About me
Darren DemareeCHEP
Activity
Discussion Comment
It has been my experience that if you can lead your class with empathy, intelligence, and motivation they will succeed to the utmost. If one of those factors is lacking, then you will notice the missing component quickly, and should be able to work on improving each situation.
Discussion Comment
The hardest thing for me to do is allow my students the right amount of time to think through the question I have just asked. I want the pace of class to stay brisk, so I struggle to give them the time they need to respond. Should I plan less for each class to allow the proper amount of time for them to respond?
Discussion Comment
The key for me is always to keep the focus on the lesson. As soon as a student takes the stage away from the lesson or the group activity, then it it becomes my job to direct them back towards are daily class goals. It's a mistake I believe to to allow the behavior to spill over past that point, but when it happens it becomes a matter that I will ask for help with after the class. At the very least an explanation for the behavior will be discussed, and if none can be found, then we search for… >>>
Discussion Comment
I think one of the better icebreakers for a class that contains adult students is to discuss their motivation for being there. It gets them excited about the possibility of achieving their goals, and reminds them that they're in control of their own success.
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I teach writing classes, so active learning has been a tough barrier to breach. Once I introduced the idea of how much improved writing skills can enhance their lives outside of the classroom/job arena they understood things a little more clearly. This opened the door to more participation with active learning, as they used the skills needed to write essays to write letters to friends and so on.
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If I hit a wall of stress during a long teach day, I will go into the faculty lounge and sit quietly for a few moments or stretching my shoulders and legs a bit. Just a few minutes where I am in control of my body will take that edge off.
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The biggest stress for me is maintaining my expectations for my students without giving into the let down of disappointment. We work with a grading scale for all students, I need to remind myself that they will not get 100% in the class and will not always give 100% effort. That does not mean that they are failing.
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I teach writing classes, and I find it much easier to have the students take short answer quizzes, as opposed to all essays all the time. It gives them a chance to demonstrate more knowledge on different questions, and improves their ability to be concise when answering a prompt.
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I find it is important to be ready for every class, but it is just as important to take a minute for myself between classes. I grab a snack or call home or check my email. Any five minute task that can center me a bit before heading back into the classroom can relieve the pressure.
Discussion Comment
Lecture notes are most important to me the second and third time I teach a particular class. The first time is exciting, the text might be new to me, and the butterflies surrounding that always makes the class exciting and terrifying at the same time. The important thing for me, if it's going to be a class I teach multiples times, is that I take my lecture notes from the first class and build from them. Simplify, add things, try new angles. The class should get better every time you teach it.
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