do we inspire
I think it is important to connect with the students I have been in training classes where the instructor simply read the presentation there was really no life to speak of it was monotone, dry, and painfully boring! If we are going to be good at this our students need to be moved by our words there needs to be passion and a measure of excitement in the atmosphere of our class room the leader sets the tone for the class in the first few days being able to move and inspire people is far more than knowing the material a highly knolawageable person with no ability to move a crowd makes for a very poor teacher. we need to ask ourselfs when the students leave us have they been changed? do they have a strong desire to be more then they are now? or is this just another class they have to get through the answer to this will show the true leader and the person just collecting a paycheck.
Kerry,
Good analysis of how to approach students. By knowing this information you are able to more accurately target your instruction.
Gary
I agree that we must inspire our students to learn. If we are excited about our subject and have the expertise in the area the students will usually become excited with us. Making the subject come "alive" is always important. I like to give personal experiences sometime ones that are positive and also ones that show mistakes and how to prevent them in the future
Sandi,
Students really like personal stories from their instructors. The stories really help the students to see application and relevancy to what they are being taught.
Gary
I think inspiration varies for populations. What inspires a group of people in their twenties might fail to light the fire of a student in his/her fourties. By getting to know one's students, one can more adequately assess what makes them tick. The cognitive tools individuals use to make sense of their world also varies with age: young students love stories, while adolescents who are trying to get a handle on the world are drawn to the limits of reality --the unusual. By using these cognitive tools we, as teachers, increase the likelihood of connecting with and inspiring our students.
Always tie long terms goals to your lessons. Why the imformation is needed. How the student will use it in and out of class. Why learnng can take them to thier goal.
I agree that we need to continually repeat the "why" of learning. In the past, I have told my students day one that my goal is not only for them to learn, but for them to be better humans at the end. It is important for them to know they matter..
Particularly, I really like my classes relate to students' daily life, I taught them how they should handle certain situations, it is very gratifying to see the importance they give to the class when they relate to your life..
Yaima,
This is always so rewarding for a teacher. They see that their students are learning and applying their new knowledge to their lives. This is an "ah-ha" moment for teachers as well as students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Absolutely! If the subject you are teaching means nothing to you but facts, figures, and a paycheck then you will bore your class to death. Most young adult learners need to be inspired to stay on track. We need to be that morning cup of coffee to them.
