Engaging students again and again is a priority.
I am very animated and high energy. On days when my energy is lacking my students definately take notice. I liked the 20/80 split, that is very true. I use alot of stories to keep there interest, and to instill crucial aspects of medicine such as confidentiality, and the responsibilities that go along with pharmacology. I start making these points at the begining of there program and all the way through the program continue to lace them into our discussions. I also try to show emphasis to little things that I feel were left out of my education in medical assisting, so that when they leave and a situation arises they may remember my story, and it will help them along with problem solving. I also strongly encourage my students to utilize there peers for insight, because they might be able to give a different perspective on what I am explaining to them.
Using stories is a great way to engage your learners. If you are inviting them to learn from each other you are modeling an excellent example of working effectively as a team, which they will need on the job. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
I make my class fun and interactive. Class participation is very important since they see the value of their feedback and undersatnd the application. Being patient and explaining at the student level, basically easy to understand language is very important and my students love that about me
Sunita, thank you for being an instructor that uses interaction. It is gratifying to see learners who understand and appreciate your efforts to explain you content in an easy to understand format. Keep up your good works!
I enjoy being a learner in my class, you can stand to learn something new everyday.
Being a learner in your class can give you new perspective. If you are always learner focused, you will have success with teaching.
This really challenges me to rethink all lesson plans that I have. Its important to be able to engage all students from all age groups and to keep them interested at the topic being discussed. Adults want to know how this information will benefit them and how they will use it down the road in their careers.
What I also like to do is show a fun side of me while in class. I think this shows that I am very approachable about anyting and it makes the students feel welcomed and less worried.
Vanessa, I am glad the course has made you think about engaging all the students. Showing your fun side makes it easier for the learners to relate to you. I suggest you pick one idea from the course and implement it in your class with your content that needs the most help because it is dry or boring. Then, you will see results immediately. Thanks and good luck!
Yes I would. My classes are interactive and I am entertaining.
If your classes are interactive, you are ahead of 70% of your peers. It makes a real difference to students. Good luck and keep up the good work.
Being an enthusiastic learner myself, I think that would be a good way to understand my student's perspective and at the same time will also help me get more exciting ideas that i can incorporate into my lessons
Priyal, it is a good idea to walk in the shoes of your students at least once a year. If you are always looking for better ways to teach, it will pay off for both you and your students.
I to, bring out my work experiences to my students and tell them I can not wait for them to feel what I feel. Sometimes, I feel the realization is not there for them until they can experience it themselves.
Experience is a great teacher and sharing real world stories is one way to prepare students that is effective. Thanks for sharing!
i agree to that and thats the reason that I keep looking for ways that help me interact better with my students as well as help me to help them.
Priyal, it is an excellent practice to always seek new ways to help students interact with content. That way they are gaining knowledge and experience working with a variety of people who are different from them(very much like the job world).
That is very true. I also sometimes use role play as one of the activities in class. This helps me to work with my students and at the same time still see if I can make the topic further interesting .
I would want to be in my class because I connect with my students. By getting to know them a bit, I can understand where they are coming from and how they learn. Incorporating comedy, making impersonations and using little quips, helps the learning to be fun. I try to find examples and analogies that relate to something that they already know. This helps to accelerate their learning. I agree that students have to focus in order to remember what they have learned.
Todd, teaching is as much about creating relationships as it is about teaching skills and knowledge. Wise teachers use fun and real life examples as you do to make a difference. I'd like to be a student in your class.
