent to the course and could added to the class lesson plan for future discussion.
Tremayne Simpson
I've always found that staying on task is where it is most important with time management. Students will ask a question and somewhere we start getting off topic so I usually have to keep tabs on that and put us back on task.
Dan,
I have also experienced these situations, with certain groups of students. In these cases I tend to supplement that allotted course time, with "outside of class" assignments that may assist the students in further comprehending the material. It is important that instructors are patient with students that are not able to "grasp" the material, however sometimes it is important to provide them with further practice, so that you can move on with the planned lesson.
Tremayne Simpson
The segment makes reference to "compression" of time (not enough material to cover the allotted time), but I know that, for myself, I need also to become aware of the opposite: with some groups of students, the material takes way longer to cover. Whether it be the students' lack of grasp on the subject, involvement in interesting questions, or other factors, I know that awareness of time factor is important, not only for me as the instructor trying to cover all the material, but also for the students so the class length isn't overbearing.
Karla ,
As a suggestion (you may be doing this already), it may be a good idea to not use the production schedule for the last few classes of the term, to see if the students have acquired this learned, time management structure.
Tremayne Simpson
James ,
Do you set-up activities/projects that enable the "faster-paced" students to interact with the students that are moving at a slower pace?
Tremayne Simpson
I like keeping a production schedule on my chalk board. My students are able to see that times that they are expected to finish their projects by. I keep reminding them about the times, and give them a count down which makes them focus a lot more.