Get Your Students Hired
MICHAEL,
Right you are. Bringing to class passion for your field and enthusiasm for teaching about it goes a long way in "selling" the value of your course to students. Excitement is catching so we need to spread it around.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructor enthusiasm is crucial. The student attitude will directly affect the disposition of the instructor. They follow your lead. I myself find if I am having an off day, simply taking a couple of minutes before class to make my students aware of this goes a long way.
Judith,
I love this approach and use it frequently in my courses. I use the GEICO insurance approach in that I say "Did you know that _______?". The students enjoy this activity and often they will propose a question like this as the cliff hanger or next class session challenge. They get a kick out of coming up with the questions and often ask them in a fun way.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
at the end of my lecture I give a cliff hanger which makes the students stay till the end knowing that the cliff hanger could be a question on their next exam.
John,
Well said. If you show you are passionate about your field and excited about teaching then you have a combination that will engage your students and enhance their learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think the students body language say it all! Be passionate about the subject and your students become eager listeners and participants. Be enthusiastic about your presentation and your students will become great learners.
MARIBEL,
Right you are about instructor enthusiasm and passion. Both of these elements contribute to the learning success of students. When you show your passion for your field and then bring enthusiasm for teaching about it to class every day you are increasing the value of the course to and for your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructor enthusiasm is critical to a successful learning environment. The instructor sets the tone for the course. If the instructor is monotone, boring, not motivated or driven, the students will sense the lack of effort and enthusiasm, and not want to be a part of the learning environment. To engage and retain the instructor should be energetic and animated. Students have plenty of outside activities to occupy their time, they need to be stimulated and motivated to want to return to school.
The instructor should provide motivation as to why the student wants to remain in the course of study. If the instructor portrays misery, and always finds fault with equipment or books,for example, it will not encourage the student to want to stay in that environment.
I have found that if I am enthusiastic about the projects in my lecture and demo the students are more likely to remember what is being covered come lab time. I will stress the dos and don'ts every time, but if I'm enthusiastic they seem to stick.
Amanda,
Thank you for sharing your observation and experience concerning the role model you want to be. Your class with the unhappy and non-motivated instructor has served you well because to do have someone to compare to and you know for sure you were and are not going to be "that guy".
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I LOVE my job. Everyday I go to work, I look forward to the possibility of what will walk through that ER...it could be some exciting case or some strange case or even some boring case..but the not knowing makes it great. Dealing with critical cases and utilizing my skillset is also exciting to me. High level of nursing care requires a high skillset, being able to prioritize, multitask and remain neutral emotionally. Whenever I speak about cases I have seen or what skillset I was able to use in the "real world", students ALWAYS perk up...so when I feel that I am losing students due to the material I am teaching, the length of the class, or if it is a Friday and they all want out for the wekeend, I turn my class around by speaking about what happened in my job that week and how it is important to the topic at hand. I remember being taught by a instructor who was like me and I remember how much I liked the class....I also remember being taught by a instructor who seemed to dislike their job and never seemed happy about it. I only learned the bare minimum from that guy. I promised myself that I would never be that guy.
Jennifer,
Yes they do. Enthusiasm for teaching and passion for one's field helps to "sell" the value of the course to students. Excitement is catching so we need to bring it to class and spread it around.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I feel like students love seeing the enthusiasm. It shows them that you love not only teaching, but the profession that you chose and the career that you chose to teach to them. Nobody like to sit all day and listen to someone who is mono-tone and does not seem to like what they do. I try to add alot of dynamic to my presentations to keep the students engaged and interested. In return, the retain the material.
James,
You make a very good point about mood and how it impacts the learning environment in both directions. If there is something going on in the school that has the students in a negative mood it is tough to get them to lighten up when in your class. We need to try and get them engaged but it can be an effort. One thing that should be a constant is that the students know you are going to be upbeat and enthusiastic about your class. So even though they may not be in an upbeat mood they know you will so you have set an expectation for them for your class. Keep up the good work that you are doing in this effort.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It effects it a great deal, but it is also a "two-way street" if I come in enthused and in a good mood students pick up on it and we are more likely to have a great, productive class and the inverse holds true. At the same time the attitude of the class can also negatively or positively affect me as the instructor. I try (and I would say succeed) most of the time in directing the class towards a more positive meeting, but no one's perfect and some days they will sway my mood one way or the other instead.
Susan,
I think you are right about the influence that an instructor's perspective, passion and zeal on the learning efforts of students. If we show that we are excited about having the opportunity to teach about our field student enthusiasm will be there. Learning will be fun, student engagement will be high and everyone will benefit from being in the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I've always subscribed to the belief that a great instructor can make you love any subject and a poor instructor can make you hate any subject. Instructor enthusiasm is the first requirement of a great instructor. I believe that effective teaching can be taught as long as the instructor has enthusiasm as a foundation. My goal in the classroom is to fuel my students curiosity and love of learning in general. For me, it is not enough for them to just learn the required material. I see the results of this philosophy when first generation college students are so inspired that they decide to continue their education even further than they originally planned. Curiosity and the delight of discovery are contagious. That is my goal with enthusiasm as the wind in my sails.
Jennifer,
So true. Enthusiasm is catching so spread it around so your students will see your passion for your field and your excitement about getting to teach about it. They will catch the "fever" as well.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When an instructor is enthusiastic about what he is teaching it makes the students enthusiastic about what they are learning. Students want to see that the instructor enjoys being an instructor and the material being taught.