Adriele Malone

This module made me more aware of ways to motivate as well as inspire students. Giving immediate feedback is necessary to keep them engaged and interested in their course work. I can also promote their motivation with my own enthusiasm and empathy, showing them that I am devoted to their success. 

This module offered great ideas to get students involved in discussion/class participation as well as the REFOCUS tools to help re-engage students and get over a mid-term hump. Staying open to new instructing ideas and methods will help reenergize the students and the instructor. 

Again we are reminded of how important it is to learn your students' names from day one. I recall being impressed as a student when my instructors were able to remember my name (and pronounce it correctly). I also like the suggestion regarding opening class on a light note with a joke or a story. I believe that this helps the adult student relax and get settled in. 

I've learned that it is important to ascertain early on what the adult learner's motivation is in order to get a sense of how to keep them engaged. I also learned about the different types of frustrations students deal with and ways to assist them in coping. 

It is important to construct a good lesson plan while keeping in mind the different learning stlyes of adult learners as well as things to work around such as attention span of <18 minutes and only being able to retain ~25% of what we hear. 

I have learned helpful tactics for learning students' names and how important it is to accomplish this quickly. 

Some takeaways for me that will be extremely helpful are some of the different teaching strategies, necessary components of instructional objectives, and using checklists to keep organized and on track. 

I've gained a better understanding of my roles as an instructor as well as some strategies to expand and improve upon my own personal competence. 

Other takeaways; Love what I know, and remember, the most important thing happening in the classroom is not merely teaching, but LEARNING.