The five C's
I appreciated the breakdown of the five C's of instructors being:
Credible
Candid
Compassionate
Committed
Clear
To my mind, they are all important, but we could each probably believe one is the most important. If I had to pick one, I would probably go with "Credible." Once an instructor loses credibility with the students, it is a very difficult thing to gain back.
What would you pick as the most important and why?
David,
I would pick the same one as you. Instructors need to earn the respect of their students and being creditable is one of the ways to do that. When you are respected the foundation is laid for a productive and rewarding course to come. Also, student behavior issues are greatly reduced when students see the instructor as being credible.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I too agree with you that "credible" would probably top the list, but one would not have this characteristic if they were not first committed. I have been in way too many teaching environments where what the instructor displayed was credible information, but far too many times the commitment to the profession has faded. This weakens the credibility of any instructor.
I also agree with how important it is to be credible. I also liked the last C, to be Clear. Albert Einstein said "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it enough." I think is very important for new instructors to dive into their course materials and gain a better understanding and application of their subjects. Also, staying current in your field allows you to gain knowledge of new research so that you can compare and contrast existing material you may be instructing and remain clear with the information your provide students.
Bryan,
Great advice for new instructors. By following your recommendations new instructors will continue to develop their instructional expertise while being able to reach their students more effectively.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I wanted to pick Credible, like everyone else. I think that being credible also ties closely with commited. Being commited to teaching, or anything else, means being dedicated. Typically when a person is commited to something they tend to be credible. Being credible is first in my book, with commited being close behind. When those two things are genuine, all the other C's can fall into place.
Heather,
Good choices with creditability and commitment. These to attributes will serve you well as an educator. Combine them with passion and enthusiasm and you have the professional package.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
