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Ask a question from your peers to help you in your professional work. Seek different points of view on a topic that interests you. Start a thought-provoking conversation about a hot, current topic. Encourage your peers to join you in the discussion, and feel free to facilitate the discussion. As a community of educators, all members of the Career Ed Lounge are empowered to act as a discussion facilitator to help us all learn from each other.

Personality...

I thought it was a very interesting question in my interview process when my would be boss asked me "How to you think the students are going to react to your dry sense of humor?" At the time I remember thinking "Who the hell cares what they think?" Well, I learned pretty quickly that while "staying true to yourself" seems to be the motto that everyone wants to put on a shirt - Sometimes you need to adjust that. When your personality has the potential to be prohibitive to the learning experience, you need to consider how to change it.

Understanding Yourself

I found this particularly interesting as it relates to my teaching for one particular reason. As a Chef I have to slightly adjust "Who I am" when I am teaching compared to when I am leading a kitchen. I found out pretty quickly that students really start to balk if you try to be their "Boss" instead of the mentor. This has meant learning a little bit about myself and also, measuring my responses before giving them.

Know why you test.

When I make up a test I do not try to fool the students. I test to be sure they understand the material I consider to be important to know. I also grade my tests so that I can find out how well I traught. If I find certain areas that all the students do poorly on I must take some of the blame for not doing better in those areas.

make plan B as solid as plan A.

A back up plan is necessary and it should not be inferior to your original plan. It has been my experience that my back up plan ended up being my main plan for the next cycle.

demonstrate your expertise in your field

I can always get a students attention when I am able to demonstrate why I am the instructor. It gives a sense of to the student of why I am the instructor. It confirms your alpha status.

evaluating systems

sytem evaluation is very helpful to ensure that student/ teacher satisfaction

educational troubleshooting

troubleshooting education strategies can help ensure that each student comprehends and understands content being taught

media

using media is a great idea because it enhancess students learning ability

teacher evaluations

teachers need to evaluate themselves to ensure proper learning is taking place.

Guest speakers

I use guest speakers only when applicable. I use them for several reasons 1. They have a different perspective on a subject than many, 2. They often bring a new sense of excitment to the subject that makes that topic more meaningful for my students.

Implementing Learning Taxonomy

How will you use Learning Taxonomy to create lesson plans for your class? What factors or assessments will you use to predict when your students are ready to handle “higher-level” assignments?

Student Input

Do you allow your students to provide input for lesson plan revisions? If so, how do you regulate their suggestions?

Time Management

What time management strategies do you use to ensure that you are “keeping pace” with your lesson plans?

Student Learning Styles

How are you able to effectively create lesson plans that adhere to the various learning styles of your students?

Having a back up plan

Having a back up an ensures that you are always prepared for class even when the unexpected happens. It shows that you have total control of your classroom.

oranized

Students know when you are not prepared and organized for class. They feel like you care when you are organized

Testing

Testing should be a gauge of understanding and not a scorecard.

Fluidity

The point of this module is becoming increasingly repetitive. Remain fluid and success will come. Remain rigid and invite failure - yours!

Match Our Students

The method delivery must match the students! As teachers we must be fliud as the material is static.

Know Thy Student

This should match the types of learners. Know thy student and follow with the instructional methods that succeed for them!