Classroom Preparation
I teach students how to cook and one of the classroom tools we like to implement is to make a food timeline sheet or production schedule. This allows my students to think and analyze the entire process of preparing their required food dishes in a timely manner. The goal is to work backwards by figuring out which dish takes the longest to cook. I will ask my class to do some additional research online and use technology to see different variations on these cooking skills can be applied to their daily lesson plan. The outcome for those who do the work is amazing ^_^
Having classroom preparation is of the utmost importance. This takes work from the instructor and the students. This must begin in the classtime prior to the upcoming class. Give them the instructions needed to prepare and look forward to an exciting conclusion to your class.
It is very important to prepare a class before walking into the classrooom. There is a lot of stress included in managing adult students. As the instructor, I plan everything ahead of time. This decreases my stress because I can anticipate potential issues, and address them before problems develop. Also, if I have to have a substitute unexpectedly, the material is already prepared.
Sometimes I find that supplies and or instructional aids will need to be ordered weeks in advance, so I have had to prepare a couple of months ahead of a scheduled class to ensure that all supplies will be available.
We have a timeline for the students too, we call it the battle plan which help prepare the students for the next day so they know what they need to produce in a timely manner.
I would even go one step further...preparing lesson plans at least 2 days before, as opposed to the night before, greatly decreases stress. I feel like there's some mathematical equation that shows that the time between the preparation and the actual class is inversely proportional to the amount of stress experienced before and during the class! (This goes for the students as well as the instructor, and should be explained to the students on the first day of class.) You never know what emergencies could occur the night before class that would prevent you from being prepared.
Being prepared to me means less stress, saves me from embarrassment and helps me to keep my class engaged.
This can be extremely difficult when the supplies are not available when you need them, despite having them ordered a few weeks a head of schedule. I find myself having to check with my director to see what other courses use some of the same supplies. Sometimes having them set aside with my name has helped.
The more prepared u are the better my class seems to go.
zack,
I agree, sound preparation can serve as a great catalyst for a productive class session.
Tremayne Simpson
