I have learned that it's not necessarily how long you have been teaching, rather, how you apply what you are learning, and always striving to grow in your role. It is very important to always stay professional, and knowledgeable, to ensure we are giving our students the best experience in their higher education, which will better prepare them for their new careers.
I have learned how important it is for me to model professionalism, while inspiring curiosity, listening with empathy, and adapting to each student's needs.
As an instructor, you have to always have a student-first approach in the classroom. Its all about the learning and how students will grasp the concept of what you are giving them
I have learned that I need to model the behavior that I expect from my students. I have also learned the best ways to work toward professional development.
Professionalism is essential in both the classroom and the the clinical setting. A professional teacher sets the tone for earning, models respectful behavior, and creates a safe environment where students can grow. In the clinical setting professionalism also impacts patient safety, quality of care, and how future healthcare providers learn to interact with patients and colleagues. By demonstrating integrity, accountability, and respect I not only teach content I help shape the character and competence of the next generation.
A professional presence is vital for positive teaching. This involves a set of essential soft skills, such as being on time, dressing appropriately, using respectful language, maintaining good hygiene, being organized, and getting along with others.
These are further enhanced by the "Five Cs" for a positive teaching role:
Credibility: Be a knowledgeable and trustworthy authority.
Candor: Be straightforward and honest.
Compassion: Show genuine empathy and kindness.
Commitment: Demonstrate dedication to your students and profession.
Clarity: Communicate information simply and directly.
I learned that how I show up matters, from the way I dress, the way I speak and talk throughout a lecture or presentation, the way I respond, and the way that I handle conflict. I have to prep so that I can keep myself and the class moving smoothly. I know that setting the tone of how I want my class to be starts from day 1. If I make myself avaliable students can't complain about not having access to ask questions or address concerns.
Bringing the students the hard skills, experience from the outside, showcase the hands on skills from real world situations, along with the soft skills of classroom instruction will both prove invaluable to the development of teaching methods and gaining instructor skill to the classroom. This approach may gain the students learning retention and the new subject being taught and will help the instructor confidence level rise, as he or she begin their career teaching at UTI.
I have learned that teaching is more of a marathon than a sprint in the aspects of professional development. I learned that I have room for improvement with professional advancement opportunities but was also reassured by this information that there are already several things I am doing well that will set my student and myself up for success.
Teaching is a muti-faceted skill. Taking what I know and being able to share that in a way that students can utilize for their own growth and development. Using different techniques and strategies are what are key to being successful as an instructor.
Learning is the most important thing in the classroom and it is vital to have both soft and hard skills to teach students adequately.
Teaching is a muti-dimensional discipline. Challenging and rewarding in many ways. I will share my lessons learned in my profession acting in many varied roles. Manager, motivator, leader, supporter, co-worker and act the part of an experienced professional as well as guide them through the subject matter
I will never stop learning, there will always be a driving force to get better
Great topic! I how important it is to know your path. As a new instructor I sometimes feel I'm all over the place, but this stuck out to me "Know your path" and develop a personal Professional development plan.
I have always presented classroom information with the thoughts of being on stage- being prepared with my dialogue, being engaging to my audience. Being a manager and a motivator during the performance. Managing by keeping the audience involved in the story, and motivating them to want to know more. Getting them set up for a finally that they will be a part of.
Be a GREAT Model, Manager and Motivator means being a professional at all times and using real world experiences while teaching. We often teach from books and presentations but relating the information into the goals and outcomes of the program help the students to realize and understand how to use the infromation being taught/shared.
Making sure that I lead by example in my speech and my interaction with both the students and my peers.
Being prepared and ready to start the class on time. This will help the students see the need to follow this example when they graduate and start their careers.
I have learned that showing up for the students and modeling the expectation we have for them is very important. This also builds trust and integrity with the students.
I learned that continuing education and research is going to be the key to learning how to combine my technical competence, professional competence, and personal competence into a respectable, professionally competent instructor. I will work hard to develop an instructional style that will motivate my students without overwhelming them, and will allow them to thrive, while building the best rapport possible.
For me, the biggest takeaway is the importance of continuous reflection and growth. As an instructor, I want to regularly assess what works well in my classroom and what needs adjustment. I plan to use student feedback and self-reflection after each lesson to make improvements.
