New Instructor
I will be teaching my first college course this quarter. The course that I will be teaching is a course that all new students will be scheduled to take. This course weighs alot on retention. Does anyone have suggestions on how to handle a mini-term course. We will meet four days per week and 2 hours per day. I am concerned about loosing the attention of the students.
Hi Hildie,
You must be so excited teaching your first college course! You just took me back 19 years ago. You are absolutely right, if you have all the new students, the course weighs heavily on retention. You will handle a mini-term course just like any other course. On Day 1, let the students know what your rules are, be friendly yet firm when stating the rules. Do not tell the students this is you first college course that you will be teaching that does not matter. You appear on Day 1 to be extremely knowlegable (the course GURU), prepared, organized, professional, enthusiastic, and caring. If you exemplify the traits mentioned, you will not lose the attention of the students. Make the course EXCITING--involve your students. You are going to have a great experience because you are so concerned. Make sure to pick an experienced instructor's brain! I wish I could be there to mentor you.
Patricia
This is going to be a great experience for me. I have taken your advice and have solicited assistance from senior instructors. Class starts Monday and I feel like I am ready. The class that I am teaching is a motivational type class and will have a lot of classroom discussion. I know that it will be fun.
Hello Hildie,
I wish you the best! I can tell you are ready and excited. I am sure you are going to have a great experience. Use all the wonderful advice you have been given and continue to pick your senior instructors brains--"Exprience is the best teacher." Students are really going to be looking to you to motivate them. Maintain a very high energy level throughout the entire class period.
Patricia
I would explain the course and it's objectives, I would ask what do students like best about the planned format; as well as, what do they like least.
I would be willing to adjust accordingly.
Hello Samuel,
It is a must to explain the course and it's objectives. Students can be extremely helpful in providing information based on what they like least or best about a particular matter. I have gotten some great ideas using this particular tactic. I do not make all changes that are recommended, but I do evaluate things, and if the idea is to make a better student, I will definitely implement the idea. Students enjoy knowing that we as instructors do listen to their ideas and put some of their ideas into action.
Patricia
Well, I think most students want to succeed and want you to succeed too. If you treat them fairly and honestly they will generally respond with the same. As the class moves along you can reach at least some of them as people, working together for a common goal. I don't know the subject, but if you keep focused on it while making this a straightforward and reasonably friendly experience it should work okay. Good luck and have fun; it can be a very rewarding experience where you learn as much as you teach.
Hi Richard,
Isn't that the truth, whenever you are teaching a course for the very first time, you really learn as much as you teach. It is such a rewarding experience for both the instructor as well as the student. You do not need to vocalize that you are teaching a course for the first time. You never want to give students any ammunition.
Patricia
You must make these students "dying" to return to your course.Show them up to date state of the art ideas and examples of the topic and then teach them how to think about and interpret.Ask them what they want to get out of the course on day 1 and have each one ask you a question about something that they don't understand, in the next few days afterwards.Be prepared to give serious answers.
Hi Warren,
I agree, you must make your students want to return to class. I always tell my instructors, you MUST be the best sales person in the building to sell your students on coming back the next day. I have PowerPoint presentations prepared for each course to present to my students on Day 1. The presentations tell the students, the purpose of the course and what they will learn from the course.
Patricia
Hi Patricia,
I am also a new instructor, and am beginning to notice the theme of being a salesperson of the course content. I am teaching a general chemistry course, and while I find the content interesting in many ways, I am having a tough time selling this to the students. For me, it seems that genuine interest in topics like chemistry come only to a certain type of student. My question is, how do I "sell" this type of course to students, when most of them naturally feel that science is boring to them? Are there any special techniques, in your opinion, that are well suited to this type of material?
-Peter
Hello Peter,
You need to explain to the student why they need chemistry based on their particular major. The student needs to be able to understand the relevance.
Patricia
I too will be teaching my first introductory course this quarter. The first thing I determined a need for was a seasoned instructor to be a mentor to me. She quickly pointed out that I was providing too much information to the students. Eager to share my knowledge and experience I was quickly going to overwhelm and scare them right out of the course. My mentor pointed out some basic tips such as Keep It Simple-teach to their level, what they need to know, and limit the amount of extra detail that was not relevant to the course objectives and goals. Some of the information I wanted to expand on is actually persented during their third quarter, and obviously beyond their current skill and knowledge level. I found this information very helpful, while at the same time reducing the amount of extra work I was doing. It's easy to forget that the students come with basic or no knowledge of the subject area as first quarter college students. Hope this helps.
Hi Pamela,
Your mentor is a good coach. She really shared some valuable information with you. You have to keep this in mind, assume no one knows anything about what you will cover, and always teach from an elementary point of view, by doing this, you will capture all students. We get in trouble and cause trouble for our students when we teach above them. Keep things real simple. The right time will come when things need to become more advanced.
Patricia
Hildie,
I will begin teaching my first online class in ?January and I admit I an quite nervous about it. I think you have received a lot of useful information some of which I intend to take to heart. I kn ow that teaching the forst class will be a little overwhelming at first but I think we can do it. I am teaching online so I will not be able to see my students only see what they type into the live chats. I hope that I will find this information useful in these situations as well. I feel that if you follow the information provided within this course you will do just fine. Remember these students are just as nervous in the beginning and are totally new to this experience take the lead and show them that you are there for them and ready to help them reach their full potential.
Hi Dawn,
Begin with confidence, preparation, and knowledge. Never mention to your students that this is your first online teaching experience. They will never know the difference, and I am sure you will not miss a beat. Remember, confidence, preparation, and knowledge.
Patricia
Hi. This will be my 1st time teaching as well, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas. I especially like the find a mentor idea, and will continue asking my dept head for lots of advice. -Jeanne
Hello Patricia and Peter,
After reading Peter's inquiry I feel that he has a very good question that could be answered perhaps a little more fully? Like many others who have chimed in on this thread of the forum, I am also a first time instructor, and will be teaching nursing. I have similar questions myself.
I will always do my best to give the students a clear understanding of why the information they are asked to learn is relevant, but when there is a magnum of information to be mastered I feel that we are going to need some extra spices to keep the flavor of all that info interesting?
I remember my chemistry professors, most left the subject as dry as it can be! Chemistry was interesting to me to begin with, but because it is difficult information to learn it was therefore difficult to maintain my interest. When I had professors who were dull, talked to the board, were not really available at their office hours, I usually did not do as well, or stuggled in the class.
I did have one good instructor who was more engaging than the rest. He created a mantra for the more difficult problems, and had the class repeat it to him when he came across a difficult problem for us. He wrote out the most difficult homework problem on the board very large. Then he asked us, "How do you eat an elephant?" We were to respond with the mantra he gave us, "One bite at a time!" He then he proceeded to have us tell him how to do the problem step by step by calling on one student per step. This kept us involved, showed us that we could do this, and supported us because he taught and gave positive feedback as we did the problem. This is an example of one method he employed to combine teaching, encouragement, and support.
When the material is laborous it is difficult to keep it interesting even if the student is interested and invested. We as instructors have to maintain class energy level and interest through creativity, examples, demonstrations, involvement, and support.
I'd really love to hear some other examples, of instructors suggestions for creating interest in dry scientific and mathematic classes. Peter how did your class go? Did you find some ways to maitain their interest?
Naomi
Hi Naomi,
Very thorough response! I have had some instructors to have the students teach the information in group style. Some students are very creative and do a fantastic job presenting.
Patricia
This is exactly the type of class I love to teach. Number one - be personable. The students are new and want to feel accepted and appreciated. Always keep in mind that they are very much like you - no better or worse - and they want to feel that they belong. That is a huge boon to keeping retention numbers up. And never NEVER tell them you are lost, fumbling, etc. because you are new. This will only make them feel that you are clueless and/or that they are being led by someone who doesn't know what they are doing. I see new instructors do this all the time ("work with me, I'm new here", "I'm new to the school and never taught this before", etc.) - and the student confidence goes way down. Relax and be yourself. Make sure you are prepped and ready to go and then let the topic flow. The students will appreciate your confidence and your friendliness. You can do this and you can do it well. Good luck!
