David Corral

Adults have an attention span between 15-18 minutes so try to keep your lectures no longer than that at a time. Rehearse and practice your lectures before the class happens, especially new instructors. When ending class for the day ask the students what was learned, and you may provide what you think can be better. Lastly and most importantly, make sure to keep the students engaged with various deliveries, positive and motivating feedback, to ensure a healthy learning environment.

When introducing yourself to the class and the students sharing theirs, it gives everyone a chance to relate or know similarities. It may not be a bad idea to give a brief pretest that is not graded but can give everyone a baseline of their knowledge on what is to be learned. At the end of the class once the students are dismissed, take a moment to reflect on how it went. It probably went better than you think it did.

Preparation is important whether you're a novice instructor or experienced one. Having a checklist for reminders, notepad to jot down needs, and arriving early in class are all ways to keep you prepared for giving a good course to the students. You also have to realize what the students will be expecting from you.

It is important to plan your future training and development as an instructor. There is always room for improvement and it is vital for new instructors to learn how to be more effective and confident in their work.

As instructors we need to keep up with the current technologies so we can utilize what is being used in the modern schools. It is also a way for us to connect with our various students.

It is vital that the objectives for the course are stated intently so you and the students are always on the same page. The students will also be able to know if they are keeping up with what they are supposed to be learning from the course. The standards are important as well. The standards should be current and up to date, and for the correct place.

Always be prepared and do not become complacenet. No matter how many times you've taught a course you could always forget part of the lesson plan. 

Understand your self and how you learn and teach as an instructor. Find out about your students at the beginning with a baseline. Be cognizant about students being diverse learners and how your teaching style affects them. Manage time intently because new instructors will mismanage it due to lack of experience.

It was great to learn about the different types of tests to distribute during the class and their different strengths and weaknesses. Also good to know when is the right time to give certain tests and when not to so you don't deplete student confidence in learning the subjects in class.

CATs and Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives will be very useful as an instructor. It is important to assess and confirm that the studnents are learning what we are trying to have them understand and comprehend.