Matthew Coulter

As a new instructor just hitting my first-year mark, I very much agree with all the information in this block of instructions. I was definitely concerned about being seen as incompetent, even though I'm fresh out of the field with up-to-date knowledge and a good skill set. Excepting the fact that the first few lectures or demonstrations may be a little rough helped a lot. You have to rip that band-aid.  

Do your due diligence and create an environment that doesn't allow cheating. Make it known that you will not tolerate any type of cheating. That way, when you have proper evidence of cheating, you can handle it quickly and accurately. 

Many young adult students get very offended when they are "called out." It is a quick way to deal with the situation right then and there. However, this may create unnecessary resentment. It would be better to take the student aside and have them explain what can be done to improve the situation or instruction to keep their attention. 

Discussing and running through a good course/syllabus break down helps alot! 

Prep Prep Prep!!!! The better prepared you are the better you will do. It is always better to over-prepare than under. However, you need to learn the balance of preparing. When you try to teach over-prepared one tends to run out of time and rush through demos and different portions of the lecture. If you under prepare you look as if you are trying to find your way through the fog. A mixture of the both may be the right place to be. Trust your gut but put together a good effort. Put the theories and demos that worked well… >>>

I love the idea of a pre-test. It shows the instructor the student's basic knowledge on the subject and maybe who actually prepared. It lets the students know what they will be going over and to maybe key in on those topics when they come up. The more times you can put the important words and concepts into your lecture, the better chance the students will have of retaining them. 

As a new instructor coming out of the field, there are many factors that have to be managed. For example, the language used in a shop is a bit more unprofessional than what is expected of the students and instructors. I let them know that, yes, when you get out into the feild things may be much different. I have also needed to change the way I communicate and converse with others. Most of the other professionalism standards that the school has in place reflects the field in many ways. We are preparing the students for the field and striving… >>>