Instructor Enthusiasm
How does instructor enthusiasm influence student retention?
I think that Instructor Enthusiasm has a great impact on a students ability to retain information. If an instructor is enthusiastic about their field and the information they are teaching this will motivate the student to listen more closely thus aiding in the retention of the information. A boring, monotoned lecture will immediately cause the students thoughts to wander. If the students aren't listening then they are not learning. Make learning fun and exciting. Be enthusiastic and tell interesting stories. Keep the class engaged, entertained and let your enthusiasm show! If nothing else they will NEVER be bored !
Karen,
Well said and I want to reinforce your comments. If we are not excited about sharing our content and are not passionate about our field it is for sure our students won't be.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find enthusiasm to be highly contagious! If I'm enthusiastic about the materials I'm presenting to students they will become enthusiastic about learning it. I also notice myself feeding off of student enthusiasm; it makes me excited about teaching. But someone has to initiate this cycle of enthusiasm and that responsibility falls on the instructor!
When a student sees that their instructor has a true enthusiasm for the subject matter they are teaching, it reassures them that not only will the class be inspiring, but also that the career the class content leads to will be exciting as well. Students can tell when an instructor is just going through the motions, and this creates a low energy "vibe", which is hard to escape.
The program I teach in is very challenging and requires a huge commitment of effort and time, as does the students' future career (which also, unfortunately, does not come with an amazing paycheck). So, a student that is not genuinely interested and passionate about the material will not succeed. If I don't show my enthusiasm and passion, how can I expect them to have any?
Kristina,
You points about enthusiasm are right on the mark. It is for sure if we do not have passion for our content and enthusiasm about teaching it the students will not be engaged. We have to bring our A game to class each and every time it meets.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Jeffrey,
Thank you for these good comments about instructor enthusiasm. They are reflective of the value that students associate with the content when their instructor is excited about getting to teach them. This is a win win for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Melissa,
Your last sentence says it all. You have to bring passion and enthusiasm to the class because if you don't it is for sure the students aren't going to generate it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
enthusiasm is contagious, if the instructor has passion and intensity for the subjet(s) that he/she is teaching, this passion is passed along to the students while in class.
I often feel that as teachers we are not only educators but entertainers. Engaging our audience and getting audience participation and 'buy in' is part of the game. With little or no entertainment value this is very hard to do. We teach technical topics here and our teachers are career mechanics. The technical aspects are easy for them to deliver but to find someone who can deliver this information and sing & dance is truly a winning combination and students will not miss class because they don't want to miss the next show!
I find being down to earth and knowledgable about the subject can create a fun and engaging enviroment. Enthusiasm comes from being confident in your teaching subject.
Anne,
You have listed two of the key words in learning. Instructors need to have passion about their field and enthusiasm for teaching it. Without either the students are going to disengage from the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Rich,
You make a good point because it is reflective of where education is at today. Students want us to offer edutainment. So we find we are doing a lot of things to engage the students and delivery technical content in interesting and alternative ways. This can be a challenge because in many technical fields (I was trained in one) it involves a lot of self discipline and effort to acquire all of the needed knowledge as well as the skill sets.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Apathy breeds apathy and enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm...which is why having an upbeat attitude and instilling a desire to learn is so important when teaching. I have found the same to hold true about how "hard" something is percieved to be. If the teacher freaks students out about how difficult something is, most of the class will have fear. If the teacher states alound that the class will break up the segments so that it is easy to understand, the students tend to learn better.
Guy,
This is a foundation and common sense way to approach instruction. The more relevancy and application we can introduce to our students throughout the course the more value they will see in what is being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Karen,
Well said and right on the mark. We need to have passion for our field and enthusiasm about our teaching. This is the foundation for a winning formula in student success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One way of keeping instructor enthusiasm up is taking student feedback and willing to accept it. Showing the class that the instructor is willing to take positive suggestions and implement them can bring excitement and enthusiasm not only to the instructor but also the class.
Charles,
Yes, it is. This is an important part of the instructional improvement process. We need to review the feedback and then see how we can make adjustments, changes, etc. to make our instruction more effective.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructors determine the culture of the class environment. If students become excited about learning because of the enthusiasm the instructor is displaying, they may be more apt to attend class. They will not want to miss class.
