Try not to be a " Common Teacher"
In trying not to be a common teacher if think you can side step some common mistakes. Think outside of the box, try ,if possible to sit in on a course prior to teaching it, see it how the students see it. Have interaction with students, have them help in the curriculum, instead of being taught to. Always get before, during and ending thoughts from your class to see how a course progresses, this is key to making adjustments, to help you help your students.
Hello Mark,
I like the idea of having pre, during, and post thoughts from students to enhance the curriculum. Students can provide valuable feedback/ideas. Actually, at my institution we have acted on some of the feedback from students.
Patricia
I have found that having been a student at the school I now teach for I have a slight advantage in that I have seen both sides of the class. I use my experience as a former student to help me develop into the type of instructor I think the students can benefit from.
Hi Lane,
I have the authority to hire instructors. I love hiring instructors that have been students at my institution. They understand the entire operation of the organization. People like you make great instructors having graduated from the institution where you now serve as an instructor. I got so excited when I read your response, I agree 100%! :-)
Patricia
We use a student evaluation at the end of each course. This can give some indication of how the students perceived the class was taught.
We've had many students at our campus become teachers, and one of the more recent such hires earned the prestigious Educator of the Year for CEC, Josef Mancino.
I encourage teaching, even as an adjunct like me, to all my students. It's not just a good "side job", teaching facilitates personal development and the need to keep skills current in order to keep teaching, and helps improve the quality of workers in our own industry (even though I will be competing with my students for jobs, both in the field and teaching positions!)
Hi Joseph,
At my educational institution, we have hired students as instructors as well. It makes me very proud when one of my students become one of my employees. I have nine employees working with or for me at my institution. I am so proud of them!
Patricia
I like requesting feedback from students consistently, or during my online chat times with students I will ask them if they enjoyed the assignment, asking follow up questions as to how it pertained to future career interests, etc. I will tweek my syllabus each session as I adjust to the successes and failures of assignments.
Hi Janette,
Great job on constantly trying to be the best you can be!
Patricia
I certainly agree with the notion of not being the "typical common teacher". One of the joys of teaching is to see responses like this one I just received in my instructor evaluations from a student last term: "I don't like math, but because he taught this class, I looked forward to going to class and listening to his jokes (good or bad)." I always say to my students on the first day that if I can make math class tolerable, I have won half the battle - since the overwhelming majority of the students will not want to be there. If - at the end of the term - they state they are going to miss being in the class, I know I've done something right in that class with that group of students.
Mark,
You make a great point here. A good instructor thinks outside the box, keeps students engaged, plans ahead and makes adjustments. Great points!
Tonya Dyer
Hi Tonya,
What things do you do to not be a common instructor? My uniqueness is that I say all things tactfully, I know exactly what to say and how to say it as to not to upset students.
Patricia
I think trying not be a "common teacher" may cause a lot of unnecessary work. It may lead to "re-inventing the wheel" which creates a lot of work. I often re-invent the wheel because I want my classes to be interesting, unique, and my own. Using existing lesson plans or designed plans that come with the course material will save a lot of time. Inserting you personality and stories will make the class your own. Designing a curriculum outline and objectives that will work for any course, then inserting the courses message and materials, is one way of saving time over the long run. Any other ideas?
Hi Paul,
Be yourself. Use existing material and tweak the material to your own liking as long as objectives are being meant. Don't ever try to be like another instructor, be like you!!!!!
Patricia
Paul,
When I was a student, I always had high expectations from my professor. Now that I'm the professor, I try to "put myself on my students' shoes" and look back to my teaching and reflect if I was able to meet those high expectations, when I see that there was a weakness here and there in the course of the session, immediately mark them, and prepare for a redesign of the activity, or strategize on how to teach the topic for better student understanding.
