Crystal,
Nothing wrong with having fun while you are teaching. I try to keep in mind that my adult students are really nothing more than tall children. My students like to play games, do activities and case studies. They get really excited when they get to work together and solve common problems in their field.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As an administrator/instructor, I have an opportunity to view the different teaching styles of many instructors. I can tell you that those instructors that utilize both enthusiasm for the subject matter and the entertainment factor always have the higher marks when it comes to student satisfaction feedback. Granted, there has to be a balance of professionalism included as well.
Leslie,
This has been my observation as well. It takes a blending of excitement and passion to be an effective instructor. By making the learning process fun and engaging you are setting the stage for positive learning experiences for your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I express to all my students how much enjoyment I recieve from being able to share with them the knowledge that I have attained. I always say that once I found this vocation it became a passion to me and I feel that if you learn you should teach and share the knowledge. They appreciate this and feel that they to can have this same positive reaction when they immerse themselves in their educations.
Instructor enthusiasm greatly influences student retention; it sets the stage. The instructor needs to show he/she cares about the material so that the students will care.
Elizabeth,
Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching about it sets the stage for learning success. You are bringing both each time you step into the classroom and I commend you for your dedication to your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Donna,
Yes it does. Being lead by someone that is excited about his or her field is a wonderful situation to be in. You are bringing that message to your students and they are benefiting greatly from your leadership.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructor enthusiasm is critical. Passion and enthusiasm are addictive… your students can't help but to become more involved and present in class if you are excited and enthusiastic about the subject/course.
As Julia stated, 'passion and enthusiasm are addictive'. They need to include passion and enthusiasm not only for our industry and for teaching, but also about learning. At the rate technology is changing none of us can know everything about our subject or about teaching. Let the students see that you are still a passionate learner who is seeking to grow both in industry skills and knowledge and also as a teacher.
"Come, join me in learning," is an invitation most students will gladly accept.
Julia,
You are right about passion and enthusiasm. They both need to be present in the delivery of content by an instructor. Can't imagine teaching with out them because if they are not present then teaching is nothing more than just reading some information out of a book.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Paul,
Like your "Come and join me in Learning" statement. This is what being in class should be about. A lot of college students pay tuition and come to college and once there dare any instructor to teach them anything. They need to realize that college is not high school and it is not compulsory. They are there because they have chosen to be and the course they are enrolled in is required because it helps them move closer to their career goals. If they get that message into their heads they then can enjoy the passion of their instructor about the field and enjoy learning what they are being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If a student feels good about going to class they will keep going. It is important to keep the students excited about learning. many students have alot going on outside of school so you want to make sure they feel respected and valued.
Katie,
Right you are about getting students to become involved in the course to the point they are excited about coming to class. We instructors need to strive to build enthusiasm for what we are teaching and activities that engages the students. The results will be students that want to come to class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When an instructor is enthusiastic about a topic that students do not find appealing, the students tend to wonder why the instructor like it so much. In turn, the student is more willing to give a subject a chance just because someone else likes it so much.
Audrey,
Cannot over emphasize the value of enthusiasm when it comes to teaching. An instructor that is passionate about his or her field and excited about teaching the content is going to enjoy student engagement.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When an instructor is excited about the material, it is reflected in his/her instruction. The instructors tone will be different based on the excitement for the material. The preparation for the lecture will most likely be greater, because the instructor enjoyed preparing for it. The students will also realize that the subject matter can be exciting and interesting to learn. I teach a night class, and I realize that students are often tired from daily responsibilities and activities, but if I am able to get the students excited about the topic, they take-in and retain that information. Also, I noticed that when I am particularly interested in a topic, I provide more visual aids and props to aid in the learning process.
An instructors enthusiam or lack of enthusiasm has a large influence on student retention. If an instructor is enthusiatic, the students will be excited to come to class and learn. On the other hand if an instructor lacks enthusiasm, it will negatively impact the student and cause them to not want to come to class.
Brittney,
I teach from 4 until 10 pm so I can relate to your class situation. To keep the students engaged for six hours after they have worked all day is tough but through careful planning possible. It is fun to come up with creative things to do to change the pace of the class and help the students to reset their minds so we can keep the class moving forward.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Shane,
So true. Excitement is catching so if we bring passion for our field and enthusiasm for teaching to class our students will sense it and feed off our modeling and learning leadership.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructor enthusiasm plays a large role in student retention because if a student feels the instructor does not care about them as a student or the material they are teaching they will not be motivated to continue their learning.
