One of The Lounge's bloggers and online course participants, Joseph Eid, recently commented that a teacher moving around the classroom is like a manager walking around the workplace. This is another good example of how our learning environment mirrors the workplace.
I like to refer to it as "pulse and pace." When an instructor moves around the classroom or lab, he or she can get a sense of the "pulse" of the environment - where the interest is, where lack of attention might be, where there is understanding and where there may be the lack thereof. Getting into the learning environment connects faculty with adult learners and sets the stage for interaction.
The same is true for the workplace as managers move around to get a feel for the level of understanding, skill and motivation of their employees.
In both situations, one can then pace accordingly - for the manager it may be adjusting the work breakdown structure, tasks or work flow. For the teacher, it may be adjusting presentation or introducing interactive learning activities to help bring the learning objectives alive.
As we engage in the faculty development process with our instructors, it goes without saying that classroom management is in many ways similar to workplace management and is a crucial role of which, perhaps, the "pulse and pace" method enhances.
